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Whether you live in the amazing city of Tampa or not, you’re likely familiar with the ant. Almost everybody has encountered some kind of run-in with these creepy crawlers. Despite this, you probably didn’t have a clue as to which species you were dealing with. There are over 12,000 currently known in the world, making determining the type on your property all that more difficult. And yes, knowing the species you are battling can make the biggest difference in the world. Different species possess certain characteristics, making them more formidable.
Regardless, the residents of Tampa have hundreds of these species to worry about. While there are thousands of these insects, you only have to be concerned with a few. The only problem is these ones are highly organized and socially oriented. Spotting just one of these guys in the home could spell major problems, as they’ll quickly recruit the rest of their colony to exploit whatever resources they have found on your property. It honestly won’t be long before you are dealing with a full-blown, unwanted infestation.
Understanding The Look Of The Ant
Just like most insects, you’ll find that ant has three main distinctive body regions. These will be the head, the mesosoma or thorax, and the abdominal region. Between the thorax and mesosoma, the ant has what is referred to as the petiole. This is simply a fancy term for the waist. What’s important to note is the waist can have one or more nodes.
Learning To Identify The Species
It is not uncommon for residents to confuse the ant with the termite. The major differences between the two are the petiole. Remember, this is the region between the abdomen and thorax. That being said, the ant usually has a head that is much larger with more powerful jaws. While both also have antennae, it will be the ant that possesses the elbowed antennae. The best way to determine the species you are contending with is by locating the nest and observing them in action.
Of course, this will far greater a task than just saying it out loud. One of the reasons for this is because some species can construct their colonies 300 to 400 feet from the outlying property. However, if you can successfully locate the nest, you’ll want to pay attention to the colorization, size of the worker ants, the type of nest, the number of petioles or nodes, and the overall behavior of the ants. All these characteristics can tell you a lot about the species you’re contending with.
Locating The Nests
Ants typically like to live in structured nest communities underground. However, some can be found in mounds while others might even be found in trees. Some might be in the wide open and others could be hidden beneath rocks and other objects. If you are successfully able to locate the nest, you’ll immediately want to look at the shape along with the placement of the entrances. Another thing to note is, some species are considered nomadic. These ants prefer to seek food for their colonies during periods of migration.
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