Walking into your home and finding an army of ants trailing through your kitchen can be very alarming. As a matter of fact, ants are one of the most misunderstood common pests today. They are not in our home because someone left a “candy bar” on the floor. There is usually a much deeper issue at play. More times than not… It is directly related to a deficiency pertaining to the structure of the building. In particular, these ant control issues almost always connect to excessive moisture in or surrounding the structure.

How A.N.T. Pest Control Handles Ant Infestations

Step #1: Inspection

Why are the ants here??? Many ant pest control companies will skip this critical step. During this step, we are seeking out the source of what’s drawing ant activity in the first place. Thus, we always begin with the end in mind. During this step, we are taking note of all the various attractions. At the end of the service, we will make recommendations with the hope of long-term control. Remove the source & the ants will have no reason to come back.

Step #2: Ant Identification

“The ants go marching one by one” blah blah blah…  This is not always true.  Some ant species are marching by themselves.  So, it is critical to understand the “species type” we are dealing with, especially from a treatment standpoint.  Once we identify the pest… We will then know their biology & behavior.  This is especially important to know when selecting the proper treatment.  Guessing & not knowing the ant type is a recipe for executing the poor treatment.  For this reason alone, most extermination companies will sell some sort of package for ant control, with a lack of understanding of this very step.  The most common ant species found in Illinois are Odorous House Ants, Larged Winged Carpenter Ants & Pavement Ants.  

Step #3: Treatment

How do we decide what ant control treatment method to use to eliminate ants? Regardless of the method chosen, please understand that the safety & well-being of children and pets is paramount to A.N.T. Pest Control. We would never put anyone’s health at risk during ANY type of treatment or service. Treatment selection is based on 3 factors:

#1 – What best fits the customer’s needs & situation 

#2 – Type of ant we are eliminating 

#3 – Season & weather. 

Once completed with the ant control treatment… We will explain what will happen over the next couple of days regarding treatment. Also, provide the customer with recommendations to avoid future problems pertaining to ants.

Step #4: 5-Star Follow-up

After the initial visit… We will contact the customer to ensure everything working as planned. Consequently, most ant infestations will need 2 treatments. This can be due to sanitation conditions, living conditions and how quickly ants reproduce. We do not make our customers pay for 2 treatments upfront. Sometimes one treatment is all it takes. All of our services put the customer first. Meaning we are not going to charge our customer for something they do not need. A.N.T. takes great pride by making ourselves available if any questions or concerns should arise after service.

Common Questions About Ants

I see a ton of ants with wings! Are they all queens?

The queen is usually hidden out of sight and reach. Most ants that are visible with wings are called “swarmer’s”. Their job is to seek out attractive new areas to set up sub-colonies. If winged ants are seen. Understand there is something very attractive close by.

We lived here for 25 years and never had a problem with ants. Why are we seeing ants now?

The answer is simple: Once moisture reaches a particular attractive threshold for ants. We will see new ants appear again & again. For example, here is an analogy to better explain this principle. It takes 212 degrees to make water boil. At 211 degrees, you only have really hot water. As a structured age, sometimes the conditions surrounding the home will allow the moisture to slowly build up and up and up. Then suddenly, every spring, new satellite colonies will appear due to attraction.

Why do we see ants in our house after heavy rain?

Ants in your house love moisture. It’s essential for them to survive. Most “hardware store” pesticides will kill ants on contact (immediate elimination of the ant).  However, when their home is flooded, they will seek a more attractive location.

Can I use a “hardware store” pesticide to kill ants?

Most “hardware store” pesticides will kill ants on contact (immediate elimination of the ant). Why is this a problem? To eliminate an entire colony, the workers must become infected with a pesticide and have enough time to pass the poison on to the rest of the colony without dying in the process. Most types of liquid store-bought pesticides will not work this way.

Do essential oils, vinegar, or cinnamon work to eliminate ants? I heard ants hate them!

There is a lot of incorrect information online. Using essential oils, vinegar or cinnamon can actually make eliminating the colony much more difficult to achieve. Using any of the above can cause the colony to split into several (almost like mini-colonies). The ants will avoid going near the essential oils, cinnamon, vinegar, etc. & navigate to different areas of the home or structure. Resulting in possibly a few professional treatments for ant elimination.

Interesting Facts About Ants

• Can carry 20-100 times their body weight, pending on the species
• Have been around for over 120 million+ years
• Ants communicate with each other through pheromones
• Ants are found everywhere on earth except Antarctica
• Female ants are more dominant than males
• Queen ants can live up to 30 years
• Worker ants can live up to 3 years
• Male ants will only live a few weeks
• Carpenter ants are usually most active at night
• To the untrained eye… ants can easily be confused with termites
• Carpenter ants do not eat wood but only destroy and hollow it out.

Do you have an ant problem? Don’t let ants rule your home or business! Give us a call today to see if we may be of service to you. Call or text (815)215.7211