General Description:

Ants are nuisance pests.  There are several types of species which cause problems in holmes, but I will discuss a few. 

Argentine Ants feed on sweets and fresh fruits.  They forge for sweets and oils in holmes.  They travel in distinctive trails along sidewalks, edges of cabinets, baseboards, and under edges of carpet. 

Carpenter Ants are also attracted by sweets.  They can be controlled in the same manner as Argentine Ants.  These Ants are much larger than Argentine Ants and usually black or black and red in color.

Fire Ants produce large mounds in open areas.  Fire ants bite and then sting from the abdomen and inject a venom called Solenopsin.  Symptoms include a painful stinging sensation, like being burnt by a fire. 

Treatment Methods:

Ants can be controlled by several different types of products.  Dust formulations, Baits, Liquid Insecticides, Granules, or Aerosols.  Professionals use a combination of products to get the quickest knockdown effects with long-term residuals (usually 3 months).  Usually ants are entering the structure from the outside of your home.  You want to look for areas where they are entering, and concentrate your chemical use in those loctions.  First, remove any food source that may be attracting those pests into your home. 

 Second, Find the entry location (s) of where the ants are gaining access.  You can seal up any holes with sealant to prevent future infestations.  Third, use chemical means to quickly knock down the infestation and prevent future infestations.  Aerosols are recommended for quick knockdown.  Niban or MotherEarth Baits can be used interior or exterior to bait ants that cannot be seen, Liquid insecticides and dusts can be used in areas where the pests crawl over to prevent future infestations.