Los Angeles Ant Control
Custom and Special Needs Plans for Ant Issues
Ants invading your home start outside where they live on natural food sources including the honeydew of a landscape pest – the aphid. It’s hard for Los Angeles residents to believe, especially in the middle of an ant invasion, that ants have a purpose but they do!
Ants are a Valuable Resource – Here’s Why:
- ants irrigate the soil
- ants removing decaying matter
- ants are a critical part of the food chain
- ants pollinate!
Because ants can assemble in millions with multiple colonies, we tell our customers honestly that it is not feasible to eliminate all outdoor ants. However, we will do our very best to keep ants from coming indoors and creating havoc in your kitchen.
What Do Los Angeles Customers Need to Know About Ants?
Unlike most ant species, Argentine ants have multiple queens which make them difficult to control with do-it-yourself methods.
First of all, ants can bite, sting, and transmit disease. Secondly, they present a serious nuisance, not just during the summer months, but year-round. Why? Because L.A. has been invaded by Argentine ants.
Argentine ants have taken over California to the point that the City of Los Angles has become one big ant hill! There are three supercolonies of Argentine ants in the world and southern California is one of them. Lucky us!
And lastly, ants go through four stages, egg, larva, pupa and adult. All are present at any given time of year, only the focus of colony activity and location may vary. While ant development varies based on climatic conditions, their cyclic activity is well understood. Ants do not go away in the winter.
During high periods of egg-laying during winter and early spring, ants tend more toward food sources high in protein, with strong nitrogen content. By providing active control during the wintering season, the homeowner has a much better chance of avoiding spring and summer infestations.
In the spring and summer, when colonies go through periods of high larval growth, ant populations need higher qualities of carbohydrates to fuel the colony. Ants best ingest nutrients in liquid form. Therefore, water is extremely important and liquefied baits work very well.
Structures can be threatened by damage from carpenter ants. The stings of fire ants can threaten a person’s health.
Ants and Ant Control
Ant identification is critical to solving the ant infestation.
We Can and Do Control Ants!
By identifying the ant, you better understand ant nesting sources, the ant colony size and what pesticide and non-pesticide approaches will work most efficiently.
Some species prefer sweets while others crave protein…our technicians understand ant behaviors and how to treat according to ant preferences and time of year.
While it is not always possible to locate the source of the ant colony, the pest inspector can identify sanitary, landscape and structural issues that contribute to the likelihood of the ant infestation.
Home barriers using repellents are effective while the repellency lasts. For environmental preservation, pesticides no longer provide the long residual controls as they once did. However, as a result, our water is cleaner and healthier.
Insect barriers today commonly include low-dose “non-repellents” that are undetected by insects. Non-repellents provide a potent double punch – with a delayed killing factor that allows time for the insect to share and infect other insects in the nest.
Ants pass on foods and liquids to other ants by a process called trophallaxis. Baits that are able to work slow enough to allow trophallaxis to occur before the ant dies, will have a much better chance of destroying the ant colony.
Here are a few examples of how an ant infestation may occur:
- Ants may be able to cross a chemical barrier by bridging tree limbs overhanging a house or business.
- Excess moisture creates an environment conducive to ants or the likelihood of forcing them to migrate.
- Excessive mulching and landscape provides cover and plants touching the home provides access to the house.
- Placement of trashcans in a close proximity to the house or within the garage invites ants and other bugs.
- Failure to seal and remove trash from the house on a frequent basis.
- Children taking deserts to their bedrooms.
Organic plants oils are now available and proven effective, while measured at lethal dosage rates (LD50) that allow the general public to feel better about pest control for their homes.
See our Focus on Organics page for more information.
Not all organic products are the same and interesting new formulations are coming to market. Hearts Pest Management is always reviewing the newest pest control products that we believe will be effective and provide you with peace of mind.
Delve deeper into Ant Control by Hearts Pest Management.
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