Pests We Treat - Ant colony expands in Oakhurst, NJ

Now that temperatures are starting to warm up, we are starting to see quite a number of insects waking up from their long winter slumber (technically called “diapause,” a period of insect dormancy). And boy oh boy, these guys are hungry and start foraging for food and water right away. Here, homeowners in Oakhurst, NJ, already found themselves with a pavement any infestation. These small, blackish ants are commonly called pavement ants because they often build their shallow nests under rocks, and in and under pavement cracks in man-made sidewalks, driveways, building slabs. If thy nest around your home, these ants, which can enter through the tiniest cracks around the foundation, doors, and windows, often wind up inside to forage for food that they bring back to the colony. These ants eat pretty much anything including meats, grease, bread, and, of course, sweets.   

Ant colonies expand rapidly, so it’s essential that the infestation be addressed as soon as they make an appearance. Even if you just see a few ants, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are several ways to eliminate an ant colony and technicians have different products at their disposal depending on the particular circumstances of the infestation. Sometimes we use ant baits, and other times, a liquid non-repellant product is highly effective. To resolve any ant infestation, you have to eliminate the entire colony. Otherwise, killing a few foraging ants you happen to see won’t make a difference.  

At Cowleys, we like to keep the customer in the loop, explain the options, and what would best suit their specific situation.Here, for this homeowner, he agreed that we should go forward with a liquid application. With this product, we lightly treat the trails established by the foraging ants. They come into contact with the product and carry it back to the colony where it then spreads because of their natural behavior. Ants are constantly touching each other from grooming and other activities. Ants will even eat other dead ants. For them, food is food and nothing goes to waste. With this application, it doesn’t take long for an entire colony to be eliminated. Within two weeks, this pavement ant infestation should be gone completely.