Humans have had to put up with ants invading their domiciles since our earliest ancestors staggered into caves. They’ve been around since the Jurassic period, and while not all species boast the qualities mentioned above, many of them do have at least some of those traits, enabling them to become one of the most prolific pests on the planet. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and there are more than 20,000 known species. There are 113 different ant species in Michigan alone, and 3 of those are likely to invade your home: Carpenter Ants, Odorous House Ants, and Allegheny Mound Ants.

Common Invasive Ant Species In Michigan

Carpenter Ants are very big, growing up to an inch in length, and pack a painful bite. They can do devastating damage to the wooden structures of your home, as well as the shrubbery and trees on your property. You might be surprised to learn that they don’t eat wood. Instead, they tirelessly carve tunnels in your woodwork, creating areas to lay eggs. They are omnivorous scavengers and particularly attracted to sweets.

Odorous House Ants are much smaller than their Carpenter cousins but are just as invasive, and they too love a sugary snack. Their name is appropriate because when crushed, they smell like rotting coconut, blue cheese, or turpentine. The stench is so awful that they are sometimes referred to as stink ants.

Allegheny Mound Ants are more likely to target your yard than your house. They are builders who create large dirt mounds and riddle your outdoor spaces with complex, connective tunnels that go as far as three feet underground. These ants are a gardener’s nightmare, using formic acid to destroy grass, trees, and vegetation in a 50-foot radius around their mounds. If you are thinking about trying to destroy those mounds, think again. These ants may be small, averaging around a quarter of an inch in size, but they are very aggressive and will attack you if their mounds are disturbed.

A Danger To Your Home And Health

Ants are social, clever, organized, and persistent. Beyond physical destruction in your home and surrounding property, they also pose a threat to human health by creating dangerously unsanitary conditions. They carry bacteria and infectious diseases and will contaminate the surfaces they touch, including your floor, kitchen counters, and food. Chances are if you’ve seen just one around your home, there are likely many more nearby. The colonies typically number into the thousands or even millions. A queen can lay hundreds of thousands of eggs in a single day. Once they’ve invaded your space, they are challenging to get rid of. Some ants are even becoming immune to pesticides, so the over-the-counter products we once relied upon often don’t work anymore. 

If you suspect you have an ant problem, your best course of action is to contact a professional pest control service immediately. The experts at Stratex Pest Control get the job done right. As the top-rated pest control service in southern michigan, we have the training, experience, and resources to stop your ant problem in its tracks and put a preventative plan in place to keep them away in the future. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are on call to serve you, so don’t delay, contact Stratex today.