Ant Control: Keeping the Pesky Bug at Bay

An ant infestation is a source of frustration and disgust. They are common in apartments (82%), single family homes (80%), and office buildings (88%). In these structures, ants are found in kitchens (96%), and bathrooms (89%).

These infestations have been on the rise. Reasons for this include an increase in moisture and a change in pest control practices. One of the most common pesky bugs is the pavement ant. Pale brown or black, pavement ants measure 2.5 mm to 3 mm long.

What Are Pavement Ants?

This refers to ants that nest alongside garages, houses, sidewalks, foundations, and driveways. Black or pale brown in color, they have visible grooves on their thorax and head. Not only that. They have a single pair of spines on their thorax.

Why Do Pavement Ants Infest a Home?

Pavement ants infest your home while in search of food. Their diet consists of fruit, greasy foods, honeydew, insects and candy. Not only that. They are also known to eat pet food.

In winter, worker ants go out in search of more food after the stores are depleted. To enter a building, they do so via crevices and cracks on windows, foundation, and doors. After foraging for food, they find their way to their nests.

Problem is, they leave scent trails. These trails allow other ant workers to find food and continue gathering. If pavement ants nest indoors, you will find them close to heat sources, and within walls.

Want to know how you can get rid of a pavement ant infestation? In this article, we discuss how to keep the pesky bug at bay.

Identify the Species

To get rid of ants, identify the species. If you identify a few worker ants, check for the following characteristics. What color are they? Do they have a single pair of spines on the thorax? Do worker ants have a pair of wings? What are they eating? If they are pale brown to black, then they are definitely pavement ants.

Also, if worker ants don’t have wings and they have a single pair of spines on the thorax, then they are pavement ants.

Locate the Point of Entry and the Colony

Ants gain entry into an office building through cracks and crevices on doors and walls. To locate the point of entry, track the direction of the worker ants. Thanks to the scent trail, worker ants will form a line which allows them to forage for food and return to the colony. This makes it easy for you to find the colony.

Keeping Ants out

To keep pavement ants out, start by sealing the cracks and crevices. To do so, use a silicone sealant. Start inside the house and proceed outdoors. You should also look for areas with poor drainage or leaking pipe.

Fixing these problems prevents future cracks from occurring.

Eliminating Pavement Ants

Today, you can carry out ant pest control without the need for insecticides. The first method involves pouring a mixture of boiling water and salt. The second method requires you to use borax as it contains boric acid. This is toxic to pavement ants. To get rid of the ants, sprinkle borax around the nest.

Another option is to apply a layer of diatomaceous earth around the nest.

Getting Rid of Pavement Ants

If you discover pavement ant infestation in your home, hire ant control experts. Not only are they skilled and experienced but they don’t use residual sprays on ant colonies. Doing so splits them into sub-colonies creating more problems.

In search of a trusted pest control service? We can help. Schedule an appointment today and keep your home ant-free.

Call us for ant removal and control in Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Langley, Burnaby, Coquitlam, and all Metro Vancouver.