Identification
Pest management requires a diligent approach when dealing with ants. Our technicians must draw on his or her knowledge of each specific species, their habits and their biology, in order to determine the most effective strategy for controlling the infestation. Proper identification will help the professional find nests, entry points, and other infestation signs. For example, pavement ants build nests in soil, while carpenter ants nest just outside trees or stumps. Worker ants gain entry to buildings through cracks in a slab or expansion joints. In addition, the conditions leading to the infestation should be examined. Our technicians perform the necessary inspection and will communicate those findings with you.
Pest Control Reviews
I use Bug-Off for my home as well as for many of our investment properties. Matthew is my tech and he is very courteous and easy to communicate with. I only had an issue with pests once, and Matthew did an amazing job of finding the root cause and eliminating the invading ants swiftly.
Questions About Ant Control
How much does it cost for an exterminator to get rid of ants?
Ants are covered under our quarterly or one-time pest control service. The cost is $85 for the quarterly service and $95 for a one-time service. There are some unique ant problems that would cost more but those are very rare cases.
What does an exterminator do for ants?
Exterminators can use baits, granulars, liquid pesticides, and aerosols to exterminate ants. Finding the colony is essential to exterminate ants. An exterminator will identify the ants first to better understand which pesticides to use and how to exterminate the colony.
Can ants live in the walls of your house?
Yes, depending on the type of ant. Fire ants build a nest inside of walls. Carpenter ants will eat the wood inside of walls and they eat termites which may also be present. Other ants may just be following a pheromone trail through the wall and are nested outside but can still nest inside a wall.
How do you get rid of ants in the walls?
Treating the area with a residual pesticide will exterminate the ants when they come out of the wall and interact with the spray. Slow acting baits can be effective because the ants will take the bait back to the colony to exterminate the queen. In some situations it may be required to drill holes in the wall to spray pesticides directly into the colony.
Why do ants suddenly appear?
Ants forage for food to bring nutrients back to the colony to feed the queen and larvae. If ants pick up a scent in a kitchen then other ants will follow the pheromone trail to the source. Ants can be attracted to food or water. If ants are attracted to something sweet then it is ideal to use a sweet bait.
Environment Modification
Environmental factors must be corrected for there to be long term control of ants. After the species, nests, and entry points are identified; there are environmental changes that should be addressed. Modifying the habitat or environment limits the resources of the colony. This could include, poor sanitation, moisture from ventilation, clogged gutters or leaky pipes, earth to wood contact, and stacked wood and debris surrounding the structure. Mechanical methods such as trimming shrubs, removing vegetation and caulking entry points can be used to prevent access to the building. These changes along with professional treatments such as dusting the void, using bait, or treating the mound can create an ant free environment.
Treatment
Applying a treatment around the perimeter of the building using a residual formula or a granular can exterminate an ant infestation. Using a slower acting, non repellent insecticide causes ants to pick up the insecticide and take it back to the nest. Ants nesting in voids within a structure can be treated with dust, aerosol, or foam. Ants nesting around wood such as structural timber, fence posts, or landscape logs can be treated with aerosol, dust, or liquid products. These can also be applied to nests located in stumps and tree holes. Landscape such as pine straw, mulch chips, and/or dead leaves might reduce the effectiveness of insecticides. The mulch should be raked back for application. The surface can be treated and the mulch moved back into place. Ants nesting under stacks of material such as lumber or bricks usually require unstacking the materials so that the exposed colonies in the area can be treated using a water based formula.
Baiting
A bait must attract the ants so it will take it back and share it with the colony. New active ingredients in gel baits provide professionals with more options for successful baiting. The selection of baits typically depends on the food preference of the ant. Proper sanitation of the bait area is also crucial. If other sources of food are competing with the bait then it will be less effective. Our professional technicians can use multiple bait approaches during the service to gain control of the ant population. The ants should be given about a week to feed on the baits prior to initiating any follow-up attempts.
