ANTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 124, 24 April 1940, Page 14

ANTS.

SPECIES, HABITS AND CONTROL. (Written for the “Standard.”) Ants are without question the most interesting of all the different kinds of insects, and they are also at certain times of the year amongst the most annoying or pests to the householder. Many species always remain out of doors. Others, however, invade houses, and some of these are the most annoying and persistent of all household pests. In trying to combat any of the ants that invade houses it is advisable to first ascertain the kind which is causing the trouble and then carefully follow the directions given for controlling that particular ant, for ants differ widely in their food preferences and nesting habits, and a poison or bait .that will work on one species may not be at all effective against another. Whenever in doubt as to the kind of ant causing annoyance, specimens for identification should be sent to an entomologist. Dr. Millar. Cawthron Institute, Nelson, would no doubt provide the information desired. PHARAOH’S ANT. One of the most common and most annoying of the ants that occur in houses is Pharaoh’s ant. This very small reddish-orange species exhibits a marked fondness for all foods, blit especially for fats and meats. It is strongly attracted to, moisture and is frequently found around sinks or water taps. For weeks at a time it may take no food, but lives only on water. This species is active at any time of the year in houses and is the most difficult to control of all house ants. Effective control can be obtained by poisoning and by trapping, but trapping does not result in complete eradication.

It is very important to remember that ants multiply rapidly, and that a reduction in numbeio does not indicate that the colony is cleared out. They must be poisoned until not a single individual can bo found. Poisoning.—First locate the nest from which the ants are coming. Either track them from their discovered feeding ground or track them by putting out attractive food, allowing them to feed undisturbed, and tracing the line of workers to the nest. The ants usually follow a definite path, sometimes for several yards, before they disappear into the wall or floor. After locating the point at which they are entering the room, place across their trail and near their nest or runways small amounts of poison syrup mixed according to the following directions: Dissolve 2 grains of thallium sulphate (carefully weighed by a chemist) in half a pint of lukewarm (not hot) water. Thallium sulphate is a very deadly poison and must be handled accordingly. In a separate vessel mix half a pint of water, lib of granulated sugar, 3 ounces of honey and 3 tablespoonfuls of glycerine. Bring this mixture to the boil and remove from the fire. Cool about five minutes, add the solution of thallium sulphate, and stir. Allow the finished syrup to cool before offering it to the ants. Store the syrup in a cool place and be sure to label it “poison.' 1 ’The ants must feed upon the poison bait if it is to be effective The bait must be kept fresh. Renew it daily or at least every oilier day. A handy way to keep the bait on a vertical surface is to place it in small envelopes open at the (op and attach to the wall or other vertical surface with a tack or gummed paper. The ants will find the bait more quickly it itis smeared near the mouth of the envelope which should bo as near their trail as possible. On flat- horizontal surfaces small bottle caps will bo found very effective as containers for the poison. Every precaution must bo taken to keep it out of the way of children or pet animals. Dusting with sodium fluorid, pyretlirmn, or derris, or spraying with a good housefly spray, will kill the ants if it comes in contact with their bodies, but the use of these materials cannot be depended upon to clean up an infestation. Sodium fluorid may be used as a barrier around iood, but must be renewed frequently,- as it will be crossed by the ants after it has been down a day or two. Trapping.—Although trapping may he to some extent effective it never results in complete eradication of the ants. It will, however, reduce the numbers so that the ants are no longer troublesome. Place cloths or sponges which have been dipped in hot grease, or other substance attractive to the insects where the ants will congregate on them. Then dip the sponge into hot water; dry, re-treat, and repace near the ants’ nest. It is well to place the spomres on paper so that the ants which will run about lftear them can he picked up along with those on the sponges and burned or scalded. Never leave this kind of bait for more than six to nine hours without cleanino- out the sponge and destroying the ants. Otherwise it will net as a food simply to aid in building up the colony. THIEF ANT. The thief ant resembles Pharaoh’s ant in that it is very tiny and feeds almost exclusively on greasy substances. It is yellowish-orange in colour and somewhat shorter than Pharaoh s ant. It makes its nest out of doors and becomes troublesome in the house only during the warmer seasons of the year. These tiny ants may be temporarily checked by dusting thoroughly with sodium fluorid the place where they are entering the house. For effective control, use in addition to the sodium fluorid barriers a bait composed of one part of tartar emetic to nine parts of lard or bacon grease placed in small amounts near their nests. Tartar emetic is poison and must _bo kept away from children and pets. I 1 or

this reason the ba.it should he placed under small jar caps held down ‘by a heavy weight. Poisoning thief ants with this bait, when they are known to ho present in the lawn, will prevent them from getting into the house. LARGE YELLOW ANT.

In early spring numbers of winged and wingless light-yellow ants are sometimes seen swarming out of cracks in the walls or along the foundation outside the house. These ants arc usually ordinary yellow ants. They are very common and often cause undue alarm because mistaken for destructive termites. These yellow ants do no damage so far as is known other than working up loose soil through cracks and being an annoyance in tho house when they swarm. The swnrming-in-dividuals are easily controlled b.v hot water, or by spraying with kerosene, or dusting with pyrethrum powder. WINGED OR FLYING ANTS. Winged ants arc not a particular kind of species, but the young kings and queens, or male and lemalo ants, that develop in ants’ nests each year. These winged ants sometimes occur in enormous numbers; they start the new colonies which will be composed mainly of the wingless workers. Swarms of the winged forms of ants may lie controlled by using hot water or kerosene, or by dusting with pyrethrum or derris powder. The latter materials may be used on lawns without killing the grass,—To be concluded.