GHOST ANTS

HOW TO GET RID OF GHOST ANTS

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APPEARANCE:

Ghost ants look like tiny, white apparitions who suddenly appear and seem
to disappear just as quickly. Workers are are 1/16 inch/1.5 mm in length.
The legs, pedicel, gaster, and antennae are pale, almost translucent,
in color and the head and thorax are darker.
For this reason, the ghost ant is also known in some areas as the black-headed ant.

REPRODUCTION:

Colonies of ghost ants tend to be moderate to large in size and multiple
queens are present.New colonies are started by "budding"
where one or more reproductive females, several workers,
and possibly some brood(larvae and pupae) migrate to a new nesting site.
Their biology in similar to the Pharoah ant.

ANT TRAILS:

An excellent article(click on the PDF button-the top right corner
of the document)by Univ. of Florida Extension Service can be found at Ant Trails:Baiting..
It gives an overview of management with baits.

WHY ANT BAIT?

The use of residual sprays or dusts will cause stress on the colonies,
causing them to split into sub-colonies that scatter to other areas in the structure.
This is also called budding.

After spraying, your problem can be worse than at the beginning.

When you bait, you will want a slow acting bait.
Quick kill insecticides and baits will only kill the foraging ants,
not allowing the foraging ants to take the bait back home to feed the queen,
nest workers and brood.

If the current ant bait that you are using is not acceptable to the ants,
if they are not visiting the bait, it is recommended that you change the baits.
Ants require carbohydrates-sugars, proteins and greases.
They find a variety of these sources in nature. Examples are: other insects(proteins and greases), nectar, aphid honeydew ,
plant products(sugar and carbohydrates)

Choosing a bait would require knowing what they are currently feeding off of,
according to the nutritional needs of the colony.
To be sure that you have all the baiting needs met,
you may want to be ready with a sugar-carbohydrate bait, a grease-fat bait,
nd a protein based bait.

Ghost ants tend to forage in a more random pattern than does the pharaoh ant,
so that feeding trails may be more difficult to recognize.
These ants have a high need for water and may be commonly found in or around kitchens,
baths or other moisture sources.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMOVE ANY OTHER FOOD COMPETITION WHEN BAITING AND LEAVE THE BAIT ALONE ONCE THE ANTS START FEEDING ON IT.

HABITS:

Ghost ants are found in warm climates and can be a big problem in tropical areas of the world.
In Florida, they are found mostly from Orlando south,
although they do occur as far north as Gainesville,
Florida and some isolated cases in California.

Ghost ants are highly adaptable in their nesting habits,
nesting in a variety of places.
Inside, they can be in wall voids,behind baseboards, between cabinets , etc.
They also like to nest in the soil of potted plants.
Foraging activity indoors is typically concentrated in the kitchen or bathroom,
with a high need of water,although any room can be affected.
The nesting habits are similar to Pharoah ants.
Outide, they can be found nesting in soil of potted plants,
under stones, under and inside logs and firewood.
They also nest in cavities and crevices in trees and shrubs.

Ghost ants will enter stuctures,usually by trailing from nests
along the foundation or by branches of trees and/or shrubs
that contact the structure.

They tend to forage in a random pattern,
feeding trails may be difficult to spot. Workers forage from these onto and up the walls of buildings,
entering through cracks around doors, windows, and soffits.
The hollows in pool enclosures also seem to be a prime nesting site.
In kitchens, they prefer to forage on sweet items such as packages
of marshmallows, syrup, honey, candy and sugar.
They will also forage on grease deposits although not as readily
as they will on sweets.
Trails are often very difficult to see due
to the tiny size and pale coloration of these ants.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS AND TREATMENT

Baiting is the preferred treatment over typical residual spraying,
so you can eliminate the entire colony. Argentine ants generate strong pheromone trails when foraging. They can be easily tracked. In many areas, you will see them pathing three and four abreast.

The recommended products for the protein and grease eating cycle would be:

• MAXFORCE ANT BAIT STATIONS




• FLUORGUARD ANT BAIT STATIONS




• MAXFORCE ANT GRANULARS

The recommended products for the sugar eating cycle would be:

• MAXFORCE ANT KILLER BAIT GEL

  
  

•  REVENGE LIQUID ANT BAIT

• MAXFORCE GRANULAR ANT BAIT is an excellent choice for the outside , feeding all their dietary needs.

• Ant bait stations such as : ANT CAFES'S
  small or large plastic cubes (that snap shut )that keep the gel or dry granulated bait inside, may serve to keep the baits intact.

FOR SMALL SIZED ANTS (feeds all the dietary needs:protein, grease and sugar)
Maxforce Ant Bait Kit
Complete Ant Bait Kits: Small

• Perimeter treatment with a long lasting residual sprays such as Suspend SC or Demon WP can at times prevent them from entering structures

  
  SUSPEND SC  or  DEMON WP

Argentine Ants  / Fire Ants / Ghost Ants /   Leaf Cutter Ants /  Odorous House Ants /  Pharoah Ants / Carpenter Ants