3 Things an Exterminator Does to Get Rid of an Ant Infestation

One of the most common issues that could occur as a homeowner is for ants to enter the home. If this is a problem for you, you might be interested in learning more about the ant infestations and how you can be finished with them—once and for all.

How Ants Enter Your Home

When they are seeking food or water, ants will be able to enter into your home through even the tiniest crevice, including under doors and through any small holes around the windows.

Ant Nesting

When the ants are inside of your home, they may nest inside depending upon the type of ant that is there. In addition, ants can also build nests in many outdoor locations, and they will simply enter the home in order to find food or water.

Chemical Trails

Ants will follow what is known as a scent trail. As they are moving about, they are leaving behind chemicals that contain pheromones. Other ants that follow behind them are able to do so because they can sense the pheromones and it pulls them right into the food source. Unfortunately, that source may just be in your home. That is why you often see ants following the same path, even though it may not make complete sense.

The Problems With Doing It Yourself

Though ant infestations are not unusual problems to see in any home, they can still be very irritating annoyances for anyone who sees them in and around the home. The problems that people experience can also vary based on each individual situation since they can be found inside the home, outside in the yard, and other places that they can make their presence known. Typically, if the homeowner only sees a few ants that appear every now and then, the problem is usually easy to get rid of with either a home remedy or some type of effective commercial product. However, many of these do-it-yourself approaches are only going to take care of any ants that are visible. 

In order to have a truly effective treatment, you need to bring in the pros. Home remedies may help to a limited extent, but when you contact Big Time Pest Control, we can provide the ant treatments that not only kill the ants you see, it takes care of the ones you don't see as well.

How Exterminators Eliminate Ant Infestations

When the owner is dealing with a full-blown infestation, the problems can easily escalate and become difficult for the owner to deal with, especially without calling in a professional to help get rid of them permanently. So, for those of you who may be dealing with an ant infestation problem, here are some key things that an ant exterminator will do to eliminate them altogether.

#1 - Exterminators Identify the Cause and the Species of Ants Involved

When a homeowner contacts an exterminator to take care of their problems, there are several different things that they will need to do. The course of action that these professionals take may vary from one company to another, but all exterminators will need to identify the source and the cause first. Therefore, when an exterminator enters the property, they will need to determine what species of ant is setting up their own comfortable domain.

According to information found on numerous reputable sites, in the U.S. alone, there are approximately 450 species that exist in this geographical location. Fortunately, however, this does not have to be a difficult task to complete since there are only a few common species (i.e., argentine ants) that have been identified as causing significant problems with infestations in Northern California. Therefore, most exterminators will quickly identify the species of ants that are onsite. Once the species of ants have been identified by the exterminator, one of the next steps is to determine which type of insect treatment will fit that specific situation.

#2 - Evaluate the Type of Ant Infestation

As previously referenced, one of the next steps in this type of process is to evaluate the situation to determine what type of treatment is needed to eradicate the problem. So, the ant exterminator will need to gather as much information about each of their clients to make the appropriate plan. For instance, the treatment that's normally used to get rid of ant hills and other pests may adversely affect pets, children, and adults, so these concerns must be addressed before anything can be done. To prevent problems with poisons and any other kinds of harmful treatments, the exterminator will need to take all of this into consideration before implementing any course action.

In some cases, the ants may be harmful to woods, so an evaluation in crawl spaces and other areas will need to be completed. These inspections will help to ensure the company does a thorough job of getting rid of the ants and addressing any other associated issues related to the problems found.

#3 - Administer the Appropriate Treatment

After the ant exterminator has identified and evaluated the ant infestation problem, the next course of action is using the appropriate treatment. Since the use of many of the common insecticides is poisonous when ingested by animals and humans, the exterminator will recommend the safest method of ant treatment that will also be effective enough to kill off large numbers of ants. For instance, in some cases, the exterminator may find one large colony to kill, and it will offer immediate relief in taking care of the problem.

Professional Ant Control in Northern California

Ants are not typically an indoor insect, although they will find their way indoors if it is convenient and you have what they need inside. Along with some preventative pest control, make sure that you keep a lid on any food or water that would make an inviting environment for additional invaders. Our pest professionals can care for your needs and do what is necessary to remove the ants from your home, lock, stock, and barrel.