Ants

Ants are a very common pest in and around homes and businesses in the Puget Sound region of Washington.  Some researchers estimate that there are 20,000 or more different species of Ants worldwide.  Not even half of which have been named and described in the scientific community.  Ants can be a fascinating insect to observe, with their teamwork and communication abilities and their constant foraging to help feed the ever expanding colony.  If you've ever watched an ant trail for more than five minutes you know what we mean.  Everywhere they go they leave a scent, or pheremone trail.  This helps them and their friends find their way back home after travelling hundreds of feet away from home in search of food.  Some ants prefer to eat insect "honeydew" secretions while others prefer a bit of our leftover steak dinner.  To some it just doesn't matter.  While there are many kinds of ants distributed worldwide there are also many that call Western Washington home.  Most of these varieties will mind their own business out in the woods but several are very common to find nesting in, under, on or around your home.  Some of these include:  Carpenter Ants, Moisture Ants and Odorous House Ants.

Carpenter Ants

Most pest controllers would classify the Carpenter Ant as the primary structural pest in our region.  There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is their ability to hollow out large portions of wood from structural timbers in our houses and create massive nests.  This behavior is great in helping to decompose fallen trees in the woods but it is not welcome in the largest investment many of us have, which are our houses.  Contrary to common belief Carpenter Ants (and no other ant species for that matter) cannot digest wood.  They do not "eat" it.  They simply remove large portions of a log or wall stud one bite at a time and move it to a location out of the way from the nest inside the piece of wood.  Just like we have landfills and dumps, so do Carpenter Ants.  It is not uncommon to find large mounds of sawdust-like material called "frass" under a house in the crawlspace or below a garage door header.  These Ants have very stong mandibles, or jaws, which help them in the removal of wood.  They can infest water-weakened wood or perfectly sound wood.  Many times a satellite colony is set up in a brand new house before the construction is even complete.  To guarantee survival of the population a "parent colony" sets up many "satellite colonies" up to 300 feet (a football field's length) away.  Within a few short years these satellite colonies become mature "parent colonies" and begin sending out reproductive males and females to begin new "satellite colonies." 

Moisture Ants

Moisture Ants, also known as Cornfield Ants, aid in the deterioration of water damaged wood.  Evidence of this invader is usually not found until the late summer when the repoductives swarm into living rooms and kitchens creating quite a spectacle.  They can be very large in number and the reproductive females are physically quite large.  These ants speed up the decomposition of rotting wood.  They do this in a similar manner as Carpenter Ants as they chew little pieces off at a time, and the large numbers of workers within a colony can bite off many pieces in a short period of time, especially if the wood is consistently moist. 

Odorous House Ants

If you know anyone who has dealt with Odorous House Ants in their home they can undoubtedly tell you some horror stories about the years spent trying to control them and finding them in every room of the house consistently.  These ants get their name from the pungent odor created when the ant is crushed.  Some say it smells like rotten coconut, others say it smells like ammonia.  This has proven to be one of the most difficult pests to control that you will find.  Due to their abilities of rapid reproduction and polygenic (multiple queens within one conlony) status, these very small ants can set up many colonies in a house.  With up to 10,000 workers in one colony control can prove to be a very difficult undertaking.  A "budding" process happens when they sense or smell that a chemical has been sprayed.  This causes one colony to split up into four or five smaller colonies and move to different areas of the house.  This is why they are so commonly found entrenched in every room of a structure.  Noone ever thought that a hardware store can of ant spray would cause so much trouble but it happens every day.  As a professionl and experienced pest control company we have access to proven techniques to control these difficult pests. 

Ant Control

Control of ants within or around a structure can consist of many different techniques.  Every situation is different.  Many times drilling small holes into wall voids where they are nesting and injecting chemicals will solve the problem.  Other situations call for simply correcting the conducive conditions that are providing a pleasant home for them.  Still other times placing bait near active ant trails can provide the knockout punch.  The important thing to remember when dealing with ants is that, due to their pheremone scent trails, there is never a limit to the quantity of ants that can target your house from outside.  Neighboring colonies can easily invade after the previously existing colony has been destroyed.  Our perimeter treatments and inspection processes will cut down on any chance of reinfestation.  Call Rambo Total Pest Control for a free quote today!