Regardless of the season, ants can become pests in any structure. The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), or sugar ant, frequently invades homes in Georgia.

The small brown ant, one-eighth of an inch to three-sixteenths of an inch long, will make its way inside after significant periods of rain, drought, heat or cold.

The homeland

Native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, the ant was first described in New Orleans around 1891, most likely from a coffee shipment via the port of New Orleans. As of 2001, the ant was found in 21 different states and on every continent except Antarctica. In the U.S., it is found mostly in the Southeast and Southwest, as well as Hawaii, with that number most likely on the rise.

Not just a pest in urban areas, it’s also a pest of agricultural crops by tending to and defending plant-feeding insects, such as aphids and whiteflies, which destroy plant materials when feeding.

Keep’em out

Argentine ants, like most other pest ants, come indoors in search of food, water or shelter. With the worker ants being less than a quarter of an inch long, a gap or crack the size of a pinhead is an open invitation for them to come inside.

One of the first things to do in order to keep these pesky creatures from invading is to search for entry points. Search areas around windows and doors for cracks, crevices or gaps that could provide access into the home.

Use caulking, weather-stripping or other physical control barriers to keep the ants outside. (Sealing cracks, crevices and gaps around doors and windows will not only keep the insects from entering, but will also keep hot or cold air from escaping your home, potentially leading to savings on monthly utility bills.)

Another way to control them is with the use of chemicals. The use of slow-acting gel baits is optimal in controlling Argentine ants inside a home and can be purchased at local home improvement stores.

Remove other foods

Active ingredients such as imidacloprid, fipronil, thiamethoxam and borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) are all acceptable. These ingredients work slowly enough to allow the ants to transfer the insecticide to other nest mates before dying, allowing the newly contaminated ants to transfer the poison to other ants until the problem is solved.

In order for these baits to be efficient, all other food and water sources must be eliminated. The ants need to feed solely on the insecticide, which is usually sweetened with sugars, in order for control to occur.

If other food or water sources remain, the ants may pass up the insecticide for the other available sources. In the event that the ants do not feed on the gel bait when other resources have been removed, either a different brand of bait or active ingredient should be used.

If you can’t see visible entry points for the ants and the insecticides from local home improvement stores are not helping, a professional opinion may be needed. Contact your local pest control operator for a consultation and a thorough inspection of your property. After assessing the situation, the operator will be able to use chemicals restricted only to professionals to help mitigate your ant problem, inside or outside of the home.