Although ants don’t hibernate, they’re less active when temperatures drop. This means you can have an ant infestation at any time of the year.
However, there are certain months when these bugs are more active. This is when you should take extra precautions, working to prevent an infestation. This might mean working with a professional pest control company on recurring services, working to keep pests from your home.
So when is ant season, exactly? As with most types of ants, the summer months are when they’re their busiest. To understand when ants come out in droves, it’s important to understand more about these insects.
Ant Colonies
Ant colonies have a single queen running the show. This queen controls all the ants in the colony. The queen can live upwards of 15 years. The worker ants live around 7 years. There are even records of queen ants living 30 years if the conditions are right.
Ants leave their pheromones everywhere they go, creating a trail. This helps them determine where they’ve been and where they’re going. If they’re looking for an entry point in your home, this invisible trail will lead them right to you.
Seeing as ants eat a wide variety of foods, your home — especially your kitchen — is an ideal location for these insects. Ants love fatty foods or anything oily or sugary, so keep this in mind if you have an infestation.
What Months Are Ants Most Active?
What season do ants come out the most? For carpenter and sugar ants, July is their busiest month. Carpenter ants usually become active in May. You’ll notice their activity slows down in October when temperatures drop in NJ.
If you see carpenter ants in early spring or even in the winter, it most likely means you have a nest in your home. You might see wood shavings or hear rustling noises. There will also be carpenter ants in and around your home.
You might see winged ants or hear noises in your walls and ceilings. These noises are more common at night. Additionally, carpenter ants are busy pests — they keep moving and only stop to feed or sleep. It’s thought that ants take 250 naps daily, albeit short naps.
What Months Do Ants Go Away?
Do ants hibernate? Yes and no. They slow their metabolism, entering diapause. This means that ants typically are less prevalent during the winter unless you have a nest inside your home. But as temperatures drop, so does ant activity, for the most part.
During the cold months,
ants overwinter. Overwintering is when insects find ways to go with food for months at a time. To do so, ants greatly reduce their movement, lowering their body temperatures.
Ants also seal up their colonies, located underground, and stay there. By being inactive and sluggish, deep down in the soil, they overwinter. They’re also beneath logs, mulch, rocks, and more.
How to Keep Ants Out of the House
If you’re looking to avoid an infestation, it’s important to take precautions from overwintering pests. Keep ants out by doing the following:
If you can’t get rid of your ant infestation, it may be time to
contact a professional pest control technician in Sparta, NJ.
When Is Ant Season?
Although the most common time of year to see ants is in July, they can come out at any time. If you see an abundance of ants in your home in the winter months, you may have a colony in your house. Should DIY methods to prevent and control ants not work, don’t hesitate to contact a professional pest control company.
Serene Property Services offers routine pest control to Sussex County, NJ, and Warwick, NY. We have a variety of pest removal plans in place and work with homeowners to find the solution that best suits their needs.
Contact us today for an estimate.
