Ants

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The Ant Killers 'Hormiguicida Manchester', in its three versions Mirex (Granulated), Polvo Seco (Powdered) and Líquido (Concentrated Liquid), are extremely effective in combating the invasion of ants, in all its types.

 

Although the key to control is the location of the nest and how to get to it, which is not always easy due to the inaccessibility of some sites, in some cases the ant killer pellet (granule) is transported by the ant itself to the anthill.

 

In either case, the key is to eliminate the queen, either directly by hitting her with an insecticide or indirectly, by eliminating the workers, so that the queen dies of starvation.
 

Powdered Ant Killer 'Hormiguicida Manchester Polvo Seco':

Hormiguicida Manchester Polvo Seco is highly effective in combating both "red" and "black" ants, due to when it acts by contact.

If the problem is located on a tile roof, the tiles should be lifted in an orderly manner and where an increase in frequency is observed, apply by dusting Hormiguicida Manchester Polvo Seco. Liquid formulations are not advisable in order not to wet the surface and cause leaks.

Do not apply the product on days of high humidity or on the eve of rain as the product will lose its effectiveness.

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Concentrated Liquid Ant Killer  'Hormiguicida Manchester Líquido

It is ideal to combat the "red" ant and when the anthill is located. Apply with a water can Hormiguicida Mánchester Líquido diluted in water in a proportion of one "cap" of product for every 10 liters of water.

When inaccessible due to construction factors, applications of Hormiguicida Mánchester Líquido can be made with high pressure sprayers. In a first application the population will be reduced substantially, especially because of its excellent residuality.

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Granulated Ant Killer 'Hormiguicida Manchester MIREX'

When a large number of common black ants is noticed or the paths they form are visualized or identified, the use of Hormiguicida Manchester MIREX is recommended.

The product, made on the basis of pellets and with natural flavorings, attracts the ant and instinctively carries the pellet to the anthill, to collect it for the winter.

It is recommended to apply the product forming "piles" on the side of the path formed by the ant, so that the insect selects it and loads it, avoiding having to cut leaves of crops or plants.

Do not apply the product on days of high humidity or on the eve of rain as the ant loses its effectiveness.

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About ants:

There are different types of ants, all organized in complex societies.

 

There are the large carpenter ants that crawl into the woodwork of a house and mine it, the collector ants that live off the seeds they store for the winter. Others are the "cowboy" ants that carry their "cattle" (aphids that suck sap from plants) and then extract the juice they secrete.

 

The most industrious of all are the garden ants. These ants sow, fertilize, prune, clear weeds, eat, and re-sow.

 

The crops are different kinds of fungi. Some seem to be related to man-grown mushrooms, others are distant relatives of the verdigris on bread. But these farmers work so secretly and underground that it has taken scientists 100 years to decipher what little is known about them.

 

All leaf-cutter ants are found in the Western Hemisphere, primarily in the tropics. But it was not until the British naturalist Thomas Bolt published the results of his first investigations in 1874, that it became known that these ants do not eat the leaves they cut, but crumble them and plant the spores of certain fungi on them. They never allow mushrooms to bear fruit, instead they constantly prune them. The repeatedly pruned mushroom forms tiny knots, about the size of a pinhead, called kohlrabi. This is what ants eat.
 

The industrious ants eat the kohlrabi as soon as they gnaw. And by rationing the kohlrabi that they feed them, the ants produce their different castes, which are four or five. Those that are fed with minimal quantities never go beyond being "minor", small workers whose task is to tend the mushroom orchard and feed the larvae or infants of ants. A diet of wealth develops the "medians," workers who do most of the work of cutting leaves. More food allows the growth of large and fierce warriors, the defenders of the nest, capable of biting furiously. A more abundant regimen produces the male and the "princess", both winged, in preparation for the nuptial flight. At night the workers remove males and "princesses" from the nest. Each "princess" carries in a special bag, behind the jaws, a small reserve of fungus spores with which to start the economy of the new anthill. After mating, the males fall to the ground and die.

 

The female, already fertilized enough for the rest of her life, descends to the ground, tears off her wings, looks for a crack in the ground and begins to dig. It will no longer come out in the daylight. In the new nest, the queen releases the fungus spores she brought from the old nest. Prune and clean the new crop at the same time as it begins to lay the first eggs. When the eggs hatch and the larvae hatch, the queen feeds them kohlrabi. As soon as they reach adulthood, the first ants find their tasks: pruning and cleaning the garden, bringing in leaves, feeding the young, and enlarging the anthill of caves like domes connected by a system of complicated corridors. The workers, all neutral females, decide everything and distribute the rations that will determine the breed of each ant.

 

In order to carry out an efficient ant control, as a first measure it is necessary to identify which species it is and see what its habits, its regime and its biological cycle are.

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RECOGNITION​

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• By type of anthill:​
   

  • Anthill without embankment or tumulus:

    1. Opening usually being single and oversized

       • Several secondary holes, almost all far from the main opening; the main one without "beach" and surrounded by dry sticks .... Acromyrmex lundi.

       • A single opening with "beach" or bare space .... Acromyrmex striatus.

    2. Numerous and smaller holes, distributed on the surface up to 10 meters, connected by galleries and many entrances, more than 250 at times, and gathered in reduced areas and covered with loose soil .... Atta sexdens.

