Ant Control

There are a number of destructive ant species we commonly see in our area. Ants are very social and move and live within their colonies. When they find a suitable new home, they bring their entire colony with them and if conditions are favorable, they will begin looking to start new colonies within your structures. Do-it-yourself treatments involving spraying the ants you can see are not effective for eliminating infestations. Every ant you can see is moving outside its colony in search of more food. The vast majority of the colonies inside your buildings remain out of sight and immune to the spraying you attempt on your own. 

If you see evidence of an ant infestation inside your home or business, you will likely see the ants’ entry points to the inside of your structure, typically along baseboards, electrical outlets, and plumbing. Outside, you will probably see evidence of ant infestations along sidewalks and foundations. You will need a professional inspection of all your buildings’ structures to determine the level and type of infestation as well as proper professional treatment and exclusion techniques. The best treatment for ant infestation is exclusion, after any existing ants are eliminated. 

Odorous House Ants are the most common building infesting ant found in North Carolina and Virginia. They are called odorous because of the distinct rotten fruit odor that they emit when crushed. They typically like to nest their colonies in fallen logs and plant debris outdoors, and when they get inside your building they are likely to colonize any wooden structure or insulated space. Odorous House Ants feed on all types of food that you are likely to have inside your home. 

Argentine Ants are also common in our area. They are aggressive colonizers with multiple queens per colony, and once established their colonies can grow into huge groups of nests. They also feed on the same foods humans eat, especially sweet or sugary foods.

Pavement Ants are found everywhere outside, and commonly infest the sidewalks, driveways, and foundations of homes and businesses. They prefer to live in soil but will also live inside the wooden structures of your buildings. They like to live primarily in the ground, and like most ants they prefer sweet or sugary human foods. They also cause structural and landscape damage in and around the buildings they dig under. 

The highly-destructive Carpenter Ant will leave evidence of their infestation with piles of sawdust. Carpenter Ant infestation especially requires immediate professional treatment, as their presence is also strong evidence that the building is a likely habitat for termite infestation.

If your home or business shows any evidence of an ant infestation, professional pesticide treatment is the most effective method in eliminating the issue. Professional treatment ensures the safety of your family, guests, and pets in getting rid of all of the ants and their queens and keeping them out of your buildings permanently.

Cook’s Pest Management will handle all ant control issues for your home or business. Call us today for more information and a free quote.