Ant Control the Hearts Pest Management way

Ant control by Hearts is a thorough, yet painless process. Our staff will inspect every aspect of your property and develop a complete ant control program that maximizes control while keeping pesticides to a minimum. We want to understand your needs and your situation so that we can customize an effective ant control service that will fit your lifestyle. Our Consulting Technicians are experts at identifying the source of the ants. When we are finished, we will insure that your property looks as good as it did before we arrived, or better! And before leaving, we will re-inspect to make sure the job is done right. We use a variety of methods and tools to effectively eliminate these persistent insects including conventional, non-chemical and organic or green pest control solutions.

EcoWise Certified ant control has been available through Hearts Pest Management for several years. Hearts was the first control company to introduce this certified integrated pest management service in southern California.

Many people who are experiencing problems with ants have been misinformed about how and when to treat ants. If your property is undergoing construction, don’t wait until the construction is finished before beginning treatment. Ants that are displaced by digging and building will search out other suitable ant colony nesting sites. They might wind up in an area that is more difficult to treat later. Hearts Consulting Technicians can work with you during construction and landscaping.

Have you attempted DIY (Do-It-Yourself) ant control? We do not encourage residents treating for ants. In many cases, the treatment won’t be complete and the ants may move to a more difficult location to treat. In some cases, the attempt may even cause a noticable increase in ants around the house. DIY ant treatments may also lead to self-poisoning and inappropriate pesticide disposal that is harmful to the environment. Remember, all of our technicians are licensed and trained to inspect and treat for ants. We are also knowledgeable in proper use and disposal of ant control products. Hearts Pest Management pest control technicians are dual licensed in home and landscape ant control.

Ant Inspection – the key to fast and lasting ant control

At Hearts, we know that only a comprehensive analysis will bring ants and ant nesting places to light. The key to effective ant control is a meticulous inspection. We are prepared to do everything possible to identify the source of your ants.

When it comes to ant control we don’t limit ourselves to the interior, exterior and perimeter of your home. Fruit trees, stored wood, outside drains, outside structures, mulch beds, ornamental pots and rocks: your entire property and the surrounding landscape are taken into consideration.

Not every species of ant can be treated the same way. We put together the whole picture. What kind of ants do you have? Where are they nesting? Where do the ants feed? Where do they travel? What human behaviors or conditions may be impacting the problem with ants? Have Homowner treatments made the problem worse? Once we determine the facts, your treatment will be more accurate and effective.

Ant Treatment that Guards Your Family

Ants spread disease. From Salmonella to Staph, ants unknowingly find disease while foraging and track it back into your home. A small number of people are allergic to ant bites and stings. Some ants can cause damage to your home, your property and your greenery. At Hearts Pest Management, your quality if life is our primary concern.

We have organic solutions for customers who are looking to avoid toxins in and around their homes. Spraying in the home is to be kept to a minimum and eliminated if possible. All our products are applied in a responsible manner, and you will always be informed of exactly what we’re doing and where we’re doing it.

In many cases, there are landscaping issues that contribute to ants – some plants and trees provide shelter for ants, some provide food and some provide a way into your home. Our Consulting Technicians will advise in the removal, reduction or relocation of this vegetation while keeping in mind the productive and aesthetic aspects that they add to your property.

Children and pets, those members of your family who you may be concerned with during a pest treatment, are always in the fore front of our planning and consideration. And our plans for you will change as your environment changes. If you’re adding people, pets or plants to your family, Hearts Pest Management will provide consultation to help you maintain a pest free environment for your family.

Common Ant Species in Southern California

Argentine Ants

Argentine ants are a non-native species in Southern California. They are about 2.5 mm and light to dark brown. They have been a nuisance to US residents since they were introduced over one hundred years ago. Unlike other ants, Argentine ants do not compete with other Argentine colonies. They do compete with other species, and they can survive on a very wide variety of food which allows them to increase their numbers very rapidly and branch out into sub-colonies which soon become full sized nests. They produce many queens, into the thousands, which allow them to produce sub-colonies more rapidly. They are highly adaptive and only need soil to make their home in, even the soil in your potted plant.

Click here for detailed information regarding Argentine Ants.

