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Bug Bytes
 
March
 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:
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ANTS GO MARCHING 2 BY 2

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The ants go marching two by two...or is it more like 100 by 100? Sometimes it seems that way, right? Either way, spring has officially sprung and 'tis the season for all the ants that are starting to emerge. And it's no wonder why these guys are the number one nuisance pest. Most species are itty bitty, highly intelligent and sneaky little suckers. As we enter ant season, let's take a hot minute and learn a bit about ants, their colonies and how Blue Chip works to combat them.

HOW ANTS FORAGE
They may be little but ants are certainly not unintelligent. They have a strong sense of survival and will willingly sacrifice themselves for the survival of their colony. Your home or business represents a food source to them and food equals survival. As they forage for food, they leave a pheromone trail so that other ants can quickly & easily find the food and bring it back to the colony. 

HOW OUR TREATMENTS WORK
Once the materials that your technician applies have ample time to dry, it can still take time before the materials affect the ants and you see a complete knockdown of the colony. As the ants pass through the materials, they pick some up on their bodies. They clean themselves similar to the way a cat would -- by licking themselves. As they do this, they ingest the chemicals and will die over the next couple of hours. It's just a good idea to set realistic expectations & know that there is not an overnight solution to eliminating an ant colony. 

SEEING MORE ANTS BEFORE FEWER
As the ants die and don't return to the colony with food, the queen ant will send out more and more ants. They will have the same fate as the ones before them; however, ants are social creatures and live in colonies that could contain more than 10,000 ants. For this reason, not only can it take a couple of weeks to completely eliminate a colony of ants, it's also very common to continue to see ants (and possibly even more ants) before you see fewer ants. 

WHEN TO CALL BLUE CHIP
Seeing a few ants is normal. They are simply exploring for food they can take back to their colony. If they find food, they'll leave a trail for other ants to find the food as well. If they don't find food, they won't return. It's that simple. By eliminating any potential food sources for ants to be attracted to, you will also eliminate any problems with ants. However, if you see a large number of ants (more than a few at one time) or a trail of ants, that's when you'd want to give our office a call. We might want to move up your next service visit or add an extra visit to focus on any interior ant problem. 

Want more info on specific ant species? Interested in learning more about the some of the most common ants in our area? Check our  What's Bugging You Pest ID guide. 
SUPER HEROES WITH POWER SPRAYERS
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BAM! Not all super heroes wear capes. Some drive white trucks, wear navy blue polos and arrive armed with power sprayers to take out any pests who may be lurking around. Don't worry, Barb -- we got this! 

Do YOU have super hero story about someone on Team Blue Chip? Maybe someone in our office was able to talk you off your kitchen counter after you saw a mouse run across the floor. Or maybe there was that time your technician found exactly how the ants were gaining access to your bathroom. Or maybe one of our wildlife managers removed that raccoon from your attic & you can (finally!) get a good night's sleep again. Whatever your experience is with us, we'd love to hear all about it! Send me a quick email at kimberly@stlbugs.com. 
TERMITE SWARMING 101
winged termite

Subterranean termites are the most common kind of termite found in the St. Louis area. They live in underground colonies and build tunnels, often called "mud tubes", to reach their food sources and protect themselves from open air. As the most destructive termite species, subterranean termites have hard, sharp-toothed jaws and use them to bite of pieces of wood in small chunks. 

Termite swarms mark the start of termite season. This happens once a year and typically it's near the beginning of spring when the weather begins to warm up. And quite often this is after a period of rain. Which, provided it ever warms up in our area, could happen fairly soon. Reproductive termites swarm to breed and start new colonies. Winged males and females leave their colony and take flight. They congregate in the air in swarms (hence "swarming") and mate with other termites. As this occurs, they shed their wings and head off together to start a new colony. 

Termite swarming doesn't last very long (sometimes only a matter of a few hours), typically takes place during the day and, since termites aren't the greatest of fliers, it is usually close to their home colonies. So while the chances are low that you'll actually see termites swarm, you might come home from work to a pile of their discarded wings. Whether you see the actual swarming or simply the discarded wings, this is truly no reason for panic. Relax -- termites will not eat your entire house overnight! :) It would be a good idea to give us a call so we can come out to confirm they're termites and offer recommendations for how to best eliminate them. 

For more information on termites as well as some of the elimination methods we rely on, click here for our St. Louis Termite Treatment Options. 
TERMITE OR FLYING ANT: KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
Now that you know termite reproductives have wings, will it simply blow your mind if we let you know that some ants have wings too? 

#truth

Just because you see something flying around in the springtime, it's not always termite swarmers. Winged ants are often mistaken for termites. Here's how to tell the difference in the two. 
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If you see one (or more!) of these flying around and you're still having trouble figuring out if you have termites or ants, grab a sample and give us a call at 636-343-7900. 
Want more information on a specific service we offer? Looking for a quick Pest ID Guide for a bug you have found? Want to see video clips of our technicians in action? Interested in reading our latest blog entry? Want to chat with one of our service representatives online? YOU GOT IT!