Our Preferred Approach to Controlling these Pests:

We employ the Bait technique to Control, Eradicate, and Exterminate the infestations of these Pests. Some of the advantages of the Bait technique are:

Our exterminators will inspect the structure for points of vulnerabilities that may result in cause of future infestations or conditions that may be helping the Pest flourish. It will be up to the owner to act on the recommendations.

Expected Results and Outcome of the Treatment:

In about 3-5 weeks, all pests would have been eliminated having consumed the bait. Typically, the Pests would simply cease to exist. However, it is possible that some Pests may expire near human living spaces. As well, they may result in bad odors. In that case, client would have to investigate the source and remove it.

A Carpenter Ant feeding on
Sugar based Bait GEL

Specific Notes on Bait Application:

Bait is mostly in Gel or Paste form and is usually deployed inside cracks, gaps and holes particularly where ants may be traveling through or near.

Ants, during their normal foraging activities, will find the bait and consume it. It is common that it may appear that the pests become more active or appear to have become greater in numbers as they may come back a few times to feed on the bait. Ants will carry the bait back to the colony for other Ants to feed as well.

The Pest Profile

Appearance

A Fire Ant

The bodies of fire ants, like all insects' bodies, are broken up into three sections: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. Fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. The worker ants are blackish to reddish, and their size varies from 2mm to 6 mm (0.12 in to 0.24 in). These different sizes of the ants can all exist in the same nest.

A Fire Ant

Behavior

A typical fire ant colony produces large mounds in open areas, and feeds mostly on young plants, seeds, and sometimes crickets. Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin, a compound from the class of piperidines. For humans, this is a painful sting, a sensation similar to what one feels when burned by fire—hence the name fire ant—and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals. Although fire ants do not typically seek out and attack the face, they are as likely to attack an exposed and vulnerable face as any other body part. The venom is both insecticidal and antibiotic. Researchers have proposed that nurse workers will spray their brood to protect them from microorganisms.

Fire ants nest in the soil, often near moist areas, such as river banks, pond edges, watered lawns and highway edges. Usually the nest will not be visible as it will be built under objects such as timber, logs, rocks, pavers, bricks, etc. If there is no cover for nesting, dome-shaped mounds will be constructed, but this is usually only found in open spaces such as fields, parks and lawns. These mounds can reach heights of 40 cm (15.7 in).

Colonies are founded by small groups of queens or single queens. Even if only one queen survives, within a month or so the colony can expand to thousands of individuals. Some colonies may be polygynous (having multiple queens per nest).

R O L E S

Queens

A queen is generally the largest individual in the colony. The primary function of the queen is reproduction; she may live for 6-7 years and produce up to 1,500 eggs per day. Many fire ant colonies will have more than one queen.

Males

Mate with the queen ant in order to produce eggs.

Workers

The workers are sterile females who build and repair the nest, care for the young, defend the nest, and feed both young and adult ants. The worker ants also go find supplies to build the nest.

Introduced species

For more details on invasive subspecies, see Red imported fire ant. Although most fire ant species do not bother people and are not invasive due to biological factors, Solenopsis invicta, commonly known as the Red imported fire ant (or RIFA) is an invasive pest in many areas of the world, notably the United States, Australia, the Philippines, China and Taiwan. The RIFA was accidentally introduced into the United States due to a South American cargo ship coming to an Alabama port in 1918, but now infests the majority of the Southern and Southwestern United States.

In the US, the FDA estimates that more than US$5 billion is spent annually on medical treatment, damage, and control in RIFA-infested areas. Furthermore, the ants cause approximately US$750 million in damage annually to agricultural assets, including veterinarian bills and livestock loss as well as crop loss. Since September 2004, Taiwan has been seriously affected by the red fire ant.

The US, Taiwan and Australia all have ongoing national efforts to control or eradicate the species, but, other than Australia, none have been especially effective. In Australia an intensive program costing A$175 million has, at February 2007, eradicated 99% of fire ants from the sole infestation occurring in South East Queensland.

Symptoms and first aid

The venom of a fire ant sting causes stinging and swells into a bump. This can cause much pain and irritation at times, especially when stung repeatedly by several at once. The bump often forms into a white pustule, which is at risk of becoming infected if scratched, however if left alone usually go down within a few days. The pustules are unattractive and uncomfortable while active and, if the sting sites become infected, can turn into scars. Additionally, some people are allergic to the venom and, as with many allergies, may experience anaphylaxis, which requires emergency treatment. An antihistamine or topical corticosteroids may help reduce the itching.

First aid for fire ant bites includes external treatments and oral medicines.

Patients who experience severe or life threatening allergic reactions to fire ant insect stings should visit a doctor or hospital immediately upon contact as these reactions can result in death. These more severe reactions include severe chest pain, nausea, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling, or slurred speech.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ant