Ant Pest Control

Has your home or office been invaded by ants?

Has your home or office been invaded by an army of ants? Killroy Pest Control can solve your problem. There are four species of ants common to our area. A single ant nest can produce hundreds of thousands of ants. These species of ants have no natural predators in this area, and when they decide to come indoors, it can become a nasty problem.

Ants are one of the most diverse insects in the world. They come in various sizes live in boreal forests, hot deserts, rainforests, and temperate regions. Ants form colonies that range in size from a couple of dozen individuals to millions. These colonies can provide an environment for different ant species to interact with one another.

Ants are a keystone species in most eco-systems. They offer a mutual benefit to other species by helping to defend colonies, cleaning territory, or maintaining the nest.

Most people are familiar with ants due to their presence in and around human residences. Every homeowner is familiar with pests like Argentine ants, Linepithema humile, and pavement ants Tetramorium caespitum. Both of which can forage food on floors and counters within houses.

Manage Ants in the Bay Area

Encourage ants to stay away from food. Seal off entry points or prevent them from accessing the food via baits, traps, or foragers. Seal ant entrances with a plastic or rubber sealant.
Most ants cannot take up food directly from a surface. They stake it out first to determine its location. Ants then return to the colony and bring back its size and type information. You can use this instinct to redirect or discourage ants.
Households should prevent ants from entering by sealing entry points. Ants enter through cracks or crevices around windows and doors. Seal cracks with caulking compound or paste and caulk.
You can lure ants to a trap by attracting them with bait. Try to place bait in areas where you know ants forage.
Use artificial lights away from the house in the evening. Ants are drawn toward artificial light.
The most effective method for managing ants is to call a pest control service.

Methods Of Ant Control

Insecticides

Any insecticide labeled for ant control is effective. The key is to spray the areas where ants are foraging and nestings. Areas include grass and brush, walls, foundations, and cracks in pavements. Ants forage individually for food, and when one ant finds food, it will come back to the nest and recruit others. Individual ants then take up the food on their return to the nest. So the more ants you kill on each trip to the bait or food source, the more effective your control will be.

Baits

Baits used to control ants should be fresh, hot, and secure from other insects, pets, and children. Do not use traps in locations where pets or children will see them. You can use food to bait ants since they can transfer it back to the nest. Some baits include sweet syrups or honey, peanut butter, seeds, and other fats and oils. These should be placed around locations where ants are foraging or attempting to access homes.

Traps

Place traps where they are most likely to catch ants. You can place traps around food sources such as fruit trees, bird feeders, and pet food dishes. Also, use them in areas where ants may nest or forage. Good options are under stairs, beneath decks, eaves, and around doorways.

Baiting Techniques

Tiny drops of tempting food, such as peanut butter, honey, sugar, and grease, can be placed strategically. These baits lure ants into collecting and carrying them back to the nest. Some baits should be emptied regularly and replaced.

Ant Control Products:

Products containing permethrin or bifenthrin kill ants on contact. Focus on spraying the nests and colonies with these products and any entry point around buildings, homes, and lawns.
Boric acid powder can kill ants or keep them from entering buildings in small entrances like window wells or foundations.
You can use traps around homes, gardens, and lawns to catch ants or other pests as they forage around homes and areas on the property.
Other products that may work by killing or repelling the ants include:
- Diatomaceous earth
- Natural products containing essential oils like peppermint oil
- Oils that contain insecticides such as pyrethrins or pyrethroids
If you are trying to save money, consider using a homemade ant repellent by placing peppermint or sesame oil around the home or yard and where ants travel.

Methods Of Ant Identification

Laboratory Identification: Ants can be identified by the ant bodies alone, provided they are alive and in good condition. If they are in poor condition, the larvae or pupae may be easier to identify.
Field Identification: Ants can be identified by color and ant trails or foraging trails. Ants leave a unique course to each species. They also have different characteristic markings, such as color patterns or shapes of the head or thorax. Color variations are due to diet and body size. Ants are also identifiable by the size of their body. Ants tend to fall into small, medium, and large categories.
Routine Identification: The most common identification methods include observing the ant's activity, color, structural and body features.

Argentine Ants

(most common in kitchens, famous for “trails”)

Carpenter Ants

(excavate galleries and damage wood structures)

Do you have trails of ants in your kitchen and your walls?

If your home or office is being invaded by an army of ants, Killroy can get to the root of the problem and solve it. A single ant nest can produce hundreds of thousands of ants. These ants have no natural predators in this area; and when they decide to come indoors, it can become a nasty problem. Argentine Ants are the most common ants found in our Bay Area homes and kitchens, and they are known for their long “ant trails”. Sometimes, ants will return year after year if the nest is not eliminated by a professional. Call the professionals at Killroy for long-lasting control of bothersome ants.

Carpenter Ants are some of the largest ants that you may encounter around your home. They prefer to create their colonies inside of wood and excavate the wood for nesting space. Frequently, a colony of Carpenter Ants will leave little piles of sawdust or “frass” beneath areas in which they are actively working as they expand the cavities where they will live and create channels for movement. While they do not actually consume wood as food, they can be a nuisance and eventually cause significant damage. Treatment involves an inspection of all the active areas, as well as the environment around the infested structure, as they can move great distances from the main colony, moving mostly at night.

Killroy Pest Control is a family-owned business successfully eliminated ants and other pests in homes, schools, and businesses in the greater South San Francisco Bay Area, Tri-Valley Areas, and Santa Cruz County since 1956. Please call Killroy right away for best results eliminating your ant problem!

Ants can be very destructive to the landscape and any other structures. They will damage anything in their path if not stopped. Ants will also consume young tree and shrub seedlings that are just starting to grow.

Ants can cause a wide range of damage to your property. The damage done by ants can be devastating, as they are capable of destroying an entire lawn. Ants can even cause structural damage to buildings. They can bite people, causing extra irritation to those who are allergic to them. So, while ants are fascinating, you may not want them in or around your home.

Need Ant Pest Control for Your Trees?

Normally, we think of ants as nesting in the ground, but ants also like to nest in trees. Ants aid with the preservation of some trees, but destroy others. So how do you know if you should call a pest control company when you see an army of ants on one of your trees?