ANTS

Ants are one of the more troublesome pests we deal with in Cairns, with the tropical climate and weather we enjoy, also brings about plenty of ant infestations in homes and businesses.

During the warmer months and wet season ants can be quite active in searching out new nest sites and looking for food and water, this is the main reason ants are most commonly found around kitchen sinks, bathrooms, laundries and other wet areas of your home.
They are also prone to nesting in any little crack & crevice they may find, making them difficult to treat without the right equipment and products.
​With an estimated 1,000 to 10,000 trillion ant species around the world, they are by far the most common species on the planet. However here in Cairns we generally deal with about 5-10 species invading our properties as a pest.

At Pest Off Solutions we use the latest technologies available to eradicate these pests from your homes. Many of the chemical sprays aren't useful in long term ant control so we use several different methods including gel baits, granule baits, granule pesticides and dusting of wall and roof cavities.

Here is some brief information on some of the more common ant species in the Cairns area.
Ghost Ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum)

These little guys are notorious around kitchen/bathroom areas, when allowed time for the colony to multiply they can quickly establish a large presence in your home. Ghost ants are extremely small (approximately 1.5 mm) Their small size and their pale colouring make these ants difficult to see. They nest indoors and outdoors but are opportunistic nesters; in places that sometimes remain viable only for a few days. This ant has the habit of running erratically and rapidly when disturbed. This ant is an avid feeder of anything sweet such as your honey container in your pantry. 
Coastal Brown Ant (Pheidole megacephala)

These ants have a distinctive large headed major worker amongst their ordinary workers in the colony. The majors defend the colony, and perform other tasks such as seed-cracking. It is quite common in Cairns to have the odd phone call from a client suspecting they have termites due to the mess this ant makes around skirting boards etc. They can nest under/behind skirting and carpets, then discard all their waste outside the nest which can frighten a home owner into thinking “What is all this dirt beside my skirting boards”. Generally around 1.5 - 2.5 mm in length, these ants will more often than not also have very busy nests around slab edges and in gardens.
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Bi Coloured Trailing Ant (Monomorium floricola)

The Bi Coloured Trailing ant is a small, slow moving pest that can be quite stubborn to eradicate. Commonly nesting indoors in wall voids, cracks and crevices. Approximately 1.5 – 2 mm in size this ant can have very large colonies that have multiple queens. Can be seen trailing around cornices and hanging around kitchens and bathrooms quite regularly
White-Footed House Ant (Technomyrmex albipes)

Don’t let the name fool you, these guys are glossy black in colour (with white feet under a microscope) This ant is fast becoming a common species in the cairns area, with more and more phone calls about little black ants around bathrooms and kitchens at night. When the colony is large you will see them at all hours of the day but its quite common to only notice them inside at night when starting out. Approximately 2.5 – 3mm in size. Generally will nest outside in gardens and domestic surrounds but once colony is large, will also nest in wall cavities and roof voids.
Carpenter Ant (Camponotus spp)

This is a large ant that is most active at night, carpenter ants will nest outside in decaying tree stumps and sometimes in soil. They sometimes nest indoors and will often be found in the hollow of an internal door. Ranging in sizes from 8 – 12mm they are probably best described as looking similar to the local Green weaver ant but brown in colour.
​Funnel Ant (Aphaenogaster spp.)

Funnel Ants will cause these large clumps of disturbed soil in your yards, often creating an uneven surface and proving difficult to mow through while doing the lawns. This species can turn your yard into a minefield of ant nests and can be extremely unsightly. Generally about 5 mm in length, this ant species does have the ability to cause a mild sting when bitten
Green Weaver Ant (Oecophylla)
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The Green ant is one ant species that all Cairns locals know about, getting bitten while doing the gardening or mowing the lawns is part and parcel of living up here. Approximately 8 -10mm in size these ants will mostly stay outside in your gardens but are prone to venturing around the external walls of your house when it suits them
​If you'd like some tips and info on how to help prevent Ant infestations click on the link below.

​Call Pest Off Solutions to rid your house of Ants !