Anthills of PEI

redheadpei

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My entry to @bucipuci’s challenge in Amazing Nature. check here for more info.

I have seen all sizes and shapes of ants here on P.E.I. from tiny red ones, carpenters and flying ants.

These are some of the anthills I have seen while walking through the forest on the property.

I can see where the ants have used the needles from this small spruce tree to help build their nest.

They do clean up a lot of brush and dead wood in the forest but can unintentionally kill a small tree like this one in the photo when the little busybodies strip all the needles from it.

These ants building the large anthills are Allegheny Mound ants. They are native to the Atlantic provinces in Canada.

Ants here are mostly just pests to homeowners when they try to get into the house. They do not bite but the carpenter ants can weaken the structure of a house if left undetected. Their presence can be noticed if small trails of sawdust can be found in the house.

Carpenter ants have a heart shaped head and are larger than other ants.

This anthill has been dug into perhaps by a raccoon or other wildlife that like a feed of ants.

Solutions to keep ants out of the house

There are difference advices to help and powders and ant traps can be purchased at the local hardware or plant nursery.
Washing the floor and surfaces with a bleach solution should help discourage the ants from invading the house.
Vinegar and water is another mixture to use to clean areas in the home.
Peppermint is a scent they don’t like.
Cayenne Pepper and salt sprinkled around doorsteps.

Ants are strong little insects and they have an important place in the ecology of our planet. I like to see them in the forest and not invading the house.

Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada

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