Ants are generally relatively dormant during winter and in colder conditions, while becoming more active during the warmer months of October to March.
To make matters worse, the ants are more active at night than in the daytime and some colonies go dormant during the winter. (The colony is most active during the spring and summer.)
Fact is, there is no single “ant season.” Ants may choose to enter buildings at any time of year seeking shelter from the elements, whether that means rain and cold or dry heat. And, of course, food and moisture are always attractants. You don't particularly care whether it's the right season.
Ants are attracted to any type of food source, so if your kitchen tops are dirty or there's ready available fruit, sweets or crumbs – they will find their way to it. Ant colonies can consist of thousands or millions of tiny ants, which is why they seem to be everywhere, once you've found your first ant.
Active ant season occurs in spring, summer, and fall. Many ants hibernate or die off in the winter. During the active ant season in Dallas, ants search for food, water, and shelter. Dallas homes are excellent places for them to set up an ant colony.
Here's the thing about ants: They never go away completely. And you don't necessarily want them to. Ants help control other pest populations and enrich the soil. But you still shouldn't have to deal with ants in your home or the parts of your yard where you spend time.
Killing ants will, definitely, attract more ants because the dead ants release pheromones that attract or rather alert, nearby ants.
Almost everyone has dealt with house ants. These uninvited and unwelcome guests will invade even the cleanest, healthiest homes. They get in through even the smallest openings in windows, doorways, and floors in search of provisions to replenish their colony's food and water supply.
Milder winters provide ant colonies with the resources needed to grow larger and spread out into areas where they may not have thrived before. Because of this, homeowners can expect to see an increase in ant activity in 2022. Some of which may include species of ants that have migrated to a new area.
Two of the best ways to eliminate ants are Borax and diatomaceous earth. Essential oils, including peppermint and clove, are a natural way to repel and kill ants. Food and moisture attract ants, so keep your home clean and dry to get rid of ants permanently.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a natural insect repellent that may effectively deter ants and other bugs, such as mosquitoes. To use peppermint essential oil as an ant deterrent, complete the following steps: Mix 10 to 20 drops peppermint essential oil with 2 cups water in a clean plastic spray bottle.
Here's the thing about ants: They never go away completely. And you don't necessarily want them to. Ants help control other pest populations and enrich the soil. But you still shouldn't have to deal with ants in your home or the parts of your yard where you spend time.
In addition, the carpenter ant colony releases reproductive winged queens along with males to mate and set up new colonies in the spring season. Most ants become active during the spring season and remain active until early fall. This is also the season when most species reproduce.
Fire ants can't survive for prolonged periods in conditions that freeze soil as deep as they are nesting. The northern boundaries of fire ant infestation are estimated to be areas with a minimum temperature of 10 degrees F.
An ant invasion is annoying, but it can also be dangerous to your health and your home, depending on the type of ant you're dealing with. And as with any pest problem, you definitely shouldn't ignore it and just hope it goes away.
It is advised not to squash ants, doing so will only release pheromones and trigger more ants to come to the location and cause more trouble to you and your family. Ants are known to pack a deadly bite that causes excruciating pain for a short time.
The most common food sources that draw ants inside your home are the sweetest: spilled drops of soft drinks or fruit juices, candy, jellies and jams, cookies and other sweet baked goods, honey and syrup, and over-ripe fruit are some of their favorites.
Use your flashlight to look for ants behind or under refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, sinks, and cabinets. Ants may also be found in or around floor drains, inside the motor areas of refrigerators and microwaves, behind wall paper, and in cracks and crevices in cabinets and around walls.
Different Species Have Different Lifespans
Another important factor affecting longevity of ants is species. For comparison, odorous house ant workers, a commonly seen ant inside homes, tend to live about two to three years, while a fire ant worker lives only about five weeks.