RESIDENTIAL ANT CONTROL

Ants get more people calling us to say “Clark, we need you!” than any other pest. When an active ant colony sends what can seem like endless columns of workers into your home in search of food, often coming from what looks like every direction, the onslaught can feel overwhelming.

Fortunately, we have answers. First, if you live in California or western Nevada and you’re suddenly seeing ants all over the place, it’s very likely they’re Argentine ants. These ground-nesting social insects live in large colonies with many queens, and those colonies need nutrition to survive, so scouts go out in search of sugary food sources. If they find food inside your kitchen, or somewhere else in your home, they return to the nest, laying down a pheromone trail to make it easier for other ants in the colony will follow back to the food source.

Why proper identification is important

Of course, your home’s sudden ant problem may be caused by a different ant species. A pest management professional like one of Clark’s licensed and highly trained technicians will know how to identify precisely what kind of ant is coming into your home. Knowing an ant’s species is important, because what works to control one species may not work on another (and, in some cases, it can make your problem a lot worse). Your Clark technician not only will know how to identify and treat your ant problem, but will be able to tell you what changes you can make to decrease the likelihood of the problem returning.

Things you can do

What makes your home vulnerable to ant and other pest problems often comes down to three factors:

• Exclusion means blocking the ants’ entry points into your home. Ants are tiny and numerous, so there are many potential points where ants can enter – cracks in walls and foundations, for example, or spaces where pipes and wires cross through walls and floors. If you’re up to the task, searching out and blocking those points can go a long way toward solving your problem. Or, you could talk to your Clark technician and ask if they offer exclusion services.
• Sanitation is a really good way to ensure that ants won’t be attracted to your living spaces indoors. Keeping surfaces clean where food is prepared and served, storing food in airtight containers, and wiping down any areas where ants have been observed to eliminate their pheromone trails can go a long way toward keeping the inside of your home ant free. Your Clark technician will be happy to offer advice on practical sanitation measures you can take to keep ants away.
• Environmental modification outdoors can help keep ant populations from becoming an indoor problem. Examples of modifications you can make would be cutting back trees and bushes so branches aren’t in contact with your home’s structure, treating plants that attract honeydew-producing insects like aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects, and eliminating weeds that provide harborages for ants and other pests. Ask your Clark technician about things that you can do to keep outdoor ant populations from moving inside.

Other ants that can cause big problems include ones that sting, like southern fire ants and red imported fire ants, and ones that damage wood, like various species of carpenter ants. There are other ant species –odorous house ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, thief ants, and velvety tree ants, for example – that also might move you to call us for help. Your Clark technician is well trained to answer your questions and help solve your ant problems. Call Clark today at 1-800-882-0374 , fill out the form below or click here to find a Clark ant exterminator near you.