The Complete Guide to Ant Prevention, Treatment, and Control in Myanmar
How many times have you accidentally left food sitting out on the counter only to discover a colony of ants has deployed its army to devour it piece by piece? While such a common and pesky nuisance may seem trivial, seeing ants indoors may indicate an ant infestation. Even though ant infestations are harmless, they do create problems and inhibit quality of life.
Some of the most commonly found ants in Myanmar are:
Ghost ants
Crazy ants
Pharaoh ants
Carpenter ants
If you see any of these varieties of ants in the home or any kind of indoor space, it is usually because they are in search of food and shelter.
Ghost ants
Ghost ants, or sugar ants, love damp environments, and are mostly found in the kitchen. Popular spots to find ghost ants are behind the fridge, inside cabinets, or underneath the sink.
Characteristics of ghost ants:
Translucent bodies
Dark heads
About 1.3mm - 1.5mm in size
They are attracted to sweet, carbohydrate foods that can be used to feed the ghost ant colony
Crazy ants
The term “crazy” is used to describe these ants because of their unique defense tactics. If a group of crazy ants is disturbed, they will quickly scatter in random directions. This technique makes it challenging for anyone trying to eliminate crazy ants.
Characteristics of crazy ants:
Black or dark red color
Antennae
Long legs
2mm - 3mm in size
Attracted to sugar-dense foods (often found in similar places as ghost ants, who also love sugary foods)
Pharaoh ants
Pharaoh ants are very difficult to combat and are thus quite a nuisance. Pharaoh ants are extremely resistant to pesticides and, in fact, if you do use pesticides, this will just push them to new territories. Pharaoh ants are also known to bite when threatened.
Characteristics of pharaoh ants:
Golden or brown color
About 2mm in size
Prefer oily and protein-dense food
Queen pharaoh ants live very long lives - sometimes as long as 4-12 years
Carpenter ants
Carpenter ants earn their name because they live in wooden structures and carve out a home for the colony using their mouths. They don’t eat the wood but are often confused with termites because of their similar activity in wood.
Characteristics of carpenter ants:
Black and red-brown
About 15mm - 17mm in size
Prefer to eat dead insects and honeydew
Gravitates towards bathrooms and other damp, moist areas
Signs of an Ant Infestation
From time to time, you will find ants indoors and it shouldn’t be too much cause for concern. Ants can find their way inside if they are looking for food or even if they traveled inside via a bag or box. However, sometimes you are facing a true infestation that needs professional attention. Here are some indicators that you may be facing such an infestation.
1. Many live ants
Seeing a few ants is quite different from seeing a large number of ants. If you find a large presence of live ants near food or in areas where food is prepared, this is a good indicator that there is an ant infestation.
2. Ant trails
When ants forage for food, they leave a trail of pheromone that allows other colony members to follow the same path to the food. Over time, a trail forms where these ants are traversing. Following this trail could lead to the colony’s nest.
3. Presence of sawdust
If you see sawdust, you likely have an infestation of carpenter ants. As the ants burrow through wood, they leave behind piles or trails of sawdust.
Ants: Biology and Life Cycle
Ants undergo a metamorphosis of life stages very similar to mosquitoes and butterflies:
Eggs
Larvae
Pupae
Adulthood
Also, because ants are social insects, they have a very interesting caste system. Each caste has different tasks that contribute to the colony as a whole. In an ant colony, there is a queen ant, alates ants (reproductive ants), workers, pupae, larvae, and eggs.
Ant reproduction
The queen ant is integral for the growth of the colony. She is the largest in the colony and her primary function is to reproduce. Even though she only mates once, she reproduces throughout her entire lifetime.
The male ant’s sole purpose is to mate with the queen. After mating, the ant dies. The alates have wings that help them fly to form new colonies.
Another way that the queen can facilitate reproduction and the growth of ant colonies is through what is known as budding. Budding is when the queen ant departs and starts a new colony in a new location.
