What are thief ants?
Thief ants (Solenopsis molesta) are tiny, barely visible ants that are sometimes known as “sugar ants“. These ants commonly enter homes and form trails and “swarms” that can be a nuisance as they enter buildings and seek out the nearest food source. In their natural environment, thief ants typically consume other ants or insect larvae. However, within human habitations, they thrive on high protein and sweet foods. Very commonly thief ants can be found in the kitchen consuming foods in opened packaging such as peanut butter or cheese. Their most common place of habitation is outdoors, under rocks, where their nests are hidden and very hard to locate. Occasionally, an entire colony of nests can be found in one area. Sometimes nests can be found indoors, such as in cabinets or cupboards, and thief ants are a type of ant commonly found in villas. Thief ant nests can contain up to two queens and thousands upon thousands of workers. Once reproduction gets underway, rapid infestation can occur of an area in a short period of time. The thief ant is one of several species of ants present in Dubai and is frequently a pest in need of control for many businesses and households.
How to get rid of ants such as the thief ant?
Because the garden is the most appropriate place for ants and their nests and not the house, pest control services are often needed to get rid of thief ant infestations. When thief ants come into a building from outdoors, they can potentially bring in pathogens from outdoor food sources that can cause harm. Pest control operators are experienced in surveying for thief ant nests and using the appropriate control measures once they are found. One of these types of control is gel baits. Ants can be controlled by gel baits which are more effective than other types of treatment because ants live in a kingdom community. If chemical sprays are used this is oftentimes ineffective because the spray does not kill the eggs and their caretakers, while with the gel bait system, the ants return to the nest with the poison and kill the entire ant community. This will control thief ants during a summer swarm or prevent them from swarming if controlled during any other time of the year. Pest control companies such as Akkad pest control services are experts in effective techniques for getting rid of thief ants and should be considered as a way of getting rid of your thief ant infestation.