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Argentine Ants

What do Argentine ants look like?

Argentine ants can be shiny dark brown to shiny black. They are a smaller ant species; adults only grow to be between 1/16th and ¼ of an inch in length. The queens are the largest members of the colony. They have a 12 segmented antennae and a segmented-oval shaped body. Argentine ants are commonly identified by the extremely large colonies that they live in – a single colony can have thousands of workers and hundreds of queen living in it!

Are Argentine ants dangerous?

Argentine ants are not considered to be a dangerous ant species because they don’t pose any health risks to people. However, due to their extremely large colony size, Argentine ants can become a huge nuisance inside homes and other buildings; and they are difficult to eliminate and will contaminate food sources. Also, Argentine ants emit a powerful musty odor when they are crushed that can become quite unpleasant.

Why are Argentine ants in my home?

Outside, Argentine ants like to nest in moist environments like along the edges of sidewalks and under landscaping ties, stones, and mulch. If the soil they are nesting in becomes too wet or too dry they will choose to move inside to nest.

They may also enter a home while foraging for food through cracks in the foundation or gaps around exterior windows and doors.

Argentine ants have a wide and varied diet. They prefer sweet items, but also feed on fats, oils, meats, and eggs.

How do you get rid of Argentine ants?

Argentine ants can enter 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 a very tricky task. Spencer Pest Services can get rid of Argentine ants from your property through our year-round residential pest control packages.

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

Argentine ant prevention tips

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

  • Make sure that outdoor trash cans are stored away from the outside of your home and that they have tight fitting or locking lids to keep out foraging ants.
  • Trim back trees, bushes, and shrubs away from the outside of your home.
  • Seal cracks and crevices in your home’s foundation.
  • Seal the spaces around utilities entering into your home.
  • Install door sweeps underneath all exterior doors and caulk any gaps around all windows and doors.
  • Inside your home, routinely wash dirty dishes, quickly clean up spills and crumbs, and store food in the refrigerator or in sealed containers.

To see how Spencer Pest Services can eliminate Argentine ants from your home or business in Greenville, Upstate of South Carolina, or northern Georgia property, call us today.