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Acrobat Ants

What do acrobat ants look like?

Acrobat ants have the unique ability to be able to hold their entire abdomen up over the rest of their body in an impressive display of acrobatic ability. Most species of acrobat ants range in color from light yellowish-brown to black, although some are multi-colored. Queens are the largest members of the colony and grow to be about 3/8th of an inch in length; adult workers grow to about 1/8th of an inch in length. Acrobat ants have a heart-shaped abdomen that is usually darker in color than the rest of their body. Another unique characteristic is that they emit a foul smelling odor when they feel threatened or are disturbed.

Are acrobat ants dangerous?

Large colonies of acrobat ants tend to be more aggressive than smaller colonies. Acrobat ants may bite a person or animal when they are being directly handled or their colony is being threatened; however they are not considered to be a major threat. Acrobat ants do have the ability to damage property found within a home or other building; they can contaminate food sources found in kitchen and pantry areas and may even strip the insulation from wires found in your home, causing short circuits to occur.

Why are acrobat ants in my home?

Acrobat ants are typically found living outside in dark damp areas like under rocks, logs, dead trees, mulch, landscaping ties, and woodpiles. Acrobat ants are known for traveling along utility lines, fences, and trees and gain access to your home while foraging for food. They enter inside through cracks found in the foundation, gaps found around windows and doors, and spaces found around utility entrances. Acrobat ants like to nest in areas of high moisture (basements, laundry rooms, bathrooms and kitchens). It is important to know that an infestation of acrobat ants in your home may indicate a moisture problem.

How do you get rid of acrobat ants?

Acrobat ants can enter into homes in very large numbers; they hide and nest in the very hard to reach areas of your home, making finding and eliminating all of them from your home a very tricky task. At Spencer Pest Services, we can get rid of acrobat ants from your property through our year-round residential pest control packages.

Our Service Professionals have the experience and training needed to eliminate and control acrobat ants in your home and to prevent future problems with them. Contact us today for specifics about our ant control services.

Acrobat ant prevention tips

Along with putting into place a pest control program, there are several things you can do in and around your home to prevent and deter acrobat ants.  Prevention tips include:

  • Make sure that outdoor trash cans have tight-fitting lids and are stored away from the outside of your home.
  • Trim back trees, bushes, and shrubs away from the outside of your home.
  • Seal cracks and crevices found in your home’s foundation; caulk gaps found around windows and doors.
  • Fill in the spaces found around utilities entering into your home.
  • Install door sweeps underneath all exterior doors.
  • Inside your home routinely wash dirty dishes, quickly clean up spills and crumbs, and store food air-tight containers.

To learn how Spencer Pest Services can eliminate acrobat ants from your Greenville, Upstate of South Carolina, or northern Georgia property, call us today.