I THINK MY HOUSE WAS BUILT ON AN ANT HILL ! by Jim Shaver
can ’ t begin to accurately count
I how many times I ’ ve heard a customer say “ my house must have been built on an ant hill !” Surprisingly , the perception that there is a huge ant hill under their house is closer to truth than fiction . Let me explain …
Ants are one of the most prolific creatures on earth . In California our number one pest problem is the Argentine Ant . Like its name suggests , these ants are native of Argentina and were transported to our fair state . Since then , they ’ ve been overwhelming the indigenous species , exterminators and homeowners .
Why are they such a problem ?
Argentine ants have adapted several behaviors that make them the “ perfect storm ” of ants . A few of their most effective adaptations are :
They will nest just about anywhere . In the ground , in a tree , under a house , in a house , in the build-up of leaves on the roof and on and on . Unlike other species of ants that prefer to nest in very specific places and things , Argentine ants never find themselves without a comfy home . My most amazing discovery was an Argentine ant nest in the lock mechanism of a metal sliding window !
They live in large nests , with multiple queens . An Argentine ant nest with 1,000,000 individuals is common and often larger nests are found . Most ants only tolerate one queen in each nest but these particular ants form very large colonies and contain several dozen queens . And , these queens aren ’ t just royal egg layers . They are in fact egg laying machines while also tending to their young .
Most ants reproduce by growing wings and flying around finding a suitable mate and setting up a nest . Argentine ants mate and reproduce inside their nest out of the way of hazardous birds , predatory insects and hazardous weather . A swarmer reproduction of most species has about 1 chance in 1000 of surviving . The Argentine ant queen always succeeds !
Argentine ants have no natural predators . Since they are relative newcomers to our area , there are no species of lizard , bird or any of the other usual suspects who just love to eat them . Having accidentally bitten off more than I can chew a couple of times , I can also attest that Argentine ants taste very bitter !
Most ants will walk across a pesticide and suffer the consequences . Argentine ants are very , very sensitive to pesticides and other chemicals . They will go around repellent pesticides never coming in contact with the toxicant . In fact I ’ ve seen Argentine ants be repelled ( or stirred up ) by a fresh coat of paint , a thorough house cleaning and the application of fertilizer to the yard .
Argentine ants engage in a very unique behavior that is designed to ensure the survival of the colony … they bud . As previously mentioned , a typical Argentine ant nest contains several dozen queens . When the nest is threatened , either by pesticide , rain ( or a water hose ), a new coat of paint or any other situation that is perceived as threatening , the queen takes several thousand workers and heads a different direction . Perhaps a few of the queens will be killed by the pesticide or other threat but certainly some of the queens will survive to set up a new colony elsewhere . When threatened , no matter what , the colony survives .
Perhaps the most unique feature of Argentine ants is the way they cooperate . Most people know that when a nest of ants ( say Fire ants ) encroaches on another nest , even of the same species , they fight . These fights are devastating to the nest killing large numbers of workers on both sides . Argentine ants don ’ t behave that way . When Argentine ants from colony A run into Argentine ants from colony B , they cooperate . They share food , they work together , and they don ’ t fight . In fact they often join forces to form super colonies ! These super colonies contain tens of millions of individuals and can stretch over large distances . In recent years DNA testing has indicated that almost all of the Argentine ants between Baja and Fresno … are related ! As separate colonies met up and joined forces they became one cooperative colony . That is one very , very large ant nest !
The good news
With all of these unique and successful adaptations that have made them the perfect storm of ant infestations , you should know that there is good news . Professional pest elimination specialists have also been adapting and have found ways to combat this prolific pest . The best pest companies now use treatment methods that are designed to take advantage of the Argentine ant ’ s cooperate , social lifestyle . Insecticides are available that allow us to target the nests by applying products that Argentine ants carry back home where they are cooperatively distributed and the entire nest is killed . These products are expen-
sive but very effective and have provided a huge benefit in our fight against Argentine ants .
Don ’ t worry though , despite the best efforts of pest control specialists , we will never put the resourceful and resilient Argentine ant completely out of business . With the most modern technology and products we can keep them from causing trouble inside your home , but they will always be present in an outdoor setting . Keeping Argentine ants from making it inside your home is quite an accomplishment when you think about it , particularly if you live between Baja and Fresno , because your home “ IS built on an ant hill ”… a very large ant hill . HOA
Jim Shaver is the Founder , President and CEO of Antbusters , Inc . a full service pest company based in Carlsbad , CA . Specializing in the hotel / resort industry and homeowners associations , Antbusters , Inc . services more than 120 hotels and 75 homeowners associations in southern California including 4 of the top 100 hotels in the world .
Jim holds several professional licenses including the Structural Pest Control Board Operator ’ s License , the Dept . of Pesticide Regulation QAL license as well as an undergraduate Degree in Finance from the University of Arizona and a Master ’ s Degree in Business Administration from San Diego State University . In 2007 Jim received national recognition as one of Pest Control Magazine ’ s three national Pest Management Professional Innovators of the year .
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Jim lives in Carlsbad , CA with his wife Rachel and two children , Owen and Gillian .
Ant Busters Pest Elimination 6965 El Camino Real # 105-535 Carlsbad , CA 92009
( 760 ) 804-5748
JShaver @ AntBusters . net www . AntBusters . com
Lic . # 493667 C-39 / D-24 ( 858 ) 278-7200 ThinkRSI . com
14 | The HOA Board Quarterly | Issue # 3 | Summer 2012 Summer 2012 | Issue # 3 | The HOA Board Quarterly | 15