ANT CONTROL
Discover Your Options To Fight Them
Most commonly, we identify with ants when we see them trailing to and from food sources in our home and require professional ant control services. Outside of your home, you may see mounds of dirt and sand in your yard. Ants such as carpenter ants may be seen crawling in and out of vents and other structures. Depending on the type of ant, they can also be nesting in walls and other “hard-to-see spaces”. Additionally, you may be able to hear them rustling around within the walls. Do you see piles of wood shavings around your home? Like contractors who excavate before building, so do ants. They excavate when they build their nests. Are you experiencing any of these issues? Do you think you need ant control services? If so, it’s time to reach out to a reliable ant control company, like the team here at Garfield Pest Control. In order to battle the infestation, since different ant species have different habits, identifying the species that is causing the problem is vital. Our team has the training, knowledge, and experience to provide expert ant removal services. To learn a few facts about ants, keep reading, then get in touch with us to start your ant removal services.
What Facts About Ants and Ant Control Do You Need to Know?
Habitat
Carpenter ants are primarily wood nesting ants and are one of the most common species requiring ant control services. Their nests can be found in various locations, but they are most often found inside trees, stumps or moist wood both inside and outside buildings. Carpenter ants are hardy, durable insects that have several special attributes that help them survive; They can survive harsh winters at temperatures of 7 degrees below zero or more because they have a natural “anti-freeze” in their bodies called glycerol, which prevents them from freezing. They can also withstand immersion underwater for up to 70 hours without drowning. Also, they can go without food for six months during their dormant periods.
Mating and Lifespan
Carpenter ants are primarily wood nesting ants and are one of the most common species requiring ant control services. Their nests can be found in various locations, but they are most often found inside trees, stumps or moist wood both inside and outside buildings. Carpenter ants are hardy, durable insects that have several special attributes that help them survive; They can survive harsh winters at temperatures of 7 degrees below zero or more because they have a natural “anti-freeze” in their bodies called glycerol, which prevents them from freezing. They can also withstand immersion underwater for up to 70 hours without drowning. Also, they can go without food for six months during their dormant periods.
Diet
Approximately 10% to 20% of carpenter ants forage for food and water, depending upon the time of the season. Most of the ant population remains in the nest where they work to enlarge the nest by excavating wood or insulation. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood; they simply cut and remove wood and other debris.
Ants Nesting Areas
Carpenter ants usually have a main nest either outside or inside while they frequently have one or more satellite colonies. They nest in many places such as:
- Hollow wood or metal doors
- Subfloors
- Under bathtubs and toilets
- In sills and headers of the foundation
- In exterior and interior walls
- Between insulation in floors and ceilings
- In attics
- Inside garden hoses
- In bark mulch and in between the plastic covering underneath
- Also in many other unpredictable places
Treatment
It is most important to locate and treat internal and external nests and travel routes. This cannot be achieved by just spraying, as this will only kill foragers. Proper void treatments, similar to what we offer in termite control services, take longer to perform but are much more effective than just spraying alone. Due to nesting behavior, it is highly recommended to perform follow-up pest control treatments for a period of time, such as quarterly services. Routine residential pest control keeps ants in check because of fresh active residual materials. There is no odor, and these materials (when used as directed by the label) are low risk around plants, animals, and people. Quarterly services are economical and cover most other insects as well.
Bait Shy
Carpenter ants are bait shy when it comes to over-the-counter preparations such as ant cups. They can detect most poisons in parts per million. They will sometimes sample these cups and then stop feeding. Even special prescription baits are sometimes turned down. This is partly because ants have specific nutrition requirements that vary month to month throughout the season. Prescription baits seem to work best early in the spring and not so well towards the end of summer.
How Can We Help?
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When over-the-counter baits fail and colonies keep growing, the reliable answer is professional ant control from a state-certified team trained to locate and treat every nest. Void treatments, quarterly follow-up services, and EPA-registered materials stop carpenter ant activity at the source and prevent it from returning. Customers on a quarterly protection plan receive additional visits at no extra charge if ant activity returns between scheduled treatments. To schedule a free inspection and get a plan built around your specific ant species and nesting situation, contact us.