Worker ants
The ants that we usually see are known as the worker ants. This is the most common caste in the ant colony. The responsibilities of the worker ants are to:
Forage for food
Feed the other worker ants
Guard and take care of the nest
While the worker ants are their own caste, some species of ants are dimorphic and have a kind of subdivision of these worker ants.
Major workers (larger ants)
Minor workers (smaller ants)
The ant larvae are very delicate and, because they don’t have legs, the worker ants need to nurse and take care of them.
Hazards
Because ants are not typically carriers of disease, they pose very little medical danger to people. Despite this lowered health risk, there are other risks to consider.
1. Domestic nuisance
Ants are not only unpleasant to see but they can also take over any food they find and render it inedible if they take over. They could also climb onto people and cause skin irritation.
2. Damage to building structures
Should there be an infestation of carpenter ants, this could cause severe structural damage. Carpenter ants hollow out any wood they find, which could increase the risk of collapsing structures.
3. An ecosystem of other pests
Having an ant infestation can attract other pests who survive off of ants, such as spiders and geckos. An infestation of ants can lead to an infestation of even more pests.
6 Ways to Get Rid of and Prevent Ants in Myanmar
1. Find and close entry points
One important way to both get rid of and prevent more ants is to find how they got inside in the first place. Most often, ants are finding a way in through cracks in the walls, windows, floors, and ceilings. Sometimes ants can even find a way in through a crack in a pipeline.
Find all of these points and seal them up as much as possible. This is the best way to prevent ants from entering.
2. Find and remove water leaks
Because ants nest in damp areas, it’s important to eliminate any water leaks that could invite such nesting. An interesting point: if you see ants, this could be indicative of a hidden water leak. Check the building for any water leaks.
3. Maintain cleanliness
Make it a habit to always clean after cooking and eating, as well as to avoid leaving food to sit uncovered for long spans of time. This will reduce any temptations for ants to enter in the first place. Another tip is to avoid letting trash pile up for too long since this will also invite ants.
4. Use airtight food containers
Ants are so tiny that they can fit through almost any nook or cranny. It’s best to use airtight food containers so that ants don’t have a chance of getting in. Storing fresh fruit and vegetables in the fridge is also a good way to prevent an ant infestation.
5. Keep up with indoor houseplants
Because ants need water to survive, they will often find other creative places to find water - such as houseplants. Remove any excess water that accumulates when watering houseplants. This could invite an infestation if left unattended.
6. Prune shrubbery and trees near the home perimeter
In the same way that houseplants can invite ants, so too can the plants that perimeter a home or building. Keeping shrubbery, trees, and other garden plants trimmed will prevent excess moisture from accumulating and thus inviting a nesting ant colony.
DIY for Ant Infestations
Ants have a keen sense of smell, which is why they can so easily find sweet treats that may be sitting loosely covered in the kitchen cabinet. In the same way, ants have a keen sense of smell for the scents that they hate.
Smells that ants hate include:
Cinnamon
Lemon juice
Peppermint
Simply making a spray with these scents can help deter ants when sprayed at typical entry points, such as windowsills and doorways.
Treating Ants Professionally
The most common treatment for an ant infestation is residual spraying. This method is reserved for situations when we can find the ant nest. While this is effective for some species, it won’t work for all. Sometimes the insecticide does not affect the ants and can actually worsen the infestation.
To prevent garden ant species, residual chemical spraying can be used at entrances or other entry points.
Some ant species are simply very difficult to address. Even if they are eradicated, they may still return. It’s very important to be sure what kind of ant infestation exists before choosing a treatment method.
Perhaps the best method for treating an ant infestation is to use baiting. The bait we offer is a mixture that includes traces of food to attract ants, while also including insecticide, which will ultimately kill the ants. This method is slower, but it is effective because the worker ants then bring the poisoned food back to the colony. In a matter of time, the entire colony is exterminated.
If you believe you have an ant infestation, stay calm and reach out to our treatment professionals. Our staff are licensed and certified and are knowledgeable on the various species of ants, as well as the appropriate treatment for each species. We are more than happy to serve you and your treatment needs.