ANTS

The most common ants found in Southern Alberta would be the odorous house ant, pavement ant, carpenter ant. Occasionally pharaoh ants make an appearance in multi dwelling buildings.

Ants  have a complex social structure usually consisting of a wingless worker caste composed entirely of sterile females and a reproductive caste made up of winged, fertile males and females.

Ants live in colonies in underground tunnels or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time, winged males and females emerge from the nest and perform a brief mating flight. After mating, the males die, and the females lose their wings and return to the ground to start a new colony.
   
Workers gather food, maintain and defend the nest, tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most species are predators or scavengers, but a few harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut from plants.

Ants can be very fussy eaters. In the morning the colony may want carbohydrates, and in the afternoon the colony may be after protein based foods.

When disturbed, most ants are capable of "biting" or "stinging" people.

The first step in resolving an ant issue is to identify the ant.

Ants are identified by colour, size, by  looking at the node between
the thorax and abdomen, the hairs on the abdomen, the number of
segments in the antenna, and the shape of the thorax.  

Each species of ants has different habits and nesting sites. Understanding which ant is pestering you will allow an action plan to succeed. Speak to a professional applicator if you are unsure.