New ants can pick up the scent trail of past ants

Sometimes, an ant problem never really gets solved. If an over the counter type of treatment is used, mostly just contact killing is occurring (despite what the sales information on the container says.) The problem just temporarily subsides. Other times, the root of the problem, the colony, is actually destroyed or killed out. In this case, the solution is off to a good start but not necessarily completely solved. Even when the colony had been killed off, the pheromones of the deceased ants remain in the form of trails. These pheromone trails stick around as signposts to new ants strolling through the neighborhood. When they pick up on these scents, they are basically told, in simple terms, “hey, other ant’s have been here before, you should check it out!” And alas, if the stray forager likes what it finds, the start of a new colony is born. This phenomenon exhibits the importance of periodic, follow up treatments for a stretch of time. Subsequent and systematic follow up treatments will eventually form a barrier that new ants will not pass until the pheromones fully dissipate. While any ant can eventually crawl anywhere, everything you can do to make your house less attractive to new infestation will go along way towards better long-term pest management. If you are ready to make your home less hospitable to ant and other pests, call us today!

Because of the pheromone trails that all ants leave, subsequent ants tend to stay on the same trail until they find what the original trail sought out – food or shelter.   Unfortunately, when the end of the trail is inside of your home, that can cause quite an annoyance for the homeowner.   The specific ants along this trail happen to be odorous house ants.

Just imagine when you see 5, 10, 25 or even 50 ants in your house, possibly trailing along the edge of a counter or baseboard.   That may seem like a lot but it is just the tip of the iceberg.   No wonder squashing (or is it squishing, oh well) a dozen or two seems to get you nowhere.

If you are ready to shut down the super highway of ants leading into your home, call us today and well put a prompt end to all the ant traffic you’re seeing!

Some homeowners will immediately see them inside of their homes.

Others will first see ant activity (whether Carpenter Ants or Odorous House Ants) outside, then see them start to show up indoors.   Let’s briefly address ant activity that is currently only showing up outdoors.

First off, please keep in mind that even though you only see them outdoors, that does not mean that they may not be indoors.   Most homes have plenty of areas that are out of sight where ants can be colonizing.   Examples of such areas can be wall voids, cabinetry voids, crawl spaces and attics.

Regardless, if you spot ants near your house, consider doing the following.   Walk the entire house perimeter and look for areas where shrubbery may be touching the siding.   As a general rule, a two foot boundary between plants and siding is best.   Also look for tree limbs that dangle near the roof or gutter line.   All of these contact points can very quickly become a super highway for ants to travel into your home in high numbers.

The simple mechanical chore of trimming back some greenery goes a long way as a preventative method to avoid interior ant infestations.    Happy trimming!

Usually, it is just one or two that you spot the first time that you see ants in your home. “What is an ant or two?” you might say to yourself as you either squish it, grab it with tissue is preparation for flushing or personally escort it to the back door. You might not even see any more signs of them for days or weeks.   How soon the next sighting is depends a lot on what the Portland Oregon weather is currently like.

But then there is that terrible moment when you round a corner, focus on something that doesn’t look right, and then suddenly realize that there are a dozen or two or three ants crawling all over something not intended for them! A quick rush for a can of bug spray, window cleaner or anything handy that has a list of chemical names on it is almost always the next step.

Let me suggest something different at that point. Resist spraying anything in you household cupboard on them. I know that you want them either dead, gone or both as soon as possible but believe it or not, spaying them with that handy household chemical is counter-productive. The vast majority of the time, it actually serves to make the problem worse.

The reason for this is that when you see a few ants, you are almost always only view the tip of the iceberg.

Rarely is what you see all that you have. Consider the visible ants to be the welcoming committee, announcing their presence with authority that they have moved into the house. Killing a few does nothing to solve the real problem – the nest.

Even worse, however, is that most household chemicals will form a temporary barrier. While this might sound like a good idea, in effect what is has the potential for doing is stressing the ant colony, making them work harder and eventually show up elsewhere in the structure with even more vigor. Some species, such as odorous house ants, actually respond by budding, creating an offshoot colony with its own queen. If you have ever tried holding a beach ball under water, you will soon realize a similar effect with your ant. They will just shoot up more elsewhere with more force.

The best plan of action is to call a professional pest control company by the second time you see ants.

