How to get rid of Allegheny mound ants requires two effective methods that can be used. One, you have to locate the ant mounds and two choose the type of method or insecticide to use. Some of the methods include ant baits, liquid or granular ant killers. This guide will provide home remedies to effectively get rid of Allegheny mount ant.
Having Allegheny mound ant infestation is a great threat to your lawns and households. These tiny insects have the ability to kill small trees, shrubs and vegetation. Such small ants tend to live in mounds. To clear the area within their mounds, they tend to inject formic acid into the surrounding vegetation. They injected formic acid can cover up to 40 to 50 feet around them, meaning a lot of vegetation is likely to end up being destroyed.
They just don’t cause havoc to the vegetation but also in your house. You can avoid this by developing a control mechanism which can get rid of the Allegheny mounds before they can establish their colonies causing more damages.
What Are Allegheny Mound Ants?
Allegheny mound ants – what are they? Allegheny mound ants also scientifically referred to as Formica exsectoides or commonly called field ants are species of ants from native to North America. They can also be found in Atlantic Coast from the land of Nova Scotia, Canada and some areas of Georgia. They derive their name from their mode of infestation. They infest the land or homes by clearing the vegetation.
What Do Allegheny Mound Ants Look Like?
What do Allegheny mound ants look like? If you’ve never encountered Allegheny mound ants this is how to expect them to look like. They are ¼ to 1/8 inch in length, with their head and thorax appearing red in color whereas their legs and abdomen taking the dark brown to black in color. Their abdomen tips are usually covered with hairs.
It is easy to mistake Allegheny mound ants for fire ants due to their closer resemblance. The antennae of Allegheny mound ants are segmented. They create formic acid and inject it in the plants or vegetation to clear the site for mounds. The use of this formic is detrimental to the growth of young plants.
What Does the Allegheny Mound Ant Eat?
These types of ant species tend to establish their colonies in lawn near your house. This means they survive on both living and dead matter. They feast on carbohydrates or on the honeydew that is secreted by different species of pests or aphids.
Naturally, Allegheny mound ants are scavengers that tend to feed on dead matters, dead leaves, twigs and more. They also prey on small bugs, beetles, flies, moths, gypsy, weevils and many more.
Where Do Allegheny Mound Ants Live?
Allegheny mounts are known to establish their colonies in a wide areas of habitat including from marine fields to open forested areas. You are likely to see them in your backyard, residential areas, and gardens or in open fields.
These type of ant species tend to dig large mounds, tunnel or make anthills in the open fields where they establish their colonies. Their mounds can be as tall as 3.3 feet and about 6.6 wide in feet. In the first week, they can build a canonical mound that is about 8 – 13 inches wide.
As soon as they build their mounds and going into 5 months, the mounds can get up to 2 feet wide and 8 inches tall. In 2 years, the mound can be up to 3 feet deep and 4 feet tall. Young trees between 2 – 5 years old and up to 8 inches tall are more prone to the Allegheny mound attacks. Their mounds are extended by the process of mound budding thus forming multiple colonies from just a single colony.
Are Allegheny Mound Ant Bites Dangerous?
Just like most ant species, Allegheny mound ants do not pose any threat to humans. In fact they do not bite unless their mound is approached or feel threatened. Although they do not sting, their bite can be painful. When they bite, they inject formic acid on your skin which can lead to skin irritation and swelling.
Allegheny Mound Ant Bites Treatment
What do you do when you get bitten or stung by Allegheny ants? Here are some of the ways to deal with Allegheny mount ant bites: apply diluted apple cider vinegar on the affected skin to relieve the burning sensation on the skin. You can also apply honey or toothpaste for quick relief.
How to Get Rid of Allegheny Mound Ants
The first and important step to get rid of Allegheny mound ants is detecting the ant infestation. These type of ant species start their colonies by building mounds. If you see ant mounds in your home or land, then be prepared to start getting rid of them.
As their colonies grow, it can be hard to get rid of them. Here are some of the ways to get rid of their infestations.
- Use insecticides – the liquid or granular insecticides can be poured directly into the mound of the Allegheny ants to completely destroy their establishment in your home or land. If you successfully get rid of them, remove the mounds and level the ground in the field.
- Ant Baits – slowly acting ant baits are used to attract the ants and to remove their entire colonies including their queen. Depending on the extent of the infestation, use integrated pest management technique can be used to completely kill the entire Allegheny mound ants.
- Seal all the entry points – to prevent their attack inside your house, make an effort to seal all the cracks, crevices, holes, tunnels etc.
Ant baits are effective when getting rid of the types of ant species. one of the best ant bait is TERRO Liquid Ant Bait Ant Killer( Buy on Amazon) Slow acting ant killer baits help to attract and kill them. The worker ants as usual will take the bait to their nests and if the queen eat this bait, it will kill it. This means, the entire colony will be destroyed. If one queen survives, it means a new colony will be established.
This means, to effectively get rid of their colony use liquid or granular insecticide along with ant baits.
Here are some of the pest control products for Allegheny mount we’ve recommended for you:
2. Syngenta – TRTD11568 – Optigard Ant Bait Gel Box
3. Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer Buy on Amazon
Home Remedies for Getting Rid of Allegheny Mound Ants | Natural Methods
Here are some of the home remedies that can get rid of Allegheny mound ants effectively and naturally.
1. Boric Acid Solution
Boric acid solution is a great home remedy to destroy and get rid of ant mounds effectively. Mix 1 tablespoon of boric acid, ½ cup of sugar and 2 cups of warm water. Stir the mixture. Soak cotton balls in the solution to saturate it. Place the cotton balls near the infested area to attract the ants.
2. Lemon and Vinegar solution
A mixture of lemon and vinegar solution is enough to deter and get rid of Allegheny mound ants. Mix vinegar and water in equal proportion. Stir to make spray out of it. Spray directly to get rid of the ant infestation. To make the vinegar spray even more effective add 1/2cup of lemon juice and another cup of water and spray the solution directly onto the colony to kill the ants.
3. Soap Solution
Soap solution is another effective natural home remedy to get rid of the Allegheny mount ants. To make soap solution, mix 4 teaspoon of liquid soap and 2 cups of warm water. Stir to make a spray. Directly spray the ants. You can also use boiling soapy water to increase the effectiveness.
4. Camphor Oil solution
Use camphor oil solution to get rid of Allegheny ant mounds. Mix a cup of camphor oil and 6 cups of ethyl alcohol. You can make more of the solution by increasing the quantity of oil and ethyl alcohol in a ratio of 1:6. Pour directly to the Allegheny mound ants.
How to Prevent Allegheny Mound Ants from Invading Your House or Garden – Tips
Allegheny mound ants tend to love in open fields. They rarely come into you homes in search of food or water. But that doesn’t you become complacent. You can prevent them from invading your home by sealing their entry points.
- Seal all the holes, gaps, crevices or cracks and every other possible entry point.
- Keeping your home and environment neat and clean is another sure way of keeping them away from your home. Do not leave leftovers or garbage in your house.
- You can also apply non – repellent insecticides around your home. Cut dense vegetation or shady trees or shrubs especially where direct sunlight is blocked.
