Ants are found almost everywhere on Earth except the continent that bears their name—ANTartica. Now, they can even be found in space, thanks to the scientists at NASA and a group of researchers from Stanford University who joined together to send ants up to the space station last year. The insects were sent as part of an experiment to see if ants could coordinate as well in space as they do on Earth. The ants started out in the corner of a box. After astronauts removed the barriers that kept them in the corner, the ants spread out and covered the environment in less than five minutes, despite not having a leader. This was not the first time ants have been in orbit. In 2003 they were launched on the Space Shuttle and perished with the astronauts on board when the structurally compromised shuttle burst into flames upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Ants in space were also a topic of an episode of The Simpsons in 1994. Continue reading →

The most effective ant control New Jersey has to offer comprises of a well-thought out plan of attack.  In addition, a common pest problem in the northeastern United States is an infestation of black carpenter ants. In the wilderness, they can be found in hollow timber, old logs and tree stumps. When unable to find a sufficient amount of food in the wilderness, they will migrate to homes. They are not attracted to dry, solid wood. What they seek is soft, moist woods that are rotting as well as insulation board and more. They are a real concern for homes built in very rural areas. Continue reading →