ants exterminators
What are some simple steps i can take to shoo away ants?

My house is INFESTED with ants-yes i should call an exterminator but before that are there some steps I can take to solve the problem?

Te mistake most people make when attempting to control ants is only spraying the ones they see. This approach usually fails because the ants seen foraging over exposed surfaces is only a small portion of the colony. Typically, there will be thousands of additional ants including one or more egg-laying queens hidden somewhere in a nest. Eliminating queens and other colony members within nests is often the key to effective ant control.

uildings contain many favorable hiding and nesting sites for ants. Preferred sites include spaces behind walls, cabinets, and appliances; behind window and door frames; and beneath floors and concrete slabs. Most of these areas are hidden, making it difficult to determine their precise location. When the location of the nest cannot be determined or is inaccessible, insecticide baits often are a good option, especially for homeowners.

The advantage in using baits is that foraging ants take the insecticide back to the nest and feed it to the queen(s) and other colony members. As a result, the entire colony often is destroyed. Most baits sold to homeowners come pre-packaged with the insecticide and food attractant confined within a plastic, child-resistant container.

Some of the more effective ant baits, sold in grocery and hardware stores, are Combat® Quick Kill Formula bait stations and Combat® Ant Killing Gel; Raid Ant Bait II, and Terro® Ant Killer II.
Place the baits next to wherever ants are seen, preferably beside ant “trails” (invisible odor trails which worker ants follow between food and the nest). Do not spray other insecticides or cleaning agents around the bait stations as this will deter ants from feeding on the bait. Initially, you should see an increase in the number of ants around the bait station — DO NOT SPRAY THEM. This indicates that the ants are feeding on the bait and transporting the insecticide back to the nest. Ant activity often will subside in a matter of days as the number of ants in the colony declines. Continue to place additional baits wherever ants are seen.

Ants are rather finicky in their food preferences and may alter them throughout the year. If one bait product isn’t attractive or doesn’t seem to be working, try another. Optimal results usually require a sustained period of feeding, not just a brief visitation by a few ants. Professional pest control firms have a wider selection of bait products to choose from (e.g., Advance™, Maxforce®), and can usually provide relief when homeowner efforts are unsuccessful. Professionals also have a larger arsenal of sprays and insecticide dusts which can be effective against ants, including Termidor®, Phantom®, Demand®, Talstar™, and Suspend®.
Ants Nesting Outdoors

Ants noticed inside the home may actually be nesting outdoors in the yard. Try to trace the ants back to the point where they are entering from outside. This may be along a window sill, beneath an entrance door, or where the exterior siding meets the foundation wall. Ants usually prefer to trail along lines and edges. When tracing ant trails indoors or outdoors, pay particular attention to cracks, seams, and edges created by baseboards, the tack strip beneath perimeter edges of carpeting, mortar joints, the foundation- siding interface, etc. Nests often will be located in the ground, marked by a mound or anthill. Other times, the nests will be concealed under mulch, gravel, stones, landscaping timbers, pavement, or beneath the grass edge adjoining the foundation wall of the building. Some kinds of ants prefer to nest behind exterior siding or wood trim that has been damaged by moisture. While it takes patience to locate an ant colony outdoors, results will be more rapid and permanent than if you only spray where ants are seen trailing. One way to entice ants to reveal the location of their hidden nest(s) outdoors or indoors, is to place small dabs of honey or jelly on an index card, etc., next to where ants are observed. After the ants have fed, they will head back to the nest.

When a below-ground nest is discovered, the colony often can be eliminated by spraying or drenching the nest location with a liquid insecticide such as carbaryl (Sevin), or a pyrethroid insecticide such as Spectracide Triazicide®, Ortho Home Defense System®, or Bayer Advanced® Lawn & Garden Multi-Insect Killer. Large colonies will require greater amounts of liquid to move the insecticide throughout the network of underground galleries within the nest (using a bucket to apply the diluted insecticide concentrate is an effective method). Follow label directions for treating ant mounds, paying attention to precautions for mixing and application. Another effective and convenient way to control some species of outdoor and indoor-nesting ants is with a granular bait product, such as Combat® Ant Killing Granules. Sprinkle the bait in small amounts beside outdoor ant mounds, along pavement cracks, and other areas where ants are nesting or trailing.

Ant entry into homes can be reduced by caulking around door thresholds, windows, and openings where utility pipes and wires enter buildings.

Ant entry can further be reduced by spraying one of the above-mentioned liquid insecticides around the outside perimeter of the building. Consider applying a 2 -to 6-foot swath along the ground adjacent to the foundation, and a 2-to 3-foot band up the foundation wall. Also treat ant trails and points of entry into the home, such as around doors and where utility pipes and wires enter from outside.

The odorous house ant has become the most common and difficult ant species to control throughout much of the United States. The ant is small (1/8-inch), darkish, and forms distinct trails along outdoor and indoor surfaces.
It is often mistaken for the pavement ant, which can readily be controlled with most baits. The most accurate diagnostic difference, visible under magnification, is the absence of a noticeable node or “bump” along the constricted area between thorax and abdomen of the odorous house ant. Pavement ants have two obvious nodes, and fine grooves or striations along the head and thorax. Pavement ants also are more likely to displace bits of soil from their typical nesting location under sidewalks, driveways and other paved areas. Odorous house ants emit what’s been described as a rotten coconut or pine scent when crushed with a finger and sniffed.

