Flying ants are the dread of many houses in summertime leaving many people to dread the summer and the annual flying ants invasion which they expect the summer will bring
Only the unfortunate people who have suffered it will appreciate the true nature of flying ants in their own homes.
Having an infestation of plain old wingless ants is bad enough but when they enter their yearly mating phase the situation can become intolerable.
Ants often form colonies in the sub-floor areas and in the wall cavities of our homes and these colonies will live for many years if left untreated becoming progressively more persistent 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 hindrance to ants.
Our house heating systems keeps their metabolism even in the winter months and my earliest ant call-out 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 callouts than other areas, Southport, Blackpool, Bolton, Sale & Altrincham come to mind as regular ant spots.
Unfortunately it is when they are in their mating period that they are most annoying. Here in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester this usually is pretty often around the middle of July.
Ants mate in flight and around mid-summer the colony produces flying immature Queens and winged males which in nature would fly off and mate whilst flying. Many thousands of these winged ants are released by each and nests tend to synchronise their release in order to mate with ants from other nests.
Usually this process starts after a few of days of hot, dry weather and will often last for about a week or so although smaller releases will carry on throughout most of the summer months.
Unfortunately when the nest is built under the floor of the dwelling the results can be horrifying, literally thousands of winged ants are produced into the lower rooms, collecting on windows as they head for the light.
This can be extremely upsetting for some people leading to extreme emotional upset to the extent that people learn to hate the summertime and have actually sold their house to avoid the plague of ants which they know will inevitably appear each summer.
The colder summers of recent years has meant that ant call-outs were reduced on previous years but ants appear to have a way of catching up and 2010 could possibly be a particularly good year for them.
A lot of people who have this problem attempt for DIY solutions with products from hardware stores etc but mostly these efforts are doomed to failure as they are not getting to the heart of the infestation which is the nest itself, securely hidding safely in the cavity wall or under the floor.
Fortunately for most people the answer.
At Harrier Pest Control and Prevention (subject to satisfactory site) we are able to solve this problem and give an extendable 3 year guarantee.
The treatment which is done mostly from the exterior of the dwelling, is perfectly safe for animals and children and produces no smell, involves drilling small holes into the cavity walls of the building, not unlike a damp-course injection and blowing an insecticidal powder into the cavity wall under pressure.
This forms an uncrossable barrier over which the ants cannot go and together with a precautionary spray of the inside (if deemed necessary) will slowly bring the ant colony to its end.
The holes, which are only 8mm in diameter remain open so it is an easy matter of topping up the wall cavities every three years to extend the period of the guarantee in 3 year blocks.
This procedure is best done out in the early spring however it can be done at any time of year.
As a strictly limited time offer before our busy period begins we are offering 25 percent off the normalstandard price until May 30 2010. Whilst we usually 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 flying ant horrors, act now!