Ant Treatment – The Why, How, Where, When, and With Whom of Ant Treatment

Why treat for ants at all?

This question may at first seem obvious but delving a little deeper, if you don’t treat the scout ants you see wandering here and there inside your home, many more are sure to come!

Nothing is worse that waking up to a kitchen that’s been invaded by ants – which can affect your grocery budget. Plus, ants can spread diseases such as salmonella and staph when marching across your counters and in your tub!

How should I go about treating for Ants?

First, lets’ preface by stating that the only thing sure about ant treatment techniques is that no matter what we do to alleviate ant infestations, the ants always win! But, with that being said, we can make our lives much more pleasant by using various ant control techniques to preventative methods.

If you have ants indoors, see if you can find where their trail leads i.e. under the dishwasher, in the cabinets, open bags of pet food, etc. and then if there is a source such as a bag of food, clean the area and place any non-contaminated foods in plastic, seal-tight lid containers.

In California, it’s hard to control certain ants with Do-it-yourself methods. Argentine ants, invaders from the south is a prime example. This species has multiple queens which is why, just when you think you’ve got the ants under control, a new line forms somewhere else in the house.

With Argentine ants, should a colony feel threatened, one of the queens will break away and start a whole new colony elsewhere on your property. It takes a pest control professional to search out Argentine nests and know what types of treatments work best on them and other ant species.

Do’s and Don’t on where to treat for ants:

Don’t just wipe up a line of ants on your counter top or the rim of your sink or apply a cleaning agent and expect the problem to be solved. In fact, it may make it worse!

Do find the source of ants and where the ant trail leads. It could be crumbs under the dining table or in the children’s’ room, or under the dishwater where the ants can get to both bits of food and water.

Do clean up and remove any crumbs. Wipe up the trails using vinegar and water. Having a profession search out and treat the nest is the best way to take care of an infestation as well as using certain baits where ants are accessing the inside of your home.

Where should I be treating for ants?

The vast majority of ant infestations can be prevented by taking a look at your property and the surrounding landscape. Simple things, such as trimming trees and shrubs and caulking around doors and windows is one way to block existing ants from coming indoors and prevent future ones.

Of course, if you already are infested, a professional treatment around the perimeter of your home once you’ve done the trimming and caulking will definitely help eliminate the current ant problem.

When should I be treating for ants?

As soon as you see a couple of scouts, you should implement some preventative methods such as suggested above. Caulking baseboards, slider doors, in between kitchen cabinets and walls…anywhere you see tiny holes or crevices where ants can crawl through.

Ideally, it’s good to begin practicing ant and other insect prevention before spring and summer arrives when full blown ant invasions occur.

Do’s and Don’t on when to treat for ants?

Don’t wait for the middle of summer or a complete ant invasion in your kitchen.

Do be proactive by implementing the above preventative methods before the major ant season. And remember, trimming plants and shrubs back from your home about 12 inches will keep both ants and other pests out.

Who should be doing the ant treatments?

Many people wait and don’t think about ants until they end up with a huge infestation. So what happens? They’re interested in organic solutions but panic and grab a toxic can of chemicals and start spraying willy-nilly.

If you’ve tried to control ants to no avail, it’s time to let the professionals take over. At Hearts, we have both traditional, low-impact, and strictly organic ways of dealing with ants. Plus, your service technician will use products that target ants and keep in mind the health of you and the environment when treating.

Do’s and Don’t for DIY and professional contracting for ant and “general pest control” work:

Do apply the preventative methods we’ve mentioned around and in your home.

Do call a professional if you become invaded by ants and none of the “natural” remedies you’ve found online are helping.

Don’t use spray when it may be a species of ants that respond better to baits. This is why you may need a professional to do the treatment.

Do use gloves and practice proper safety methods when applying natural remedies or the borax/sugar concoction you’ve created. Read labels!!! Even so called “non-toxic” substances can have side effects.

Do ask questions when calling pest control companies to find out, not only the cost of ant treatments but where and how the company would treat the current infestation. Also, you might want to ask if their technicians are EcoWise Certified should you be interested in green / organic pest control.

Do find out if the company you’re calling practices IPM (Integrated Pest Management). If they do, you’ll know you’re working with a company that provides preventative information on pest control, and one that cares about the health of your family, pets, as well as the environment.

Please visit the following pages for more on ants and organic pest control:
Ant Control
Green / Organic Pest Control

Got Ants? Call today at 1-800-986-1006 for help with an ant infestation. You’re also welcome to complete the form below and a caring Hearts Pest Management representative will contact you shortly.