Odorous house ants ( see http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/images/ant_trail.jpg
and http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/images/ants_spoon.jpg)

will nest in virtually every imaginable location. They commonly nest outdoors under pavement, stones, mulch, woodpiles, flower pots, and house siding, foraging indoors for food and moisture. Nests also occur indoors within wall cavities, appliances, potted plants, etc., especially near sources of moisture. The nests tend to be mobile; colonies relocate fast and often in response to changes in weather and disturbance.

Ants forage indoors for food and moisture. Photo: M. Potter, Dept. of EntomologyOdorous house ant colonies tend to have numerous, egg-laying queens and the primary colonies may split into smaller ones for no apparent reason. Ants foraging indoors feed on all manner of foods, ranging from the trash can to the cereal bowl.

This particular ant is difficult to control, especially by householders. The better baits to try are often syrupy ones, such as Combat® Ant Killing Gel or Terro® Ant Killer II. As with all ants, activity indoors can sometimes be reduced by removing ready access to food and moisture (water leaks, spillage, trash cans, pet food dishes, etc). Temporary relief can sometimes be had by wiping away the invisible odor trails with a kitchen cleanser or mild detergent. Do not disturb foraging trails, however, if you are using a bait. Caulking obvious ant entry points also may be helpful, along with trimming back shrubs and limbs touching the building. In nature, this ant feeds extensively on plant nectar and honeydew excreted by plant-sucking insects such as aphids.

When odorous house ants are the problem, homeowners may be better off calling a professional, although they, too, are challenged by this ant. Some products used by professionals (e.g., Termidor®/Phantom® sprays, certain baits) can be effective, but are not available to the general public.

Ant Control and Prevention Dallas Texas Arrow Exterminators

What exactly is a Carpenter Ant?

Carpenter ants are among the largest ants in the United States. There are several species of carpenter ants that may be found infesting homes and other buildings. Normally workers are black or red and black in color and range in size from 3/8 to 1/2 inch. Winged queen ants may be as large as one inch. However, size is not a reliable characteristic to identify carpenter ants. The workers of one species in can be no larger than 3/16 inch.

Ants are divided into different castes, i.e. workers, queens, and males. Some ants, including carpenter ants, have polymorphic workers, which means that within one species the workers occur in different sizes. The best method to separate carpenter ants from other ants is by the following characteristics: 1) a waist with one node (petiole) and 2) a thorax with an evenly rounded upper surface.

There are other ants that appear similar and are occasionally mistaken for carpenter ants. They may have one or two nodes. However, they can be distinguished from carpenter ants by the uneven profile of their thorax. These ants are usually not wood-infesting, so it is important to correctly identify the ants before control is attempted as control strategies vary with different ant species.

Carpenter ants differ from termites by having dark-colored bodies, narrow waists, elbowed (bent) antennae, and if present, hind wings shorter than front wing. Carpenter ants are very common and are frequently seen in the open. You should contact an ant exterminator if they are near your house.

Termites are light-colored, have no waist constriction, have straight antennae and, if present, wings are of equal length. Termites are much less common. They avoid light and are rarely seen outside of their colony.

Carpenter ants feed on sources of protein and sugar. Outdoors, carpenter ants feed on living and dead insects. They are also very attracted to honeydew, a sweet liquid produced by aphids and scale insects. Aphids and scales feed on trees, shrubs, and other plants. Indoors, carpenter ants feed on meats, as well as syrup, honey, sugar, jelly, and other sweets. Carpenter ants DO NOT eat wood. They remove wood as they create galleries and tunnels.

Most foraging is done at night between sunset and midnight during spring and summer months. Sometimes workers travel up to 100 yards from a nest in search of food.

Carpenter ants nest in moist wood including rotting trees, tree roots, tree stumps, and logs or boards lying on or buried in the ground. They can also nest in moist or decayed wood inside buildings. Wood decay may be caused by exposure to leaks, condensation, or poor air circulation. Nests have been found behind bathroom tiles; around tubs, sinks, showers, and dishwashers; under roofing, in attic beams, and under subfloor insulation; and in hollow spaces such as doors, curtain rods, and wall voids. Carpenter ants may also nest in foam insulation.

A parent carpenter ant colony sometimes establishes one or more satellite nests in nearby indoor or outdoor sites. Satellite nests are composed of workers, pupae, and mature larvae. A satellite nest does not require moisture because the workers do not tend eggs (the eggs would dry out without sufficient humidity). For this reason, satellite nests can be found in relatively dry locations, such as insulation, hollow doors, and sound wood. The workers of satellite colonies move readily between their nest and the parent colony. In late summer, winged reproductives (i.e. queens and males) may emerge from pupae transported into satellite colonies. They may appear in structures in late winter and early spring as they swarm from a satellite nest.

An ant exterminator will easily be able to address any problems that you may find if your property or house is at risk from termites or carpenter ants.