With so many different types of ants, most people are used to seeing some form of these pests crawling either inside or outside their homes. However, the next time someone tells you they have seen flying ants, they are certainly not wrong!
People from many different locations throughout Southern Arizona reported seeing small, winged creatures swarming about one to twenty feet off the ground above a nest where many more insects lay on the ground below. It turns out these critters are Harvester ants, and they were swarming in hopes of finding a mate!
Reproductive members of a Harvester ant colony will leave the nest in search of a mate, typically during one or two days each year. What is truly amazing is that most Harvester ant colonies all begin this mating process on almost the same exact day! This usually happens in late summer to early fall, depending on weather, moisture, and other factors, which is one way to distinguish flying ants from swarming termites, which typically swam in late winter/early spring. The ants exit their mound, take flight, and search for a mate using chemicals called pheromones. The ants then return to the ground with their newfound partner and finish the mating process.
While harvester ants do not usually infest homes, they build their nests near homes, where they destroy grass and other vegetation surrounding their nests.
Besides trashing lawns, golf courses and playgrounds with their unsightly mounds, harvester ants pose a threat to humans and pets, as they will sting, if provoked, and their venom is one of the most powerful insect venoms known to science.
Harvester ants are very prevalent in the Southwest area of Arizona. They typically prefer desert climates and tend to stay away from homes and urban areas, but as we build structures further into their territory, we are bound to run into one another.
While harvester ants do not usually infest homes, they build their nests near homes, where they destroy grass and other vegetation surrounding their nests. Entrances to these elaborate nests are marked by moderate to large mounds of dirt, with the area surrounding the mound stripped of all vegetation to prevent shading and bits of burnt pine needles placed around the entrance.
Typically, harvester ants stay below ground during the hottest parts of the day and need all the solar power they can muster to stay warm underground.
Harvester ants are, by no means, subtle creatures. Dedicated to work and grass seed, harvester worker ants strip large sections of vegetation from the land around their nests. Easy to spot in naturally grassy areas due to the mounds constructed above their nests, harvester ants can also clear areas as large as 23 feet in diameter. Additionally, the pests cover the nest entrance with an elaborate mound, which makes an infestation even easier to detect.
While harvester ant infestations may be easy to find, they can also cause your lawn to look terrible, with whole areas of vegetation stripped away and mounds of soil rising from your otherwise carefully sculpted landscape.
Besides trashing lawns, golf courses and playgrounds with their unsightly mounds, harvester ants pose a threat to humans and pets, as they will sting if provoked, and their venom is one of the most powerful insect venoms known to science.
Harvester ant stings can cause painful sores and possible allergic reactions in people and animals. Some species wield stingers with reverse barbs that actually break off in the sting site, like honeybee stingers. Unlike honeybees, harvester ants are capable of stinging multiple times. Similar to fire ants, the harvester ant’s two-part bite and sting process begins with the harvester ant attaching to its victim with its mandibles, then proceeding to repeatedly sting and inject venom into the region by pivoting around the site. The red harvester ant native to the arid Southwest is particularly poisonous. These are often confused with fire ants, but the red harvester ant is not related to the fire ant, and, in fact, their sting is more venomous.
Like many venomous insects, the venom of the Maricopa harvester ant consists of amino acids, peptides, proteins and, most notably, an alkaloid poison that sends out a pheromone alarm, chemically alerting other ants in the area. This chemical signaling explains why ants all appear to sting as a unified force. The venom can also contain allergenic proteins that can set off a potentially lethal immune response in certain victims. Truly Nolen recommends seeking professional medical treatment for children, the elderly and those with certain allergies. In otherwise healthy adults, pain from stings can last up to four hours, with residual swelling and pain afterward.
Distinguishing Termites from Flying Ants
Every so often, a Harvester Ant may be mistaken for a termite because of their mating flights which include winged males and females in swarm settings. However, a Termite has a broad waist while a Harvester ant has a narrow waist. In addition, termites are harmless to humans, while Harvester ants can cause a painful sting if provoked.
Most Common Ant Species To Look Out for in Tucson
Calls are up in Tucson right now for Harvester Ants, with Odorous House Ants a close second. As mentioned previously, try not to disturb their nests, because if threatened, they could provide a painful sting.
In terms of DIY treatment, some homeowners find success in using baits to help control harvester ant infestations. Because some harvester ants use pheromone trails and the orientation of the sun to locate food sources, placing baits along the paths they travel can help reduce the size of colonies.
Ants Inside Your Home
While Harvester Ants are almost exclusively an outdoor insect, your best bet if you notice a trail in your home is to call your local pest control professional.
Outdoor Ants
Because harvester ants build mounds that make infestation sites of these pests highly visible, some homeowners feel comfortable with recognizing where harvester ant mounds exist on their properties and steering clear of them. However, harvester ant stings can prove fatal to young children or pets that may wander onto your property.
In a commercial setting, business owners should contact a professional pest control company such as Truly Nolen to eradicate harvester ant nests. They should consider this a preventive measure to incurring legal issues associated with harvester ant stings and to improve the physical appearance of commercial properties.
Simplify your harvester ant infestation concerns. Contact your local pest control professional to treat mounds and eliminate the risks involved with harvester ant stings and the ongoing damage to your lawn and garden.
It is important to determine and handle pest issues regularly along with taking preventative measures rather than waiting for a pest infestation to occur to act. In fact, keeping up with year-round pest control is one of the most important things a homeowner can do. Most companies, including ours, offer a FREE pest inspection to determine what type of pest problem you may have. In fact, our 4 Seasons Pest Control will treat your home immediately, then begin quarterly treatments the following month to ensure your home is protected from many household pests.
While it is difficult to get rid of any pest permanently, here are some extra things a homeowner can do to help try and keep ants at bay:
Because harvester ants can distract from the physical appearance of your home or business and pose physical threats to humans and pets, use caution and remember to contact Truly Nolen today for your FREE inspection (https://www.trulynolen.com/free-estimate) if you see these or any other pests near your home or business. Save $50 on Four Seasons Pest Control with a new service contract when you schedule a free inspection or service.