Ants are one of the biggest pest in Southern California and especially during summer. We can eliminate and prevent these ants from invading your home or business by correctly identifying the ant species and treating your property with the most effective products.

APPEARANCE

Brown to light brown; shiny. About 1/8 inch long.

HABITAT 

Argentine ant colonies live in moist areas near a food source, often in damp soil next to buildings, along sidewalks or beneath boards. They deposit trails continuously to ensure they do not waste time visiting the same area for food. When outdoor conditions are too wet or dry, Argentine ants invade buildings by trailing along plumbing pipes and shrub branches, utility lines and wires. They are very aggressive and will drive out native species of ants, making argentine ant control difficult.

DIET 

Omnivorous; they prefer sweet foods such as the honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs, but will eat almost anything, including meats, eggs, oils and fats.

ARGENTINE ANT CONTROL 

When argentine ant colonies are eliminated, new colonies may quickly take their place. Argentine ant control is a multi-step process, involving finding and treating existing colonies, sealing possible entries, and applying ant control perimeter treatments.

APPEARANCE 

Carpenter ants are among the largest ants in California, 1/8- to 7-16-inch; black, dark brown, or red and black.

HABITAT

All species of carpenter ants mainly attack wood that is or has been wet and damaged by mold. Even though carpenter ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may soon begin building paths through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through holes for wires. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground. Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. Carpenter ants will enter the house through wet, damaged wood.

DIET

Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they will feed on a variety of food people eat—particularly sweets and meats. They will also feed on other insects.

CARPENTER ANT CONTROL

Carpenter ants are one of the most difficult pests to eradicate. Some infestations can take considerable time and repeated treatments to completely be rid of these destructive pests. Finding and treating all the nests with suitable pest control products and eliminating conditions that made the home a host habitat for the ants are the two key steps for successful carpenter ant control. Professional pest control specialists are best at handling the extermination of these pests.

APPEARANCE 

Fire ants are aggressive and very active. They vary in size, 1/16- to 3/16-inch; red, dark reddish brown, build mounds and sting repeatedly.

HABITAT

Fire ants favor warm, sunny conditions, prefer dry fields and avoid shady areas such as woods. They build sandy earthen mounds and the colonies can contain several hundred thousand ants, including at least one queen.

DIET

Fire ants are omnivores, meaning they will feed on animal or vegetable sources of food. Generally, fire ants readily consume dead animals regardless of whether the fire ants themselves caused the animal to die.  

FIRE ANT CONTROL

Fire ants can be difficult pests to eradicate. Some infestations can take considerable time and repeated treatments to their mounds may be necessary to completely rid them. If the Queen is not eliminated, they will form a new colony. Treating all the nests with suitable pest control products that may include baits is the most effective way to eliminate fire ants. Professional pest control specialists are best at handling the extermination of these pests.

APPEARANCE

Brown; about 1/8″long.

HABITAT

Odorous house ants nest in soil, often under objects such as loose bark, firewood or lumber. Indoors they nest in wall voids, especially around hot water pipes and heaters, and in crevices around sinks and cupboards. This species gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. Odorous house ants may develop huge colonies containing up to 100,000 ants with many queens, making professional ant control imperative.

DIET 

When indoors, odorous house ants prefer sweets during most of the warm season, especially melon, but will also eat high-protein foods, greasy meats and cheeses.

ODOROUS HOUSE ANT CONTROL

The key to odorous house ant control is locating the colonies and sub-colonies and treating them directly. Regular inspections and service are necessary to find and treat new colonies as they move from neighboring properties. Eliminating standing water and removing tree limbs and other debris from your yard should help with odorous house ant control.

APPEARANCE

Yellow to reddish; very small, 1/16 to 1/8″ long.

HABITAT

Pharaoh ants nest almost anywhere that provides protection. They are extremely opportunistic and have been found nesting in walls, furniture, appliances, between folded sheets, hollow curtain rods, inside irons and under roofing shingles. They have a high daily water requirement and prefer warm, humid areas close to food and water. Workers range widely from the nest and establish visible trails to food and water sources. They travel from room to room via hidden plumbing pipes and electrical wires.

DIET

Pharaoh ants are opportunistic feeders that will “swarm” on foods that appear within their foraging range, which is why pharaoh ant control often uses bait. Indoors, they feed on meats, nuts, cheese, honey, bread crumbs, meats, grease and pet bowls.

PHARAOH ANT CONTROL

Pharaoh ant control can be very difficult. Using contact insecticides will cause them to fracture or split into two or more colonies to survive. Baiting suspected areas of activity is the most effective pharaoh ant control method.

APPEARANCE 

Golden-yellow; one of the smallest ants, 1/16- to 1/8-inch long.

HABITAT

Thief ants derive their name from their habit of establishing colonies close to other ants to steal their food, and even capture and eat other ants’ eggs and larvae. They nest outdoors in soil, trash and rotten wood and tree cavities, and indoors in small crevices, woodwork and masonry. Finding the nests is extremely difficult, so thief ant control is best handled by professionals. Thief ants commonly enter structures during hot, dry weather.

DIET

Thief ants prefer high-protein foods, but will feed on sweets. They eat almost any organic matter, including insects, honeydew, seeds, meats, fruit, bread crumbs, oils, nuts, pet foods and dairy products.

THIEF ANT CONTROL

Thief ant control can be difficult. They are often mistaken for the slightly larger pharaoh ants; unfortunately, the bait used for pharaoh ant control may not be effective for thief ants. The first step is to locate their nests, by following the trail of foraging workers back from their food source. An experienced ant control professional can tell you which different baits are likely to achieve best results.