5 Things You Need To Know About Moisture Ants
Posted on: 18 June 2015
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There are nearly 1000 different types of ants living in North America, and to the untrained eye, many of them look very similar. When ants infest your home or backyard, you need to know what you're dealing with since not all types of ants can be controlled in the same way. Here's what you need to know about one of the ants that you may encounter around in your home or yard, moisture ants.
What do moisture ants look like?
Moisture ants are very small ants; the largest specimens are only 3 mm long. They can range in color from yellow to dark brown, and all of the ants in the colony are the same size. Other types of ants vary in size, so their uniform size is a key clue that you are looking at moisture ants.
Where do they live?
Moisture ants are found throughout much of the United States. They like to live in moist areas, so you won't encounter them in desert states, but they are commonly seen in heavy rainfall regions such as the Pacific Northwest, New England, and Florida. Outdoors, they make their nests in moist soil underneath rocks and logs or inside dead logs or rotting wood.
Why do they infest houses?
If moisture ants infest your house it's because your house is a suitable habitat for them. They need to live in moist areas, so if your house is dry, you don't have to worry about them moving in. If you have water damage in your house from a flood, burst pipe, leaky roof, or other problem, you could have suitably moist wood for moisture ants.
Can they damage your house?
Moisture ants nest in wood, like termites do, but unlike termites, they won't damage your house. This is because moisture ants don't nest in wood that is dry and structurally sound. They only live in wood that is already wet and damaged, and if you have that type of wood, your house was damaged before the ants showed up.
How do you get rid of them?
The get rid of moisture ants, you need to get rid of what attracted them in the first place: moisture. It's important to clean up flooded areas and replace water-damaged wood. If you live in a very wet area, you may want to replace the old wood with treated wood. If the infestation is large, you may need the assistance of a pest services company.
Moisture ants live in moist areas, and you can prevent an infestation by keeping your house dry. If you're already infested, get rid of your moisture problem, and you will get rid of your ants.