Photo Album: Ants Invade Home in Mantoloking, NJ

I was sent to a home in Mantoloking, NJ, a community in Ocean County on the Barnegat Peninsula. This beautiful town is undoubtedly one of my favorite places to be dispatched! The homeowner contacted Cowleys because of an ant infestation.

Treatment for kick plate in Mantoloking, New Jersey

Upon arrival, the homeowner told me that the ant activity was in the kitchen, especially around the sink area. As soon as I started my inspection, I easily identified the type of pest: odorous house ants. These ants are called "odorous" for good reason. If crushed, they emit a rancid odor. Odorous ant infestations are one of the most common ant problems faced by homeowners. You'll often find them foraging in areas with a good amount of water and moisture like kitchens and bathrooms. Untreated, they will reproduce in amazing numbers, and they can take over a room in no time.

Treatment under kitchen sink

Next, I treated the gaps and cracks around the window frame, under the sink, and behind the splash block on the wall.

Treatment wall behind sink in Mantoloking

I observed these ants coming out of the window frame and switch plate on the wall. To start treatment, I removed the switch plate cover so that I could apply product directly into the wall void where these pests were hiding.

Treatment on sliding door

Outdoors, odorous ant nests can be found around the foundation, under decks, paver bricks, stone, mulch and splash blocks. The foraging ants find the smallest cracks and gaps around the home's exterior. These ants often want up inside wall voids where they can gain access to the entire home and remain mostly unseen when not out in the open foraging for food and moisture.

Treatment in exterior balcony

With the interior done, I moved to treating the home's exterior. A targeted perimeter treatment is critical for eradicating an ant infestation since the nest is just outside the home.

Treatment under deck in Mantoloking, NY

This house had a deck that abutted the kitchen. I treated under the deck, the foundation walls, and under the siding to complete this service call. With this comprehensive treatment, I'm confident that the ants will soon be gone, and just as important, won't be coming back any time soon.

Treatment for the crawlspace

I don't like to take any chances since these ants can be hiding anywhere, and it's important to do a full-court press to get rid of the infestation. This home had a crawl space directly underneath kitchen, and to cover all bases, I treated the sill plate in the crawlspace.