Ireland Facing Largest Ant Population in 10 years
11 July, 2011
With the ant population in Ireland reaching a ten year high, Rentokil, Ireland’s leading provider of pest control services, is warning house-holders nationwide to expect possible ant invasions in their homes.
There has been a steady increase in the ant population over the past ten years, with 2011 seeing ant numbers increase 17.6% higher than ten years ago. Swarms of red ants and common black garden ants are on the increase across the country.
According to Dr Colm Moore, Technical Manager, Rentokil Ireland: “Ants begin to forage for food at the beginning of spring, and in the first three months of this year Rentokil recorded the highest number of call-outs to tackle ant infestations for this period compared to the same period over the past ten years.”
According to the pest control experts, the insects take to the wing and commence their nuptial flights typically in June, July and August. This is when Rentokil begin to get complaints of homeowners reporting swarms of flying ants in their homes and gardens. The flying ants are sexually active males and females that emerge during the perfect conditions to swarm. Once some ants begin to fly, other ants detect their chemical smell and join them.
Dr Colm Moore commented: “With the summer well and truly upon us conditions and all indications point to large populations in the field conditions will soon be optimum for the ant mating ritual. Now is the time house-holders and businesses should put precautions in place to avoid an ant infestation.”
In order to minimise the risk of an ant infestation, Rentokil recommend home-owners to:
- Clean up any spills or mess immediately
- Clean out bins regularly cleaned and keep them sealed
- Clean food debris from under fridges, ovens, cupboards, desks and worktops
- Ensure entry points are sealed to stop them coming in. Common areas tend to be around pipes, drains, windows and door cracks
- Vacuum regularly
- Fix plumbing leaks and control moisture levels
- Store food in containers
There are around 30 species of ant in Ireland - including the common black garden ant, red ants and even the Pharaoh ant. Although common black garden ants are unpopular in homes, they are not technically a pest and do not actively carry diseases.
Rentokil Ireland has some tips on these summer visitors, so you know what you’re dealing with:
- Although black ants can bite, they usually ignore people unless their nests are being disturbed
- Red ants sting victims with a droplet of burning formic acid - the same ingredient used in limescale remover
- Ants carry no diseases and they are not pests - but pollinate flowers and feed on other nuisance insects in the garden
- Nuptial flights often take place in hot, humid weather - giving rise to folklore that ants can foretell a thunderstorm
- The combined weight of every ant in the world is greater than the combined weight of every human
- An ant has the largest brain for an insect, relative to its size. It has more processing power than the computer that controlled the first Nasa moon mission
- An ant brain has 250,000 brain cells compared to a human's 10 billion. A colony of 40,000 ants has the same collective brain size as a person
- An ant has the strength to carry food up to seven times their own body weight
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Issued by Heneghan PR on behalf of Rentokil Ireland.
For further information, please contact:
Heneghan PR
Sorcha Mullis
Tel: 01 6607395
Email: sorcha@hpr.ie
Rentokil
Around the world, Rentokil is the leading provider of pest control and specialist hygiene services. The company protects homes and commercial premises from the damage, health risks and nuisance that pests cause. While flies, insects and rodents might be the first that come to mind, Rentokil technicians also provide specialist treatment against woodworm. Whatever the pest, Rentokil can deal with it.
For information about Rentokil services, visit www.rentokil.ie or call 1890 869 869.