How to Get Rid of Ants for Good
Dealing with recurring ant problems can be enormously frustrating. Just when you think you’ve finally gotten rid of them, you walk into the kitchen one day only to discover that they are back crawling across your counter, taking up residence in your cutlery drawer, or helping themselves to your pet’s food dish. Why is it so difficult to get rid of ants once and for all?
Central Oregon Ant Species
Some of the more common ant species in Central Oregon include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Moisture Ants
- Carpenter Ants
- Odorous House Ants
- Pavement Ants
Sometimes it takes only the smallest food morsels to entice nature’s tiny creatures to slip through a barely visible crack and check it out and invite their friends to come and help him scout for more.
Why Ants Keep Coming Back
Ants are amazingly successful at overwintering in the great Central Oregon outdoors, including in our own yards and in our homes. During the fall months, ants gorge on vast amounts of food in order to store enough fat to survive without any food at all through the cold winter months. Their body temperatures plunge, and foraging activity significantly decreases. They seal up their colonies and hunker down and wait it out.
As temperatures rise in the spring, ants emerge from their overwintering sites, full of energy and eager to explore the kitchen or pantry inside your home for nourishing tidbits. As hard as we try to be fastidious about keeping crumbs off the counter or pet food kibbles off the floor, we are only human after all. The ant problem is back.
How to Get Rid of Ants and Keep Them Away
Some ant species have just one queen per colony while other have multiple queens per colony. The treatment required to fix an ant infestation problem can vary for each species. While many homeowners attempt to get rid of ants with DIY treatments such as sprays and powders or baits and traps, these quick fixes are generally temporary and fail to provide long-term protection.
The most effective way to get rid of ants long term is to hire a pest management professional to handle it. With expertise and knowledge of each ant species and the local environment, professionals can get to the root of the problem and help eradicate ant activity in and around your home for good.
What Do Pest Control Companies Do to Eliminate Ant Problems?
Professional pest control technicians will:
- Inspect and make recommendations to correct conducive conditions
- Inspect and treat the exterior of your home to prevent ants from getting inside.
- Apply professional-grade product that will kill off the entire colony and provide long term control.
- Apply the correct bait so ants will take it back to the colony and share it with other ants and, most importantly, the queen.
- Inspect and treat your home regularly to prevent future infestations.
If you are experiencing recurring ant problems, give us a call. We can help keep ants where they belong – outside and not in your home.