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# Black field ants

Often mistaken for the black carpenter ant, the black field ant is roughly 9 mm in length. Its colour can vary from reddish brown to dark brown or black. These ants are social insects that live in colonies. They are led by a queen, who is the only female of the group to have wings from early on in her life. The other females are workers who maintain the nest and search for food.

At a very precise moment in time, which varies according to the species, the winged males and females leave the colony to mate. This leads to swarming. In the case of black field ants, the swarming takes place near the end of spring or into summer, usually when the days are hot and humid. After copulation, the male dies, as he is unable to feed himself. Following the death of the males, the females move away to build their nest. As soon as a female queen has found an ideal spot to develop a colony, she lays some eggs. Larva will emerge from these eggs, which in turn will become the first workers of the anthill. The queen will take care of the nest until there are enough workers to replace her and complete the work on her behalf. Reproduction remains however the privilege of the queen.

Most of the time we find the nest in the shape of a mound in the lawn, or sometimes under rocks. It is interesting to note that they do not nest inside of homes. They feed off dead or living insects, and sugary matter. Sometimes they will invade a home in search of food.

The black field ant favours the outdoors for nesting. The location of nests is essential to efficiently act on the cause of the problem. Outside, we limit ourselves to a treatment with a liquid insecticide. The key is to try and make it penetrate as deep as possible into the nest (mound). We then follow up by spraying the same insecticide where the ants circulate, as well as on the foundations of the house, and on the 3 meter strip of adjacent terrain in order to prevent them from entering inside.

It is rare to find black field ants sneak inside, however it may happen on occasion. If, on the contrary, the ants manage to find themselves inside your home, and that you have tried all the techniques mentioned in our various information guides, and these have proven to be ineffective, it will be necessary to call over some experts.

The specialized technicians at Exterminations Target Montreal are certified, and will be able to quickly eradicate the ants that are causing you distress. We will use the best commercial products on the market all while respecting your environment. A successful intervention requires an expertise that we have, and the key to our company is professionalism and our avant-garde techniques.

We serve the regions of Laval, Mirabel, Ahuntsic and many others.

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