ANTS
Colonies
Food
Life Cycle
- egg
- larva
- pupa
- adult
Native New Zealand Ants
Because ants prefer living in countries with a warmer climate, New Zealand has only 11 native species. They are often found in the forests.
Ant facts
- Ants belong to the insect order Hymenoptera. They are close relatives of bees and wasps.
- Each colony can hold up to half a million ants. They can all get up and go very quickly if the colony is threatened.
- Worker ants can live for up to seven years, while a queen can live for up to 15 years.
- Some species will swarm in immense numbers as winged males and females to disperse and reproduce. This usually occurs during the cooler autumn or winter months.
Getting rid of ants in your home
Ants can contaminate food, undermine paving, cause electrical malfunctions, and generally look unsightly.
Although many homeowners struggle with do-it-yourself ant control remedies the results are often less than satisfactory. Small problems can develop into large ones, and this is when many people seek out the services of a pest management professional.
Once we have identified your ant species, we can use a range of powerful insecticides to deal with them efficiently. This gives you the reassurance that the problem has been fully dealt with.
Treatments are targeted to your specific ant species to solve the problem quickly, whilst ensuring the safety of your family and pets.
Once the ants have been dealt with, you can take precautions to stop them coming back. One particularly important precaution is covering any food in storage areas – you do not know where ants have been walking before they march across your food
Getting rid of ants in your business
In the commercial environment ants are more than just a nuisance. They can cost you money and harm your reputation. This is particularly true in organisations that handle food or need to keep areas sterile.
Premises like café’s, restaurants, offices, warehouses, and other buildings that store food and water need to make sure they have the highest standards of hygiene – and that means being ant-free.
Without adequate ant control in your business, you could suffer from:
- Waste– Contaminated food and other products will have to be thrown away, costing you money and resources.
- Fear– Infestations can spread pathogens and alarm clients or residents and lead them to question your hygiene standards.
- Reputation damage– If your reputation suffers so too will your profits, as customers are put off by the presence of ants.
Steps you can take to minimise ants in your home or business
- Clear up – food and liquid spillages immediately.
- Seal – Make sure all garbage cans are tightly sealed
- Sweep up – any food crumbs from under your kitchen appliances and units.
- Store your food – in airtight containers wherever possible.
- If you have a pet – clear away any food that isn’t eaten straight away.
- Block off – the entry points for ants by sealing all cracks and crevices around your doors and window frames.
- In the garden – keep your compost enclosed and make sure all rubbish bins have tightly sealed lids.
How we can help
Our Pest Management Technicians understand the habits of different types of ants and can offer discreet and targeted ant management plans. It goes without saying that all our treatments are safe for your staff and customers.
Give us a call and we will set the following plan in motion
- We will discuss your specific issue and ask you a few questions.
- We will recommend a treatment plan based on our discussion, and your likely infestation level, following which we will give you a cost estimate to put the plan into action.
- Once you have approved the price, we will arrange a convenient time to do a site visit, full inspection, and treat the property. You may need several visits depending on the ant control treatment needed.
- We can also set up regular ant management inspections for you, so the problem does not come back.
