Early spring brings back a visitor more feared than Cousin Eddie. The 5 words that send shivers down your spine “Dad, the ants are back”. You’ve tried everything short of a Weapon of Mass Destruction to rid your house of these small mindless creatures. What can you do?

At first sign of infestation always use Terro Ant Killer or Dr. Martin’s Ant Bait Gel. Baiting is very effective for most ant species and also the safest.  Odorous house Ants love sweet baits containing sugar, Terro Ant Killer is the perfect solution. However, Little Black Ants can be grease eaters, in this case use Dr. Martin’s Ant Bait Gel.

When setting bait traps always leave plenty of bait for the ants to find. A piece of old mini-blinds slat makes a perfect trough for long lines of worker ants. Place the bait directly in the path of ants or where ants can find them.

Why Bait? Baits will attract worker ants to feed and carry the insecticide back to the colony to destroy the Queen. Using residual sprays initially will make the ants more difficult to control. Ants learn quickly and will avoid sprayed areas.

Where are they coming from? Colonies frequently occur under the loose bark of trees, in cavities in trees, and in bird and animal nests. They often enter buildings through expansion joints in slabs.

Inside, ants will commonly nest in wall voids, particularly around hot water heaters and hot water pipes. Dusting these areas with Monterrey’s Hasta Le Vista, Ant or Diatomaceous Earth will provide good control.  Dusts are not detected by the ant and will be carried back to the colony.

Dusting the voids of outside ground-floor walls and infested interior walls along with an outside spray treatment is effective.

When to spray? Outside perimeter treatments with residual sprays such as Gordon’s Bug No More or Bifenthrin are especially helpful. Treatments along foundations and around windows are helpful in preventing foraging ants from entering.

An application of Gordon’s Bug No More or Bifenthrin through cracks in slab may help in controlling the colony beneath. Liguid carbaryl carbonate in Gordon’s Dura-Spray is extremely save and effective.

Time-Saving Tips

Practicing these tips can save time in uncovering the source of an infestation.

CARPETS - Most pest ants like to trail under the edge of carpets. Inspect along the walls under the carpet beside the tack strip. A good place to start is in front of fireplaces and sliding glass doors. When foraging ants are found, try to trail them back to their colony location.

FOUNDATIONS - When ants are found inside along exterior walls, look for colonies living in the soil beside the foundation.

VEGETATION - Ants like to nest and forage in trails out of sight behind any vegetation which rests against foundations, patios, etc. Pull back the vegetation to look for ants. Attempt to follow foraging ants back to their colony.

GROUND SURFACES- Any item sitting on the ground could harbor a colony of ants. Check under all items, especially those near the foundation.

MULCH - Mulch often harbors numerous colonies of ants. Rake mulch back from the foundation to check for colonies.