Ant infestations indoors are often a result of poor sanitation practices, such as leaving dirty dishes in the sink, food scraps on countertops, and crumbs on the floor. These provide abundant food sources for sugar- and oil-feeding ants. What may start as a few foragers entering a home can quickly escalate into a major problem if ants establish colonies within wall cavities, lawns, or under home foundations.
Food contamination is a significant concern related to ants in the home, as they carry bacteria on their bodies that can spread when they crawl across cupboards and countertops. Certain species, like carpenter and fire ants, present additional challenges. Carpenter ants, although not as destructive as termites, can still cause damage by chewing tunnels through wood beams, particularly in rotted timber. Fire ant stings can be painful and may lead to severe allergic reactions in hypersensitive individuals, although they are relatively uncommon in NSW.
Adult ant species exhibit a range of shapes and sizes, but they typically fall into one of three colony castes: queens, workers, or males. Queens are fertile females responsible for laying all the eggs in a colony. Workers are wingless females that perform various tasks such as gathering food, caring for larvae, maintaining the nest, and defending the colony. Male ants are winged and their sole purpose is to mate with the queens during the swarming process.