  • Anthill with embankment or tumulus:

    1. Large, solid embankment with many taper-flanged entrances.... Atta vollenweideri.

    2. Medium embankment, loose earth, few mouths, covered with straw and dry sticks.... Acromyrmex lobicornis

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• By feeding habits:
   

  • Fungivorous or mycetophilic ants. They are the ones that eat fungi. Also known as pruners, because they prune young leaves and twigs to prepare the substrate in which the fungi develop.
     

  • Melivorous ants. They feed on honeyed substances secreted by certain insects (aphids, mealybugs, etc.) They favor their spread by providing care and protection.
     

  • Granivorous ants. They are the ones that carry cereal grains to the nests.
     

  • Carnivorous ants. In certain regions the invasions of these ants can attack humans.
     

• By castes: In formicids there is a marked polymorphism, as a consequence of the adaptation of ants to different tasks and functions.
   

  • The female, generator of the colony (female sexual form), which after being fertilized bears the name of queen. It is distinguished by its larger size and large head.
     

  • The male (male sexed form). Has permanent wings.
     

  • The workers (neutral or sterile forms) are divided into groups that each have a different function. The largest, with developed jaws, work outdoors as vegetable trimmers or carrying material to the anthill, and the smallest, lighter in color, are domestic, since they do not leave the nests and take care of the queen, of larvae and fungal cultures.

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Another important aspect is knowing how to detect them:
 

• Leafcutter, Common Black Ant (Acromyrmex Iundii)
   

The observations can be direct or indirect, being able to see workers working or only signs of presence such as:

• paths: approximately 2 cm wide by up to several meters long. They are born in the mouths and can bifurcate.

• entrances: these are holes that may or may not be covered by plant debris (sticks).

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Some may be momentarily inactive and others that act as vents can also be observed.

On certain occasions they are not entirely visible. They can be located in inaccessible places such as under the canopy of a bush, hidden in the grass, etc.

 

They are not always located in a flowerbed; They can be found in the base of an internal or external wall, on an interior or exterior floor, in tree holes, in masonry.

     

Damage: plants totally or partially defoliated, or eaten. Sometimes accumulated plant remains are observed at the foot of the plant or near the entrance to the anthill.

 

 

• Argentine Red Ant (Iridomyrmex humilis)

 

Indoors - Can be seen circulating along baseboards and under rugs.

 

On the other hand, they can be seen coming out through holes that originate between tiles or ceramics. You have to follow the path to the place where the colony is located. If they go in and out of a hole in the wall, check the baseboard on the outside to see if the colony is on the outside or inside the wall. When attracted by humidity, check bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms, checking if they emerge from holes in the walls

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Outdoors: remove the vegetation that surrounds the buildings, the base of trees and shrubs, as well as wood, firewood and stones.

 

 

• Carpenter Ant (Camponotus mus)

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They need a humid environment to establish the colony, for which they prefer humid wood. They are observed in wooden structures that coincide with a leak. Colonies produce ant hills after two years, and their presence is an indicator. The colonies are mobile, being able to move to another site if conditions turn unfavorable.
 

They can create satellite colonies that are located in another area outside the main one. They usually contain workers, larvae, and pupae. The workers work freely from the main colony to the satellite, which can be located indoors or outdoors. They can reach an interior from an exterior, through cables, wires or branches of plants.

 

They feed on a varied diet that includes dead insects, and honeyed secretions produced by aphids (aphids), coccids (mealybugs) and whiteflies.

 

It is also known as Wood Ant, Ararás and Crazy Ant. The worker reaches up to 9 mm. The thorax and head are opaque black, and the abdomen is velvety, yellowish-brown. The pedicel (narrow segment that joins the thorax with the abdomen) is made up of a single segment. The nymphs are found within a cocoon, with a capsule shape of whitish-beige color and about 5 mm. long.

 

This insect causes damage both at the household and agricultural level, as it deteriorates the wooden structures and trees, not feeding on the wood, but rather "working" it for the purposes of nesting. They excavate rotten trunks or in poor condition as a result of the attack of other insects, as well as healthy trees, causing weakening in their structure by forming an important network of tunnels and predisposing them to be infected by phytopathogenic microorganisms. In citrus and apple plantations, among others, the greatest damage is due to the symbiosis that occurs with some aphids and coccids (mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies), which curl the buds and flower buds affecting yields. On the other hand, it is noteworthy how annoying the presence of thousands of winged ants is inside a house for a few days, since if the nest is inside the house, the emergence of winged males and females will occur in spring, which will restart the biological cycle of the insect

 

They form numerous colonies, made up of a large number of workers who are characterized by their rapid movements and a nervous and sharp gait. They need a humid environment to establish the colony, for which they prefer humid wood. The nests are built in the dead wood of wild or cultivated trees, as well as in wood from buildings (beams, braces, posts, eaves, roofs) that are affected by some degradation process. They live in symbiosis with other insects of the homoptera family, the ants feel them with their antennae and they respond by secreting a sweet liquid that is licked by them. They also feed on dead insects and sweet exudates from plants. The winged queen, fertilized, will nest in appropriate wood for the purpose of forming its own colony and its activity is oviposition, always remaining inside the nest. After two years, the colonies produce mobile ant hills, which can be moved to another site if conditions become unfavorable.

 

When surveying an area with signs of attack, find out:

• if there were or actually are leaks somewhere

• if firewood is stored.

• in which places they have been more observed.

• if they are seen more indoors when the weather is cool.

• if there are any 'remains' of wood visible.