The most common ant is the Odorous House Ant referred to as sugar ants. Described as dark brown or black color and small. Getting their name from the smell they emit when squished. Pavement ants look much like an odorous house ant, but slightly larger. Normally seen outside in driveway Carpenter ants are very large ants. Carpenter ants can cause extensive damage to homes or commercial business building. AM/PM Exterminators, uses eco-friendly, control products to stop pests.
One-time treatments for customers not looking for extended control. A year-long program is the best way to go. Lets say we come out to treat your house on June 1st for ants and after two weeks or so you’re still having ants. Treatment includes treating the interior and exterior of homes and commercial business buildings. The exterior treatment generally includes spraying around the foundation of the property, around entry points, around doors and windows, and where ant trails are present. Inside the home we use various types of baits and if sprayed to treat cracks and crevices or do small spot treatments. No “bug bombs” that are going to get pesticide everywhere, putting focus on where ants are active. Other pest control companies will price advice on doing what’s called a “drill-and-treat” drilling holes every 18″ along house or building and inject the walls with chemical. With advances in new products, it is extremely rare to do something this drastic to eradicate ants.
Throughout the years the products used in ant control have changed tremendously. Products now are much safer and the mode of action is different. A combination of sprays, baits, and dusts. The sprays are non-repellent products which allows ants to walk across the product without knowing it’s there. That way more ants become infected with the product and will transfer it from one ant to another. Baits is used to draw the ants out of hiding,coming in contact with the product. The ants will eat the bait and then through a process called trophyllaxis, the ants regurgitate the bait and share it with the nest.
It’s not a quick process to get rid of ants. Customers should give the treatments about 2 to 3 weeks to work properly. During this time it is very common to see an increase of ants or see ants show up in other places. It has been said that 90% of an ant colony is in the nest and only 10% are out foraging . The ant bait kill the 15% foraging, but the 85% in hiding.
For ant treatments, generally there is no need to leave the home during and after our treatment; however, chemical sensitive individuals or pets in the home, then its time to leave. Using a wide array of products to get rid of ants, considered organic and green, while others are synthetic products. The synthetic products generally a pyrethroid class of chemical, which the EPA has said “…exposures from the many current uses of pyrethrins and pyrethoid insecticides do not pose risk concerns for children or adults”. Obviously common sense needs to be enforced, so no licking or touching our products…especially while wet! Most products dry within an hour on the interior and 30 minutes on the exterior.
When it comes to ants, unfortunately, “green” products are not recommended. Green and/or organic products work great as a contact killer, but offer very little, if any, residual effect. Also because ants are social insects, products work in such a way that ants take the products back to their nest which will essentially wipe out hundreds or thousands of ants. Green products do no work in this manner, so their success rate is considerably less. Green or organic products, are available , but please know it will take many more treatments and can’t guarantee it’s success. That being said, even though the products are not necessarily green or organic, many would consider a procedures green. Bait is generally considered a safer product and placed in areas where pets and children won’t get to it. Spraying the exterior of the home or building. Many pest control companies will treat a home with more than 10 gallons of chemical, whereas spraying a home or building of 3000 sqft , 1 to 2 gallons of finished product is used.
While a majority of houses only need one or two treatments, there are homes that need multiple visits.
There are a few factors that can help determine the amount of pesticides treatments needed. The type of ant plays an important part. Some ants, such as pavement ants and thatching ants, can be very easy to get rid of. Moisture ants, if the location of the nest is known, are also very easy to get rid, if the location of their nest is known. Carpenter ants in the summer months are generally easier to eliminate, but can be very difficult to eradicate in the winter. Odorous House Ants (or sugar ants) are the tricky ones. They have multiple nests and multiple queens, so their nests can be the size of sqft 1200 swimming pool. Being able to get rid of the ants in the house, can be a challenge.
For long-term control of ants,pest control suggests quarterly service. Many times with ants, it takes multiple visits to eradicate.
Other factors include period of the ants infestation , amount of vegetation on the outside (more foliage, means more ants), certain neighborhoods have more ants than others, and condition of the home/structure ,structures with moisture problems will always attract more bugs in general. Cities, such as Seattle, where houses are generally older and closer together, generally require more treatments than other areas.
Learn how to get rid of ants (Carpenter, Odorous House, Sugar, Moisture, etc.)naturally
Joe Buck from seattle,”Having ants everywhere outdoors doesn’t bother me – it’s when I see them trailing along my kitchen countertops that I spring into action. For the past two spring/summer seasons we have successfully rid of two different types of house ants, and decided it was time to show you how to get rid of ants naturally.”
Identifying ants is the first step in control and removal
Joe Buck from seattle says,”When you’re dealing with ants in houses, detective work is an integral part of eradication, but there’s actually much more to it. Finding the most effective treatment for ants depends on the specific type invading the house or commercial business building. Each species has different behaviors, preferences in food, and remedies that will be effective in keeping the home or building.”
Odorous House Ants / Pavement Ants(little black tiny sugar ants)
This type of ant is attracted to sweets, and are commonly found in the kitchen.Odorous house ants will leave a chemical pheromone trail to the food source. killing what is seen in the house, other ants will simply follow the trail and show up in the same places. For this reason, the entire colony must be killed.
Carpenter ant,( Big black ants)
Some species of carpenter ants are the largest ants in the north central states. Described as black, or red and black; workers range in size from 3/16 to 1/2 inch. Colonies consist of major and minor workers.
Carpenter ant Nesting sites tunnels are clean and smooth, making the wood appear that it has been sandpapered. In contrast, termite tunnels are not clean looking, but are packed with dirt like material.carpenter ant Mating swarms in April through June. Occasionally swarms may emerge indoors earlier during late winter on warm, sunny days.
The best treatment is to apply an insecticide directly into the ants nest. It is also important to replace damaged or decayed wood, and if possible to eliminate any moisture problems. Baits may also be effective if applied where ant activity is seen.
Homemade bait for house ants
Borax will kill odorous house ants, and powdered sugar will attract . Make a homemade bait by thoroughly mixing one part borax with 3 parts powdered sugar. Fill small containers with this homemade bait and place them as close to the place where ants are entering your house. Place small containers of the mixture directly in their path. This prevents most of ants from traveling all around the house .
Resist the urge to kill all the ants seen to carry the bait back to the nest, unable to differentiate between the borax and sugar, and the borax particles will eventually kill the entire colony. The more ants that are allowed to find the bait and carry it back, the faster the colony will die off.
