This summer could see invasion of the ants

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This article was published 17/06/2010 (5607 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s looking like there could be an invasion of the ants across Winnipeg this summer.

According to one local exterminator, there has been above average numbers of the insects colonizing homes and yards across the city so far this year.

“We get a number of calls about them every year,” said Lincoln Poulin, general manager of St. Boniface-based Poulin’s Pest Control Services.

“But we’ve had more calls than usual this year, and also earlier than normal, which is probably due to the warm weather we’ve had this spring.”

Poulin said that the problem is not concentrated in one specific area of the city, either.

“They really seem to be everywhere so far,” said Poulin, adding the pest control firm has done extermination jobs in a number of different locations including River Heights, St. James, St. Vital, Headingley and East St. Paul this spring.

“Field ants, the ones that make mounds in people’s lawns, are becoming a bigger problem,” Poulin said, noting that field ants and mound ants are very similar.

As well infesting gardens across the city, Poulin warns that sometimes the ants take their work indoors.

“We’ve always had problems with carpenter ants, which you can find outside or inside. They get into wood, especially when the wood is wet. They are not as bad as termites, but still bad enough,” he said.

In terms of detection, most carpenter ants establish their first nest in decaying wood and later expand into solid wood.

Outdoors, their nests are typically found in rotting fence posts, stumps, firewood and dead portions of standing trees and under stones or fallen logs.  

So what can homeowners do to help stem the flow of ant infestations on their property?

Poulin said that a proactive approach to pest control is always a pragmatic policy.

“It’s always to good to adopt an ant management approach to your home or yard. Be vigilant about wet areas of grass and don’t leave wood directly on the ground in these places,” Poulin said.

“Also, if you have kids, make sure you encourage them to clean up after themselves and not leave behind anything that might encourage the ants like food or juice products.”

Before calling a pest control expert, Poulin said that there are some effective powders available on the market.

“People can treat the ant infestations themselves. Before applying the powder, it’s important to take a small rake and spread the mound as evenly as possible before you sprinkle,” he said.

“This way the ground is more and the ants get exposed to it more effectively.”

Despite the ant increase, the recent experience of one Fort Richmond resident proved that insects can move in mysterious ways.

“Three or four weeks ago, we had thousands in a front flower bed that we inadvertently imported in a big flowerpot of earth,” said avid gardener Dorothy Lachance.

“There were hills on the front lawn. We had ants, ants and more ants. However, they’ve all since disappeared! I don’t know if they went underground because of the wet weather.”

For more information, visit www.poulins.ca.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com