Ants
As your trusted pest control company in the Puget Sound for over 30 years, Classic Pest Control & Installation brings you tips on how to identify and remove ants, as well as expert extermination services in Whatcom, Island, Skagit & Snohomish Counties.
Pest
Pavement Ants
Pest Category
Ant
Do They Carry Disease?
No
Do They Cause Structural Damage?
Yes
Cost of Damage
Other Damage?
Unlike other ant species, pavement ants do not damage wood. They prefer to nest in the soil under concrete slabs, curbing and asphalt driveways. Over a period of times these ants can excavate and undermine the soil underneath these areas and cause them to sag and settle to the point where they may need to be repaired.
Signs to Look For
Pavement Ants are reddish brown in color and about 1/4″ in length. All of the workers should be about the same size. They are noticed outdoors during the warmer months of the year and can be seen foraging all over outside. They are not known as home invaders, but it is possible. They are often found in garages. The most common sign of Pavement Ants are mounds of soil and gravel that seem to keep appearing around cracks and crevices in concrete and asphalt. When a homeowner sweeps up these random piles and the piles keep reappearing it can often be traced back to Pavement Ants. As the colonies grow larger, more and more ants will be noticed outside foraging.
Habits
Nesting under pavement and asphalt.
If Untreated…
Minimal, unless this ant has been left untreated for so long that the pavement/concrete hosting the colony begins to disintegrate.
Tips
The right over the counter product, placed in the correct place will usually remedy the problem.
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Yes, there are pest control methods that will get rid of ants. First, you must determine what kind of ants you have. Because the type determines the treatment. For some, like pavement ants, the right over the counter product, placed in the correct location, can remedy the problem. But for others, like carpenter ants and moisture ants, do it yourself treatments are not recommended. For this reason, it’s best to get a professional identification and recommendation. While most ants do not carry disease, some species can cause significant structural damage. So it’s best to deal with them sooner rather than later.
In general, pest control treats common household pests under the broad categories of rodents, insects, and spiders. Rodents can include rats (roof rats and Norway rats) as well as mice (house mice and field mice). Insects commonly treated by pest control methods include ants, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, bumble bees, silverfish, earwigs, fleas, powder post beetles, pantry moths, drain flies, grain beetles, bed bugs, carpet beetles, and cockroaches. Some common spiders treated by pest control include aggressive house spiders, orb web spiders, hobo spiders, and brown recluse spiders. Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. You should speak directly with a pest control professional to find out what they’re able to treat.
Some methods of pest control attract bugs into traps using bait. And sometimes you’ll start noticing more bugs as pest control treatments start working. These are not new bugs coming into your home. They’re bugs that have been in your home all along, but now they’re dying or trying to find new places to live. Talk to your pest control professional if you’re noticing more live bugs once you’ve started treatment, because something may have been missed or just not be quite right.
Sometimes you see more bugs after pest control treatments. And you may question if the treatment is actually working because of this. Don’t worry. The extra activity actually is a sign that the treatment IS working. Not all pest control methods kill bugs on contact. But once the bugs have been disrupted by the treatment, they will become more active while they try to find a safer place. Once they either move out or die, you’ll stop seeing them. If you continue to see more live bugs once you’ve started treatment, be sure to notify your pest control company because something may have been missed or just not be quite right. Technicians are human, after all, and if there’s a problem, we want to fix it for you. At least, that’s our policy here at Classic Pest Control! We take care of problems, and we do it quickly.
The number of hours you need to stay out of your home after spraying for bugs depends on the pesticides and chemicals used. Sometimes this is two to four hours. Sometimes it’s up to 24 hours or more. If you or your family members have any underlying conditions that make you more sensitive to the pesticides and chemicals used, these time frames may be extended. This is absolutely a question you must ask your pest control provider. We recommend having this discussion when you schedule the service so that you’re fully prepared when the technician arrives. You should feel comfortable asking this question of any staff member who answers the phone or any technician who arrives at your home. At Classic Pest Control, we have a knowledgeable staff that you can trust with all of your questions.
The determination of how often you should do pest control in your home also depends on the treatment methods you’re using and the severity of your pest infestation. You may need treatments more often as you’re initially treating the problem. You may need pest control visits less often if your treatment methods are longer lasting. The goal is that your home is always protected. Your pest control provider can help you create a treatment schedule to keep your home and family safe from pests based on all of the particulars of your situation. Here at Classic Pest Control, our philosophy is that we’re a service-based business, not a sales-based business. That means we work with you to provide what you need, not what we want you to buy. We believe you deserve that respect. So how often you should do pest control in your home, is not a one-size-fits-all answer. It’s unique and specific to you.
Pest control can help get rid of cockroaches. In fact, complete removal of these persistent pests takes time and special knowledge that most homeowners simply don’t have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies cockroach control as perhaps a homeowner’s most difficult task. The CDC also identifies cockroaches as an allergen source and an asthma trigger for residents. There are four parts to an integrated pest management strategy to get rid of these pests: prevention, sanitation, trapping, and chemical control. Getting help from pest control professionals like Classic Pest Control to get rid of cockroaches is the surest way to protect you and your family.
Pest control can help get rid of fleas, but it takes more than simply applying insecticide. To get rid of fleas, you must simultaneously treat all your pets and their environments, both inside and outside of your home. Before treating with insecticides, it’s important to thoroughly clean pet bedding, carpets, upholstery, pillows, etc. as well as bathe your pets using flea shampoo and then apply flea treatments to them. It’s best to get professional guidance, because multiple applications may be needed, especially in areas of high infestation.
Bed bugs — as warned about in the children’s rhyme “Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite” — do, in fact, bite. Bed bugs feed on blood, and while they are not known to spread disease, the bites can itch. And excessive scratching can lead to skin infection. Pest control can help get rid of bed bugs with treatment methods similar to those for fleas. Both cleaning and use of insecticides are important parts of the process.
Professional pest control will help get rid of bees ONLY IF they are NOT honey bees. As pollinators, honey bees are incredibly helpful to our ecosystem, and we are committed to protecting them. Invasive bumble bees … and their relatives in the wasp family … are a different story, and yes, pest control can help get rid of them. While bumble bees don’t carry disease, they are venomous and a sting can create an allergic reaction. They also can cause structural damage if the hive is attached to drywall inside an attic. Bumble bee removal is not something to attempt on your own. Please call experienced pest control professionals like us at Classic Pest Control for proper identification of the type of bee and for their removal.
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