Effective management pest control approaches vary with ant species. Use behavioral characteristics such as food and nesting preferences along with physical characteristics to identify ants.
Ants usually nest in soil; nest sites vary with species but are often found next to buildings, along sidewalks, or in close proximity to food sources such as trees or plants that harbor honeydew-producing insects. Ants also construct nests under boards, stones, tree stumps, or plants and sometimes under buildings or other protected places. The primary ant that nests indoors in seattle is the odorous ant and carpenter. In temperate climates, this species nests in warm, moist locations such as inside wall voids, under flooring, or near hot water pipes or heating systems, but is also found nesting outdoors in warmer parts of seattle.
Ants often enter buildings seeking food and water, warmth and shelter, or refuge from dry, hot weather or flooded conditions. They may appear suddenly in buildings if other food sources become unavailable or weather conditions change.
Carpenter ants, adapted for living in dead wood, consider the dead wood (lumber) in houses fair game, especially if it is damp. A number of opportunistic ant species can overrun kitchens, pantries, and pet food areas in search of suitable food items.
Sugar Ants or Little black tiny ants
Ants are among the most prevalent pests in households. Ants also invade restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, and other buildings where they can find food and water. On outdoor and sometimes indoor plants, ants protect and care for honeydew-producing insects such as aphids, soft scales, whiteflies, and mealybugs, increasing damage from these pests
The term “sugar ant” is not a proper ant species, however, the name is frequently used to describe many different ant species.
“Sugar ants” are associated with small ants that don’t sting. In fact, the general public often refers to Pharaoh ants, odorous house ants and acrobat ants as “sugar ants” due to their strong attraction to sugar-based foods.
Little black tiny ants in the kitchen bathroom(areas with excessive moisture)
If you do find signs of an ant infestation in your home, contact a Seattle pest professional promptly. They will be able to inspect your home, confirm the species of ant, and recommend a course of ant control treatment.
Moisture ants are common from the Pacific Northwest colonies are under slabs, the ants often push soil up through cracks in the concrete while they are digging galleries underneath. When this soil appears in basement floors, it can cause distress for the homeowners. Many people mistake this soil for a sign of termite activity.
When moisture ants move indoors, they often nest in wood that is moisture damaged. They frequently find damaged wood in areas like bath traps. They sometimes nest inside walls where there is a plumbing leak. There have been cases of these ants nesting in damp soil in crawlspaces. In these situations, the workers made mounds of excavated soil in the crawl space.