Ants driving residents crazy

ANTHONY PHELPS/FAIRFAX NZ

Roger and Abby Abernethy from Marlborough Flybusters and Anti-Ants on the lookout for ants.

Ant numbers are booming in Marlborough, driving householders crazy and keeping pest control workers busy.

Pests were in big numbers throughout the district because of a mild winter and good breeding conditions, pest control workers said.

Flybusters and Anti-ants team Roger and Abby Abernethy said about 80 per cent of their work was dealing with ant infestations.

That should tail off in about a month, when flies were likely to take over as the biggest pest problem.

Cockroaches and rodents were fairly constant.

Roger Abernethy said there were "heaps" of people from across the district calling them out to deal with ant infestations. They were working from 6am till 6pm every day.

There were about six different species of ant in Marlborough, with the white-footed ant "a force to be reckoned with", he said.

That ant was a prolific breeder, competing strongly against other ant species. It liked structures, and tended to annoy people when it came inside because of the large numbers of ants that came in at the same time.

Continue reading here:
Ants driving residents crazy