White-footed ants, as their name suggests, have very light-coloured feet. This species does not bite or sting but is considered a nuisance by homeowners as they are often spotted foraging in the kitchen, bathrooms, and other areas. Mature colonies of white-footed ants may have about 8,000 to 3 million individuals.
What Is White Footed House Ants?
These ants have a unique appearance that can make them easy to identify. Their bodies are black or brown in colour and approximately 1/8 inch long. They do not have a spine on their thorax, making the overall profile unevenly rounded.
In addition, these industrious insects have six pale yellowish-white feet and antennae that make it possible for them to investigate their surroundings. This species of ant is fairly common and can usually be found going about their daily business around the home or garden.
White-footed ants prefer nesting in dead wood; however, you can also find them in piles of lumber, firewood, bricks, stones, and trash. These creatures also like to live in areas with heavy vegetation or trees. When inside homes, they are likely to nest in wall voids, attics, around skylights, atriums, and plant pots.
A single colony of white-footed ants can occupy many sites nearby or far away from a nest and exchange workers and food when necessary. These ants enter urban and rural habitats and are likely to spread to other areas through shipping containers or nursery stock.
These ants have unique reproductive systems and can produce massive colonies through swarming and budding. Each colony consists of multiple queens and thousands of workers.
Swarming happens when reproductive ants get wings and are ready to fly to search for a mate. Once they mate, a new colony is born. Budding occurs when the queen and worker groups move out of the colony, searching for a new nesting area to begin mating and building a new colony.
Eating Habits
White-footed ants eat sweet foods, dead insects, and other proteins. They forage along trunks and branches of trees and shrubs having nectars or sap-sucking insects that create honeydew. These ants send multiple foragers to look for food sources.
Signs of White-Footed House Ant Infestation
You can identify a white-footed ant infestation by noticing ant trails moving to and from nesting sites. It is common to find these creatures in moist environments like kitchens, bathrooms, old termite galleries, decaying trees, and near skylights.
White-Footed Ant Prevention
The best way to prevent white-footed ants is to remove possible harbourage sites from your property. This includes rocks, concrete objects, wood, etc. Sealing cracks or crevices on the exterior of your structure is recommended to avoid giving entry to these creatures. Consider hiring a licensed pest professional company like ours to employ a preventative plan or treat the current issue.
Tom's Pest Control – The Ant Removal Experts
At Tom’s Pest Control, we are your one-stop ant removal expert In melbourne. Our team of expert technicians is trained to the highest industry standards and can tackle any ant infestation quickly and effectively. In addition, we use a combination of safe and effective treatments to ensure that your home or business is free from ants.
Our technicians are specially trained to handle white-footed ants, which can be challenging to remove due to their population. Our white-footed ant removal service is designed to eliminate the infestation without disturbing any areas in your home or business. We use specialised treatments that target these ants directly, so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your family or employees.
Call Us
Tom’s Pest Control Melbourne is a name you can trust for white-footed ant removal. Contact us today for a free consultation and estimate. We look forward to helping you rid your home or business of white-footed ants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Identify a White-Footed Ant?
The ideal way to determine a white-footed ant is by looking at its legs or tarsi, which are very light yellow or yellowish-white in colour.
How do White-Footed Ants Behave?
The white-footed ants are known to be social ants that create extensive colonies having multiple queens. Each colony has many fertile members, which makes their reproduction potential phenomenal. The white-footed ants do not bite and feed on sugary foods like honeydew. However, occasionally they are seen eating insects and other proteins.
How Serious Is the White-Footed Ant Infestation Issue?
The persistence of white-footed ants makes removing them from your home challenging. Even though these ants don’t bite or sting, they must be removed from your property as even a single colony built in your premises can contain up to 3 million individuals. When present in significant numbers, they are likely to be seen in trailing lines on your home’s walls, countertops, and floors.