Acrobat Ants | How These Pests Can Inform you of Home Damage

Jun 21, 2022 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

 

Wait, are these ants gymnasts? While it may seem like these ants have a knack for acrobatics, you won’t see an acrobat ant moving on a balance beam!


Acrobat ants are a common species found in many North Texas homes and yards. While they don’t pose a significant danger to your home, their presence may indicate a larger problem on your property. 


Check out our article to learn more about these uniquely titled ants and how to remove an infestation from your home. 

Acrobat Ants: The Gymnast Ant Species 

When threatened, acrobat ants have a unique reaction to scare prey away. Raising their large abdomen over their thorax, these ants can position their bodies in any direction. You can easily recognize acrobat ants with their heart-shaped abdomens setting them apart from other species. 


Here’s a video of acrobat ants swarming along a wooden plank.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ww8a6v9sGIk

According to NC State’s Extension program, acrobat ants engage in this movement to drip their venom on smaller unsuspecting prey. While their venom isn’t potent to humans, it can quickly incapacitate other small insects. 


Preying on small aphids and other plant-eating insects, acrobat ants will consume the sweet secretions from their bodies. However, acrobat ants also hunt larger targets like reproductive termites and wasps.


Acrobat ants prefer to build their colonies amongst high tree branches, but you may also see them nesting within damp and water-damaged wood. Similar to carpenter ants, acrobat ants could set up camp in your home.


If you have fencing on your property, acrobat ants can build nests within damp wood and eventually climb upwards towards your gutters, attic, and wall voids. Any area rife with moisture and nutrients can become a home to these pests.

Do Acrobat Ants Damage My Home?

If acrobat ants burrow in wood as carpenter ants do, does this mean they are similarly responsible for home damage?


Typically, carpenter ants won’t infest the inner wooden structures of your home and only reside indoors if there is significant water damage. This ensures that their colonies receive sufficient moisture. 


If carpenter ants invade your home, they can cause some damage, albeit less than a termite infestation. Acrobat ants won’t harm your home despite potentially living within your walls or floors. 


These pests often move inside vacated colonies instead of carving out places to live. If you’ve previously had carpenter ants or termites, acrobat ants may move into their abandoned nests. 


If they infest your home, they cannot cause any meaningful damage on their own. Instead, if you notice the presence of acrobat ants inside, this could alert you to an unseen problem. 


Occasionally, acrobat ants could cause minor harm to some of the electric wires in your home. These pests may build their nests near electrical units or strip the wires’ waxy coating.

Acrobat Ants Could Equal Water Damage

If you find acrobat ants, you may have hidden water damage somewhere inside. Acrobat ants will flock toward frequently damp areas and may nest within waterlogged wood in your attic, roof area, walls, or wall voids. 


Because these pests primarily stay outdoors, their presence inside could indicate a leak. If you already have an abundance of food within your home, they may not want to leave!


Finding acrobat ants inside doesn’t always indicate damage, but you should survey the inside of your property to repair any potential leaks or broken pipes. 


Additionally, acrobat ants that crowd around your outside foundation or within your home may be searching for a hidden feast. Because these pests dine on wasps and termites, the acrobat ants in your home could indicate another pest infestation.

Eliminating Acrobat Ants

An indoor infestation isn’t any fun, especially if these pests begin invading your kitchen and pantry. You don’t want them snacking on your cookies and fruit! Here are some easy ways to get rid of acrobat ants.

Place Ant Bait Around the Site of an Infestation

You can purchase over-the-counter ant baits that quickly remove these pests from your home. If you want to create your own bait, you can utilize a few products you may already own. 


Check your laundry room for borax and mix this with water, sugar, and honey. Place this bait in a small bowl or plate in areas where you regularly see the ants. As the workers take their foraged goods back, you can slowly start to eliminate the larger colony. 


Don’t place too much honey or water in your mixture. If the bait is too deep, the ants may drown, and you won’t be able to impact the rest of the ants.


Keep this bait out of reach from your children and pets. While borax isn’t toxic to humans, it could make your little ones or your furry friends feel very ill.

Use a Chemical Pesticide 

Have you found acrobat ants swarming around the perimeter of your home or overtaking your fencing? Try using a pesticide to thin their ranks. You can spray your foundation and fencing with a pesticide that targets ants. 


However, be careful when you attempt at-home pest control methods. Some store-bought options aren’t effective, while others may damage your lawn or other vegetation. Use caution when using pesticides indoors and keep the chemicals out of reach from others. 


Before you use a pesticide treatment, grab a pair of gloves and a respiration mask to ensure the chemicals won’t impact your breathing. 

Let NTX Best Pest Handle Acrobat Ants!

Here at NTX Best Pest, we know how to eliminate many common ant species in Texas. Acrobat ants are no exception! We have a specialized ant control service to remove ants that may be building inside or outside your home.


Because these ants nests on trees, they can reach areas of your home that a typical pesticide application may miss. With our services, you can rest assured that we will eliminate the acrobat ants on your property. Contact us today!

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