Ants

There are two main types of ant found throughout the UK - the Garden (Black) Ant and the Pharaoh’s Ant.

Reasons for control

The garden ant is attracted to fatty and sugary food therefore can become a nuisance anywhere these food sources exist.
The Pharaoh Ant is of much greater significance as unlike the black ant it is capable of spreading disease. They can pick up harmful germs when they feed on decomposing food, faecal matter and when coming into contact with drains and hospital dressings.
Both types of ants are difficult to eradicate, but the Pharaoh Ant is particularly difficult to eradicate because the worker ants can ‘bud off’ to form new colonies and can form smaller colonies if the main colony is subject to stress.
Pharaoh ants are spread easily in mobile nests in items of clothing.

Biology

Garden Ants

In late spring the first eggs are laid, when they reach adulthood they feed the new larvae.
Once the larvae mature they leave the nest and take flight, this is a short-lived problem and does not require treatment.
The garden ants mate in flight between July and September.
The female then looses her wings and burrows into the ground for the winter.
The female becomes the queen and forms a colony.
A nest may last several years.

Pharaoh’s Ants

The life cycle is the same as the Garden ants.
A nest, unlike Garden Ants, can contain many queens.
When a nest becomes overcrowded, new colonies are formed by eggs and larvae carried by worker ants.

Prevention and control
Make sure sugary foods are kept in sealed containers and that food areas are cleaned up.

Environmental Health Department
Guildford Borough Council
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
GU2 4BB

Tel: 01483 444371
Fax: 01483 444546
Email: environmentalhealth@guildford.gov.uk