Pests We Treat - Ants Spring Out on Kitchen Counter in Monroe Township, NJ

I received a call from a homeowner in Monroe Township, NJ who had an ant issue. As temperatures start to rise, ants become very annoying this time of the year. After months of lying dormant, ants wake up hungry and start searching for food. This is typically when ants gain entry into your home. Usually, the kitchen is their go-to place to find food. In this case, ants were seen on the homeowners' kitchen counters and in the sink. As I took a closer look I could tell that they were pavement ants. 

Pavement ants are 1/8 of an inch long and are dark brown to black in color. They consume insects, seeds, honey, bread, meats, nuts, and cheese. They forage in trails for distances of up to 30 feet and are known to climb masonry walls that enter into occupied areas. Pavement ants typically nest under stones and pavement cracks— which is how they got their name! Although pavement ants don’t pose a health risk, they can contaminate food and should be avoided. 

In order to determine where the ants are gaining access into the home, I will conduct a thorough inspection of the interior and exterior. As I was inspecting the exterior perimeter I found the entry point. Directly outside of the kitchen was a vent that the ants were using as an access point. I found the entry point by following the ants' trail. When ants search to find food, they’ll leave a pheromone trail for them to follow back to the colony. Once an ant finds food it lays down a stronger pheromone trail. When other ants run into that trail, they give up their own search and start following that trail. 

I continued to follow the ant's trail to a stump that was located within five feet of the home. Now that I've located where the ants are coming from, the next step is treatment. The most effective treatment is to apply a light liquid application. This application is designed to keep the ants alive long enough so they can transport the product back to their colony. I applied the application to the stump, entry points, and underneath the lip of the siding. By applying the application underneath the lip of the siding will ensure that the product is out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight on the application will cause it to break it down quickly and no longer affect the ants. Within a few weeks, the ant population should be eliminated.