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Everyone is aware of what ants look like and how there are different kinds. But, not too many people are aware of what a white-footed ant is. These kinds of ants are one of the more common kinds that are known to be culprits of infestations, making them even more important to be aware of. Coming in at about one-eighth of an inch long, these ants are tiny. They are recognizable by their black body with pale white color at the end of all of its legs, hence where the name white-footed ant comes from. While these ants, unlike the red ant, do not sting or bite, they can be quite a nuisance to have in your home. While you can get rid of some of them on your own, if the infestation has grown to be rather large then it may be better to call in the pest control experts. Here at Quality Pest Control, we know how stressful it can be to deal with an infestation, which is why we are dedicated to helping you with all of your pest problems. If you think some of the characteristics of these ants match those in your home, save yourself the hassle and give us a call.

Where Can You Find the White Footed Ant?

White-footed ants can usually be found in the southern part of Florida. These ants love the warm, humid weather and often are found outdoors in nests. These nests tend to be underneath objects such as trees, potted plants, bricks, and mulch. Although, once these ants get established within your home they can set up shop inside your walls, under household objects, and in the carpet.

How Do White Footed Ants Behave?

These ants typically do their feeding at night, making them harder to spot once they have made themselves comfortable in your home. Some of the things they like to feed on are honeydew, nectar, water, and sweet liquids of any kind. This makes them more likely to enjoy items in your kitchen as compared to other bugs. Similar to other kinds of ants, the white-footed ant will have some of its colony go out and get food to eat while others stay behind to lay eggs. In contrast to other kinds of ants, the white-footed ants do not like to share food with others. Because of this the other ants that stay behind will lay eggs called trophic eggs and eat those instead of the found food.

How You Can Prevent These Ants

These ants can be prevented through a variety of methods such as eliminating any piles of bricks, lumber, or other forms of debris from your property. These items are the perfect location for white-footed ants to set up shop. The last thing you want is these objects finding their way close to your home and leading ants right into your house. Keeping these landscape items as far away from your home as possible is another great method for keeping the ants away. We understand that you can only put them so far; however, even pushing them back a few inches can help. We also recommend checking out your sprinkler system and the direction the water goes. If the water looks to be spraying on to your home then you should look into moving the sprinkler head to face another direction. The constant water being sprayed on your home can attract the ants and cause an infestation to occur.

If you have seen these ants, or any other bugs, inside your home and think something is off, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We can make sure we come on out to your home to evaluate the situation for you. When it comes to infestations, it’s never a bad idea to be overly cautious. The thought of living with bugs inside your home may be a disturbing one, but that isn’t even the worst part of the grand scheme of things. Bugs are also known to do severe damage to the home the longer they inhabit it, making it that much more important to get rid of the problem as soon as possible. To learn more about white-footed ants and our extermination process, give us a call today!