Allegheny Mound Ant
Formica exsectoides
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Size:These ants are 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3.5 to 7 mm).
Color: Like Carpenter ants, they can range in color from reddish-orange to black.
Geographic Range: Nova Scotia to Georgia from the Atlantic coast to the western side of the Appalachian Mountains.
Habitat: Soil dweller, attacks nearby plants and trees.
Food: This ant is omnivorous and feeds on a wide variety of foods, including both dead and live insects. It will tend aphids, mealy bugs and scales that live in trees and shrubs for the “honeydew” they produce.
Biology: The Allegheny mound ant, as its name implies, builds above ground nests in undisturbed, open areas. This ant attempts to kill any vegetation growing on their mound or shading the area. The ants do this by biting the plant and depositing formic acid into the wound. This readily kills small plants, but trees may require numerous "stings" over the entire trunk before death results. Attacked plants will be near mounds and the bark will be covered with resin filled blisters. The Ohio State University
- Eliminating piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
- Improving attic and crawl space ventilation.
- Keeping landscape mulch less than 2 inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
- Ensuring that sprinklers does not spray directly onto the foundation.
- Sealing as many cracks in the building's exterior as possible.
—The Ohio State University
Environmental Policy
The employees of American Pest Management are committed to improving the quality of life for all of our customers by providing the safest and most effective treatment for the management of pests which pose a threat to their health, property, and food supply. History has shown that neglecting to control pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, rodents, and ticks, and the misapplication of pest control products are equally dangerous.
