May
16
Flying ants are the scourge of many houses in summer leaving many people to hate the summer and the annual flying ants invasion which they expect the summer will bring
Only the unfortunates who have suffered it will know the true effects of flying ants in their houses.
Having an infestation of basic wingless ants is bad enough but when they enter their annual mating phase the situation can become horrifying.
Ants will form colonies under the floors and in the wall cavities of our houses and these colonies will live for many years to come if left untreated and become progressively more troublesome each year.
Our houses are warm and dry and make the ideal places for a thriving ant colony; even solid hard floor is not a barrier to ants.
Our central heating systems raises their metabolism even in the depths of winter and my earliest ant job was on my birthday, in January!
Ants need a sandy soil and there are plenty areas in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester which have more ant infestations than most, Southport, Blackpool, Bolton, Sale & Altrincham come to mind as hot ant properties.
Unfortunately it is when they are in their mating period that they are most irksome. Here in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester this usually is pretty regularly around the third or fourth week in July.
Ants mate in flight and sometime around mid-summer the colony releases winged immature Queens and flying males which in nature would fly off and mate in the air. Many thousands of these flying ants are released by each and nests tend to synchronise their production so that they mate with ants from other nearby.
Often this process starts after a couple of days of hot, dry weather and will typically continue for about a week although smaller releases will carry on throughout most of the summer.
Unfortunately when the nest is built under the floor of the house the effects can be dreadful, literally thousands of winged ants are produced into the lower rooms, aiming for windows as they go towards the light.
This can be extremely upsetting for some people leading to extreme emotional trauma to the extent that people learn to hate the summertime and have actually sold their homes to avoid the plague of ants which they know will come each summer.
The colder summers of recent years has meant that ant infestations were down on previous years but ants seem to have a way of catching up and 2010 could possibly be a particularly troublesome year.
Many people who have this problem attempt for DIY solutions with powders from hardware stores etc but mostly these efforts do not work as they are not getting to the heart of the problem which is the colony itself, hidden away safely in the cavity wall or sub-floor area.
Fortunately for many people help.
At Harrier Pest Prevention (subject to satisfactory site) we are able to solve this problem and give an extendable 3 year guarantee.
The treatment which is done mainly from the exterior of the property, is totally safe for animals and children and produces no smell, involves drilling small holes into the cavity walls of the building, not unlike a damp-proof course injection and blowing a long lasting insecticide into the cavity wall under pressure.
This forms an uncrossable barrier through which the ants cannot cross and together with a precautionary spray of the inside (if deemed necessary) will slowly bring the infestation under control.
The holes, which are only 8mm in diameter remain open so it is simply a matter of topping up the wall cavities every 3 to extend the life of the guarantee in three year periods.
This procedure is best done out in the early spring however it can be done at any time of year.
As a very limited time offer before our busy period begins we are offering 25 percent off the usual price until May 30 2010. Whilst we normally cover the whole of Lancashire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, we are able to venture further afield but this will be reflected in the cost.
For a chat or to arrange an appointment contact Harrier Pest Control on Free Phone 0800 019 8382 or 01257 230637
Ant Pest Control ? Don’t endure ant infestations, act now!
