Ants

Ants can be a particular nuisance when they get into your home. Ant species such as Fire or Black ants aren’t thought to carry diseases, the trouble is you don’t know where they’ve been foraging outside, so you won’t want them marching through your food cupboards.

Ants will travel in a wide range searching for food, following trails they have established and clustering around the source of food, becoming a nuisance in homes, organizations and businesses. Small piles of earth around holes in soil and at the base of exterior walls indicate their origin.

• Track down where they are coming in and seal off the entry point
• Clear up any sticky residues on work tops, because ants are attracted to sweet things
• Cover up any foodstuffs which could be a food source for ants

Call Rentokil at 150808 to talk to an expert about ant control or contact us online.

Negative Impacts of Ants Infestation

• Food poisoning – ants can contaminate food because you don’t know where they’ve been foraging before crawling over your food.
• Nasty bites – ant bites though harmless, can be itchy and causes discomfort.
• Reputation – having an ant infestation in business premises can be unsightly to customers.
• Business losses – compromised health and hygiene can lead to lost trading revenue in food related business.

How to exterminate ants?

If you have a serious problem with ant infestations that can't be solved with DIY products, the best solution for dealing with lots of ants in your home or business is to enlist the help of a professional ant exterminator near you.

Rentokil offers ant control methods that are targeted to specific types of ants that are fast and effective, and safe for your home, family and pets.

Select the link below to find out more about how an ant exterminator can solve your ant problem in your property.

Types of ants in Indonesia

There are about 15,000 species and sub-species of ants worldwide, 3,700 of which are found in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, in Indonesia there are 7 species or types of ants that are most commonly found in home or business environments.

1. Black house ants (Ochetellus)
2. Fire ants (Solenopsis spp)
3. Ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum)
4. Stinky ants (Tapinoma sessile)
5. Pharaoh’s Ant (Monomorium pharaonis)
6. Carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)
7. Pavement Ant (Tetramorium caespitum)

Learn more about the differences between each type of ant in Indonesia based on their appearance, habits and life cycle by clicking on one of the links below.

4 reasons why the house has lots of ants

Almost every type of ant in Indonesia will generally build its nest outside the house. So seeing a line of ants entering the house to find food is very upsetting.

There are 4 main reasons why the house has a lot of ants, namely:

1. Lots of leftover food in the house  – Ants with the help of their antennae can walk long distances just to find food in your house. When they find a food source that they feel is suitable, they will secrete chemicals that will be used by the rest of the ant colony to return to the food source. Food crumbs or spills of sweet drinks on the floor or table that are not cleaned immediately, of course, can invite ants to come to the house quickly.
2. Lots of cracks or holes in the walls of the house  – Cracks and holes in the walls are often used as crawl spaces for ants to enter your home. Repair the cracks in the walls of your house immediately by using plaster cement to close the access of the ants.
3. There are live plants in the  house  – Placing live plants in the house may be a good natural decoration solution, but it also invites insect pests such as mosquitoes and ants to come.
4. High humidity levels in the house  – Ants do not really need water to survive. However, there are types of ants such as carpenter ants that really like to nest near damp cabinet wood and near leaky pipes or sinks.