{"id":723,"date":"2018-02-01T23:16:49","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T23:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/mgmetro\/?p=723"},"modified":"2018-04-01T18:52:32","modified_gmt":"2018-04-01T18:52:32","slug":"ants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/mgmetro\/2018\/02\/01\/ants\/","title":{"rendered":"Ants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Natter’s Notes<\/h1>\n

Ants<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Jean R. Natter, OSU Master Gardener
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n \"Odorous<\/a>\n
Fig 1. Odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile; lateral view. The small petiolar node is hidden by the abdomen. (From www.antweb.org. Accessed 11 January 2018; https:\/\/www.antweb.org\/specimenImages.do?code=casent0005329)<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

Ants! They\u2019re likely major players in perhaps one of the oldest good-news-bad-news stories ever.<\/p>\n

The good news is that ants are valued for their beneficial activities. They add large quantities of spent plant and animal remains into the soil surrounding their colonies as they cultivate and aerate the soil. They also create channels for water and roots. They\u2019re predators, too, and are members of nature\u2019s clean-up crew, carting away debris that includes stray crumbs indoors and dead insects outdoors.<\/p>\n

The bad news is that, outdoors, ants sometimes get carried away. If they aerate the soil in and around a rootball excessively, water passes through the ground too rapidly to soak in, the plant wilts, and may die. Then, too, people take a dismal view of their uninvited excursions indoors when they trail across the floor, headed for the pet\u2019s dish or wayward crumbs.<\/p>\n

Overall, it\u2019s safe to say that most people detest the little buggers. People don\u2019t want to control them. They want to eradicate them. Forever!.<\/p>\n

Well, the cold, hard truth is this: That\u2019s not possible; ants are here to stay.<\/p>\n

Everyone, clients and Master Gardeners alike, must discard their dreams to eradicate ants. The more accurate strategy, although far less comforting, is to hope to manage ants.<\/p>\n

\n \"Odorous<\/a>\n
Fig 2. Odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile; dorsal view. Notice the small petiolar node hidden by the abdomen. (From www.antweb.org. Accessed 11 January 2018)<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

Odorous house ants, Tapinoma sessile<\/em>, are probably the most common house-invading ants across the country. They\u2019re small, dark brown or black ants, 1\/16- to 1\/8-inch long, with the usual 3 body parts of an insect \u2013 head, thorax, and abdomen. The characters which define them as ants are a petiole (a narrow connection between the thorax and abdomen) and a pair of elbowed antennae. The character which differentiates them from other ants is the single node on the petiole; it\u2019s small and hidden by the abdomen. When crushed, these ants emit a rather penetrating odor, likened to rotted coconut.<\/p>\n

Colonies are relatively small, to about 10,000 individuals, each with multiple queens. Nests are usually outdoors just below the soil surface, underneath pavers, wood piles, or other debris. But nests may also be indoors, in a wall void or near warmth-emitting sources.<\/p>\n

Odorous house ant populations enlarge by one of two methods: mating of reproductives or via budding. Budding may be triggered when a hundred or so workers transport several of the colony\u2019s queens to a new site. With time, a series of closely related, cooperative colonies\u2014a supercolony \u2013 forms.<\/p>\n

Sweets are a favorite food but they will eat most any people or pet food.<\/p>\n

Managing ants requires a multi-pronged approach. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Sanitation (clean up regularly), and store perishable foodstuffs in tight, rigid containers.<\/li>\n
  2. Caulk and seal entries such as cracks in the foundation or gaps where utilities enter structures.<\/li>\n
  3. Limit honeydew-producing insects: ants, mealybugs, whiteflies, and scale, both soft and cottony scales.<\/li>\n
  4. Limit access indoors by trimming foliage away from structures.<\/li>\n
  5. Use commercially-formulated ant baits and repeat as needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n \"Aluminum<\/a>\n
    Fig 3. Aluminum cast of ant nest (species not identified) reveals the extent to which some ants will go. (Cast by Walter R. Tschinkel, entomologist and former professor at Florida State University.) http:\/\/www.core77.com\/posts\/23607\/walter-tschinkels-aluminum-casts-of-ant-colonies-reveals-insect-architecture-23607<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

    Ant baits <\/strong>are superior to sprays but require more time to be effective, occasionally several weeks. The reason? They are shared with other ants within the colony, including the queens. If a bait is ineffective after a week or more, try a different kind. It can be useful to pre-bait by first setting out a small dab of jam or other food.<\/p>\n

    Active ingredients in commercial ant baits<\/strong><\/p>\n