This first time could always just be some “crawl-ins” from outdoors but if you see them a second time, they are there to stay. Services usually are very reasonable and the sooner you call, the smaller and more affordable the eradication job is. Additionally, the problem is addressed immediately and you can be back to having an ant free house instead of fighting a losing battle for a month before call for help.

If you live in the Portland Metro area and have seen an ant or two, please give us a call and we will be glad to help.

This is a good, general article, applicable for the types of ants we experience in the Portland Oregon area.   It doesn’t go into any depth in terms of the strategical processes a professional pest control technician would use for best results, but is is helpful for a obtaining base  understanding of problem. – Tom

On any given day, you may see hordes of ants, marching into your home. They may be searching for food and water, shelter from outside elements.

Here are some steps you can take to get rid of these industrious creatures.

1. Follow the ant to its source of entry, could be a window, molding crevice or floor crack.
2. With Boric acid, form a barrier at the source, or use laundry detergent, must be in powder form.
3. If they have attacked any food, remove it to a garbage container, outside your home.
4. If they have invaded your kitchen garbage can, take it outside, hose it out and wash with dishwashing liquid.
5. Put any food they have NOT found in zip lock bags, or in sealable plastic containers. or the refrigerator.
6. Ants can penetrate metal-threaded lids on glass jars. Glass jars are immune from ants, only if sealed with rubber gasket.
7. Once you have secured the food,vacuum up the ant line, along with some cornstarch( this helps to suffocate them inside the bag).
8. Use dishwashing liquid and hot water to wash the area around the ant line to erase any scent of the trail.
9. Seal the area where the ants entered; caulk windows and cracks and weather strip doors. Apply duct tape or petroleum jelly over holes as a temporary fix.
10. Go outside and see if you can find out where the ants entered the house. They may have used an overhanging branch to enter, if so, trim it off.
11. Check the area in an hour. If you see any single ants, or scouts searching the area, squash them( sorry!) but they are checking out the area for future invasions!
12. If you wish to wipe out the ant population, use ant traps that contain" Boric Acid". The returning ants poison the whole colony.

I would point out however, that in the garden, ants can play a beneficial role, so only use the above method if absolutely necessary
Here are some tips that may help;

Some natural ant deterrents include crumbled bay leaves, cinnamon, peppermint leaves and cayenne pepper. If an indoor plant is infested with ants, take it outside and flood it several times with a hose, to remove them.Insecticidal sprays kill only the ants that you spray, which will be a very small percentage of a colony, and won’t prevent future invasions. Please make sure, if you do use a spray, keep children and pets away.

In the house, I found that sprinkling the doorways with a powder cleaner ie, Ajax, kept the ants from crossing the line of powder and they did not enter the house.

One word of warning!! If you have Carpenter ants, which are a larger species, as they burrow into wood and cause terrible damage, do NOT keep any piles of decaying wood near your house, as this attracts them.

The methods I have outlined above, if used diligently, should go a long way to eliminate your pesky visitors.

But that doesn’t mean that there is no pest activity during winter.   Particularly during untypically severe weather, some pests can be prompted into action.

As mentioned in the previous post, rodents are one of the most common critters to start showing up during the cold months.   Hey, they prefer the warmth just like us.   These months are a good time to check and repair obvious entry points such as loose exterior doors, damaged screens, and exterior insulation around pipes and venting.    Be sure to keep food tightly stored and avoid excessive clutter (I know that is hard to do right after Christmas and the holidays!)

By no means do rats and mice have the house to themselves, however.   Roaches can often show up during this time of year.   While they are much more common in restaurants (sorry for mentioning this – I don’t like considering this fact either) and higher traffic residences such as apartments or motels, they still show up in single family homes.   Being the prolific breeders that they are, finding even one is cause for taking prompt action.   Always give a good inspection to any used furniture, packages stored remotely for extended periods of time or large boxes for potential intruders.

Another group of pests not shy to show up in winter are "pantry pests", meal moths and other related species.   Like a roach, they can travel into your home via outside sources.   Keep an eye on dry goods such as flour and cereals, birdseed and other carbohydrate heavy food stuffs.   Also take quick action if you spot any webbing or larvae where you keep your food.

Finally, it is not unheard of to see ants, both Carpenter Ants and small ants (usually odorous house ants) during this season.   It will usually be the wetter parts of the home (kitchen sinks, bathrooms, and laundry rooms) where you will first notice them.