​Have you ever come home to find a sudden ant infestation on your kitchen counter around a juice spill or on a plate? It can be a bit jarring to realize that insects can have such easy access to your home, particularly if you’re already working so hard to keep pests out! If you’re dealing with an ant infestation, you might be curious about how they got there and how to deal with them. 
 
Different species of ants have different needs. Some build their colonies outdoors, and some indoors. Regardless, ants love human food, human heat, and human provided sources of water. Whether they return to their colonies inside or outside of your walls, they can feel very pervasive.
 
Typically, the ant you see will be a Worker. These wingless female ants spend all of their time foraging for food, work on the nest, and some other functions within the ant colony. Science is still unclear on how far a Worker will travel to forage food, but some initial estimates are as far as 30 feet from the colony, depending on the species. As the Worker travels, they leave pheromones. Pheromones are special scents that can be detected by other ants via antenna. This form of communication is how they find, and converge on, a food source within your home.
 
When it comes to getting rid of these pests, several control methods are important. First is identifying the species. The most effective pest control methods will vary depending on species, and there are several types of ants which will find their way into your home. Minimizing moisture sources is the next step. Access to moisture gives ants a way to thrive, so fix leaks, water spills, and direct rainwater away from the home. Remove food particles from countertops, tables, and floors as soon as possible.

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The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, November 23rd to block U.S. Sugar and Imperial Sugar Company from merging, marking the fourth antitrust lawsuit brought on by the Justice Department under Biden. The Biden Administration is cracking down on federal antitrust law in an attempt to ensure a competitive market, and companies considering a merger or acquisition should do their due diligence and seek legal counsel before making any official plans.
 
“We will not hesitate to challenge anticompetitive mergers that would harm American consumers and businesses alike,” stated Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a press release on the merger. Read the press release in its entirety here. Conversely, according to U.S. Sugar in a statement on the lawsuit, acquisition will “increase production and distribution as well as providing a secure supply,” benefiting consumers in the long run. The company also stated its plans to fight the lawsuit. The DOJ has also recently blocked mergers between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster; American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp.; and Aon PLC and its rival, Willis Towers Watson PLC.
 
In the case of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, the Department of Justice focused on the facets of this merger that would result in potentially lower advances being paid to authors, rather than a change in pricing for consumers. This signals a departure from decades of consumer-focused antitrust arguments to, more broadly, antitrust as it pertains to workers, suppliers, and competitors.
 
As Biden has taken a stance against big business during his administration, there will likely be an increase in these cases being brought to court. Companies will need to adequately prove they are not stifling competition or contributing to homogenized pricing and less variety for consumers. Opposers of antitrust laws state that the laws are murky, difficult to properly enforce, and rely on inaccurate perceptions of market changes.