Ant Spray Archives - Rosies Pest Control

Watch out, here come the fire ants.

Fire ant is the general name for quite a few species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. They are only a minority in the species, which includes over 200 species of Solenopsis worldwide. Solenopsis are stinging ants and most of their common names demonstrate this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many species also are called red ants because of their light brown color, though species of ants in many other genera are similarly named for similar reasons.
Fire ants reside in large colonies made up of up to 250,000 worker ants.
Fire ants are so called because of two reasons – first, they have a reddish appearance and second, they have a very painful sting.
A typical fire ant colony produces huge mounds in open areas, and feeds mostly on young plants and seeds. Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants bite only to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin. For humans, this is a very painful sting, a burning sensation, similar to what one feels when burned by fire (hence the name) and the after effects of the sting (or multiple stings) can be deadly to sensitive people. Fire ants are more aggressive than most native species and have driven many other species away from their local habitat.
Need help with fire ants? Let Rosie’s Pest Control come out and provide you with a treatment plan and estimate. Click here to have someone from Rosie’s Pest Control give you a call to set up an appointment. Memphis area residents only at this time.

Affulent Homes, Do They Have Less Pest Problems?

Bigger Homes Do Have More Bugs!

In a survey of indoor arthropods, the most common house spider (arthropods) was a common and repeat tenant. Now, the scientists report that wealthier areas have a wider variety of arthropods.

In wealthy neighborhoods, the houses have a varied palate … of spiders and flies. The interiors of these homes are populated by a more diverse array of arthropods than those in less prosperous neighborhoods, a new study indicates.

The explanation for this abundance actually lies in the exterior of the home. Typically, nicer neighborhoods are also richer in species. Scientists have discovered this “luxury effect” before, in plants and outdoor animals such as lizards, bats and birds. For plants, the connection is very direct; affluent tenants have more funds to direct to landscaping, or live in lusher communities. In turn, a diverse collection of plants offers more food and habitats for animals.

Previously, the team explored 50 houses in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, and determined that more than 100 arthropod species dwell within the average home (most of these tiny occupants aren’t pests). Using data from this “arthropods of the great indoors” survey, the scientists have now investigated how landscaping and socioeconomic status can affect indoor bug diversity.

“There is a general perception that homes in poorer neighborhoods are refuge to more indoor arthropods,” the team wrote August 2 in Biology Letters. Their work indicates that this perception is off-base.

Most arthropods that show up inside are actually outdoor species that made their way in by accident. The majority of indoor arthropods were flies, spiders, beetles and ants, although the scientists also unearthed some more human-dependent critters such as dust mites. Houses in neighborhoods with an average annual income of about $33,000 had denizens from about 74 arthropod families. In neighborhoods with an average yearly income of about $176,000, a given house was likely to carry arthropods from 105 families.

The entomologists expected to find more types of arthropods in big houses with more surrounding plant cover and diversity. But in affluent neighborhoods, even houses with sparse vegetation carried a wide variety of arthropod families; simply being near other, more verdant homes gave them a boost.

Though intriguing, the survey doesn’t represent bug diversity everywhere; the scientists only sampled freestanding houses in one city. But it does show how connected the interiors of our homes are to the world outside. “The management of neighborhoods and cities can have effects on biodiversity that can extend from trees and birds all the way to the arthropod life in bedrooms and basements,” the team concluded.

If worries about insects living inside your home have you down, contact Rosie’s Pest Control for a free evaluation of your needs.