Georgia’s drought has had many effects. One little but truly annoying one is to drive Argentine ants indoors. UGA experts say Argentine ants aren’t hard to identify.
“They’re the ones that travel in trails into kitchens, offices and bathrooms,” said Dan Suiter, an entomologist with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “If you have them, you definitely know it.”
Suiter says the tiny pests travel indoors in search of food and water. Although they’re much more of a problem in the summer, they do come indoors in the winter to survive the cold.
You can reduce your chances of having these ants in your home by following these tips: rinse all drink cans before placing them into the garbage or recycling bin, empty garbage containers often, and don’t leave food or drinks out.
When it comes to controlling the tiny, unwanted guests, Suiter doesn’t recommend any over-the-counter insect killer, but rather indoor bait.
Suiter recommends Terro bait, a liquid you can buy at most home-improvement and lawn-and-garden stores. Another effective bait, he said, is Combat Ant-Killing Gel.
For more information on controlling pests, call your local UGA Cooperative Extension agent at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.