Winged ants southern California have the tendency to swarm. They are also easy to spot, at least in comparison to their terrestrial cousins who sneak around the floor. Winged ants fly and appear like flies in the air. Oftentimes, they are confused with termites.
Winged ants, like other varieties of ants, are social creatures.

They are governed by a queen who is responsible for laying eggs. The ants in a colony will do anything to protect their queen.
Winged ants are predominately seen in the summer. During this season, they gather in massive displays for mating season. During these impressive displays, dense swarms appear, and the reproductive ritual usually takes place over a day or two.

winged ants southern californiaIf you see winged ants going in or out of your house, it probably means you have an infestation somewhere inside. Otherwise, why would they bother to visit? If this is the case, you should contact a pest control agency as soon as possible. If allowed to persist, the potential for damage rises dramatically. Fortunately, there are a variety of methods that can be used to get rid of winged ants.

Many people believe that only termites can damage the wood inside a building. This is patently false. Winged carpenter ants can be nearly as destructive as their termite cousins if not taken care of. Since southern California is a climate that is warm all year round, the likelihood of a year-round infestation is higher than in colder climates. Make sure you do not have a colony of winged ants southern California nesting inside your home!

However, if you want to try controlling the problem by yourself, there are many ant pest control options. If your problem is minor, dusts and sprays may work best. Beware of low-quality products, because "budding" may occur. Budding is when the ants' flight reflex takes action, and ants that survive the dust or spray are scattered to many locations, where they begin new colonies. Instead of one problem, you may have multiple anthills on your hands after dusting and spraying.

A more effective ant pest control method is poison. Although you may want quick results, don't be lured in by the fast-killing claims some poison products boast. Not all ants leave the anthill. Therefore, a poison that kills immediately will only kill the worker ants sent to gather food,Ant Control Bricks and will never reach the colony where new ants are being produced every day. Slow killing bate products allow worker ants to carry the infected food back to the anthill, killing more of the ants. When bating the ants, research what types of foods will attract the species with which you are dealing. This can make all the difference in your success rate.

If the colony has found a home inside your house, say in a wall, you can use a diluted insecticide to drench the anthill. This is not a good option for getting rid of outdoor ants, as the insecticide may poison the groundwater or harm other plants and animals. When used indoors, take care with the product and keep it away from children and pets.

The most important thing when getting rid of ants is to kill the queen ant. Like the queen bee in a hive, this is the lady in charge, so killing her will cause the entire colony to die off quickly. When in doubt, contact a professional to find out more information about ant pest control.