Fire Ants

Fire Ants in California come in two species of concern: the native Southern Fire Ant and the non-native Imported Red Fire Ant. In general the two species are very similar. Both are aggressive and will defend their nests by biting and stinging if disturbed. Both species feed on a variety of food sources. The Red Imported Fire Ant (FIFA) will make large mounds, up to 12” high, that may sometimes be confused with gopher mounds at first look. Their nest making can damage lawns and plants. They mostly nest out in the open. Southern Fire ant nests are flatter and less organized, with many openings grouped together. They are slightly less aggressive than the RIFA and may nest closed to homes, under and inside of structures.

Velvety Tree Ants

Velvety Tree Ants can be found in trees and in the home as well. They will make temporary nests closer to an area that they are finding food in, and then abandon the nest when the food source is gone. They range in size from 1/16” to 1/4” in length and are red and brown in color. These ants produce flying swarmers as early as May and as late as August. The Swarmers are usually larger than the workers. Velvety Tree ants have a painful bite. Residents will also complain of a bad smell associated with an infestation. Because they sometimes eat the sweet residue produced by aphids and some caterpillars, Velvety Tree ants will sometimes defend these species from natural predators, enabling them to do more damage in gardens and trees.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants typically described as large (about 1/4” long) ants that are black or having a black abdomen and head with a red thorax (middle section). They can deliver a painful bite due to their large powerful jaws which they use primarily to remove wood in the course of building their nests. Carpenter ants don’t just come in one size. A given nest may contain ants that range from 3/16th of an inch up to a 1/2 inch. Some people have reported seeing large, black, wingless wasps, and large ants that can resemble wasps. But if they are walking freely among working carpenter ants they are typically larger members of the same colony. Carpenter ants are a serious pest that may cause damage to wood structures or indicate an existing problem with moisture in your dwelling.

Pharaoh Ants

Pharaoh Ants are a serious problem for many homes in warm, southern areas of the US. Not only do they spread disease as all ants do, they can chew through a variety of materials, including rubber, silk and rayon and they can penetrate packaged food. They are very small and difficult to see. Pale yellow to light brown in color, they measure just 1.5 to 2mm in length. A colony of Pharaoh Ants may start extremely small and they can make their nests just about anywhere. A given colony may contain from 2 to 200 queens depending on the size and they will readily break off a portion of their population to start another colony. Using certain pesticides can actually cause Pharaoh ants to very quickly break up their nest and start other colonies.

Odorous House Ants

Odorous House Ant range in color from dark brown to shiny black. They are about 1/8th of an inch long. They also feed on a wide variety of food and their nests are typically outside, though they will have no problem entering the house for food.. They will act erratically if disturbed. They smell bad if crushed or stepped on. Their colonies may become very large. These ants may become particularly troublesome when nesting inside of the house because they may persistently emit a bad smell.

Bigheaded Ants

Bigheaded Ants are difficult to identify because they have several characteristics of other species. Ants in a Bigheaded colony can come in several sizes ranging from 1.5 to 4.5mm and they can be brown, red or yellow in color. Colonies can become very large. Their red color can make them hard to distinguish from fire ants and the large heads of their soldiers resemble the Velvety Tree ant. They have even been mistaken for subterranean termites because they construct mud tubes at the base of house structures. They are another species that may nest in a potted plant and they may be transported into a house this way.

Field Ants

Field Ants are a larger breed, ranging from 3/16th to 5/16th of an inch. They have an extreme range of colors including all black, brown or yellowish and bicolored red and black. They are rarely found inside but may cause damage to crops and gardens in people’s yards. They also build large mounds which may damage landscaping and lawns. These large mounds also may cause people to think they are Fire ants.

Hearts has an ant control service that is right for you. We will inquire into your needs and find the plan that will not just eliminate ants but will also be very considerate people-oriented service.

For more information about ants and ant control, visit the California UC Davis IPM (integrated pest management) ant identification page.

Pest controllers and environmentalists have trouble communicating to each other. Pest control companies could better understand environmental preservation, with a little translation. Enjoy my article, The Green Light, in Pest Management Professional, examining the potential role of entomologists to bridge the communication gap.