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Ants Extermination

Ants (Order: Hymenoptera) are a species of insects that date back approximately 92 million years ago. Ants are found all over the world today, and scientists have discovered 222,000 different species. They are commonly found in nature in various habitats that range from warm to cold. You can find them in wooded areas, meadows, parks, and in both urban and suburban areas. They can range in colour and size depending on their species; however, they are typically anywhere from 1 mm to 13 mm long and are either black, red, brown, or tanned. They are most distinguishable by the three parts of their body: the head, abdomen and thorax.

There are over 100 different types of ant species in Canada. However, the ones that cause the most difficulties with homeowners and commercial buildings are the carpenter ant, pharaoh ant, and pavement ants.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are commonly distinguishable by their black/red colour. They can range anywhere from 6.35 mm to 12.7 mm long, of which the queen ant is the largest. Carpenter ants tend to appear during the spring and can live between 3 to 6 years.

Habitat and Behaviour

Carpenter ants will live in either moist areas or in dry wooded areas such as hollow trees. These ants are known to hunt for their food at night; however, they are also active during the day when the weather gets warmer. Carpenter ants are more likely to be attracted to your home if you have fats, greases, sweets and meats out. While their jet black appearance may seem intimidating, carpenter ants cannot sting people and are entirely harmless. In fact, they try and avoid human contact at all costs if they can.

Pharaoh Ants

Pharaoh ants are commonly recognized for having different colours depending on the class of their colony. For example, queens are known to be red, while the males are known to be black. The worker ants are also distinguishable by their yellow and brown tint. Pharaoh ants all have wings and have beady black eyes. While this species has wings, it is very uncommon for them to fly, and they typically lose their wings once they have mated. Pharaoh ants live in colonies with multiple queens instead of only one and can be found all year round.

Habitat and Behaviour

These ants prefer warm climates, which is why you will find them in heated and humid buildings. Each queen in a colony can lay up to 35,000 eggs during the entirety of her life. Additionally, pharaoh colonies can have anywhere up to 300,000 members. Pharaoh ants like to eat meats, dead insects and blood. However, this species of ants is also harmless and will not sting you.

Pavement Ant

Most notably seen across Canada is the pavement ant. They are recognizable by their dark red-brown colour and can grow up to 3 mm in length. What makes these ants different from other ants is that they have two spines. They also have wings which sometimes gets them confused with other insects. They generally are visible during the warmer months in spring and summer.

Habitat and Behaviour

Pavement ants will eat any food that humans eat, which is why you will see them swarm when there’s food around. They are known to take food at night and have the possibility of using the pipes and electric wires of your home or commercial building to travel in and out. You can find them on lawns and the pavement by buildings. You will also be able to find these types of ants by large bodies of water. Again, these are not a type of ant you need to worry about harming you in any way, shape, or form.

How to prevent ants in your home

Ants are generally attracted to the foods and sugars in your home; therefore, in order to prevent an ant infestation from happening in your home, here is what you can do:

  • Keep your home as clean as possible.
  • Vacuum and sweep crumbs from the floors.
  • Make sure all your food is packaged and sealed tightly.
  • Pay attention to any cracks in your foundation, windows or door frames and make sure they are sealed.

How to get rid of ants in your home

If you are dealing with an ant problem, here are some of the DIY methods you can try to get rid of your pest infestation:

  • Ant traps
  • Sprays
  • Natural gum resins to apply at the base of your trees that will attract the ants away from your home

While these methods may help reduce the number of ants you have, you may be dealing with a larger colony of ants. These methods also take time and money out of your day. Therefore, we always suggest clients have a professional team of pest control services providers come by their homes and evaluate the situation. Here at Vanquish Pest Control, we are well-equipped ad highly knowledgeable when it comes to any infestations.

If you would like a free home evaluation and quote, call our experts today to book your appointment.

Ant Extermination & Pest Control Mississauga Toronto

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Customer Reviews

Yashpreet Kaur
Yashpreet Kaur
February 1, 2024
Asif is very professional , very calm and polite to work with. We bought a new house n some how from our old house(while shifting) cockroaches came to the new house and they were in thousands n it become impossible to live in the new house . Asif did one visit and trust me we are so happy that we took his service n now we cnt see even a single cockroach in the kitchen area or anywhere else. Really satisfied with his service . I would highly recommend him for contacting for any kind of pest control service.
Qasim Khan
Qasim Khan
January 30, 2024
I had pest treatment done in my house and this company was very professional and very kind, they carefully did the treatment while getting all the spots, even ones that were hard to reach and get by. 1 year later, I say that I have not seen a single insect in my house!! I 100% recommend!
Studenttimes Staffing Solutions
Studenttimes Staffing Solutions
January 27, 2024
Excellent services provided by Vanquish Pest Control. I highly recommend to use Vanquish for pest control issues.
Sofia Idrees
Sofia Idrees
January 23, 2024
Asif really cares about customer service and I would recommend his services 100%. I have a 6 month guarantee for rodent control and he has been excellent with communication. His prices were great as well. He actually took the time to explain his services and answered all my questions with a knowledgeable and friendly attitude. He sent me the requested pictures and has gained my trust by delivering on what was promised. Support small businesses like this that are run with passion.
Bill C.
Bill C.
January 18, 2024
Recently my residence experienced an issue that needed to be resolved by a professional. After meeting Asif, I knew he would deal with my situation effectively (which he did). As a building contractor myself and dealing with sub contractors, I knew Asif was a man of his word. Be careful who you hire, your situation could always get worse....trust me. Thanks again Asif.
Mofopefoluwa Akomolafe
Mofopefoluwa Akomolafe
January 11, 2024
Exceptional and prompt service. Thank you for your professionalism.
ami modi
ami modi
December 31, 2023
This service did great work. It successfully removed all cockroaches within less than 3 weeks. Really recommend Vanquish pest control. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. Thanks again for exceptional excellent job.
Nav Sehambhi
Nav Sehambhi
December 26, 2023
The guys came and solved the issues. We had racoons in our attic going in and out and heard noises. They provide good photos and videos to show where the issues were and how they fixed it to prevent the animals from getting in. They also came up with a good preventative measure from us having any problems again in the near future. They were very friendly and professional. I'd highly recommend them for pest and wildlife control services.
Joshua Priemski
Joshua Priemski
December 13, 2023
Quick and efficient, only needed one treatment. Asif is a great guy, too!
Patel Ravi
Patel Ravi
November 25, 2023
Best in the a town.he did cockroaches pest control at our home and we got 100 percent results.Thanks

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