Be part of the solution

With all the available products and options for ant control, making the best decision is a complex process that should involve the expertise and advice of a licensed pest control professional for optimal results. Pest control professionals are trained and up-to-date on the various options for ant control in most states, and must complete continuing educational training to maintain their license to operate. These individuals will have the training and capability to identify the pest ant and then be able to offer the best control program for success. In addition, many of the most effective products for ant control are only available to the professional industry.

Bottom line? A thorough inspection by a pest control professional and discussion of the available options for control usually results in a more successful, longer lasting and more cost effective approach to ant control than the trial and error strategies often attempted by homeowners. Find a pest control professional in your area.

Integrated Pest Management

Research has shown the most effective and longest lasting programs that pest control professionals use for ant control integrate two or more types of control. This is referred to as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM may include the use of two or more product formulations, often with different active ingredients, and the use of different treatment methods.

IPM also includes persistence on the part of the homeowner to take the simple steps needed to prevent these nuisance pests. Cultural control measures inside include sanitation, cleaning up spilled food and beverages, diligently taking out the trash, and removing attractive food sources to ants such as pet food. Outside, measures include sealing or caulking cracks and crevices and doors and windows that offer ants entry points into homes, keeping rain gutters clean to prevent moisture inside walls, putting firewood up off the ground and away from the house, and trimming trees and shrubs away from the house to avoid giving ants a bridge to gain access to the home.