Pavement ants invade community pool in Somerset, NJ

Recently, a residential development that we service in Somerset, NJ, contacted Cowleys because some uninvited guests “crashed” their community indoor swimming pool — ants, or more specifically, pavement ants. Homeowners often find ants around their swimming pools. And for good reason. Ants are attracted to swimming pools like bees to honey. Indoor pool areas have an environment that’s perfect for ants to thrive. It offers them plenty of heat, moisture, and harborage areas, not to mention all of the crumbs left behind from poolside snacks. Of course, dying or dead ants floating on the pool’s surface makes swimming less enjoyable, and it’s not much fun stalling an ant while doing laps! Ants in and around pools are more than a nuisance. They can cause actual damage by clogging your filter and filer pump, and sometimes even damaging pool linings. 

During my inspection of the pool area, I observed pavement ants trailing along the border of the wall. Pavement ants are one of the most commonly encountered ants that invade homes and other structures. They can form large colonies, often containing over 10,000 workers. They are called pavement ants because of their preferred nesting locations. They commonly nest and excavate soil under sidewalks, walkways, and patios. 

To treat any ant infestation, it is critical to locate and eliminate the queen and the rest of the colony. It is not enough to kill isolated foraging ants. Foraging ants are expendable, and there will always be replacements for them. Like any good detective, I followed the ant trail. Worker ants leave trail pheromones to mark pathways to resources for other ants to follow to and from the nest. Here, the I found a tiny crack in the grout where the ents were entering. I showed the property manager how the ants were gaining access inside. and he was in immediate contact with his contractor to schedule a repair. To deal with this infestation, I treated the crack and the exterior perimeter with a residual product. Any foraging ants crossing the treated areas will carry the product back to the nest. Soon, the ant colony will be eliminated.