Ant Treatment

There are 10,000 species of ants. These are the most common ants seen in Georgia.

FIRE ANTS, CARPENTER ANTS & BLACK ANTS

FIRE ANTS

How They Look

 
There are many sizes of workers in the colony, ranging from 1/8-inch to almost 3/8-inch in length. They are a reddish brown in color. Their sting is INCREDIBLY painful and, when swarming, has been know to even kill when masses of ants attack an animal or human.

What They Do

Ants are pests because they feed and contaminate food, infest our homes and businesses. These pests are found everywhere in Georgia and pose a health risk to anyone venturing into areas where the ants are found. Although the vast majority of stings result only in a raised welt that may develop a white pustule, a person allergic to insect stings could experience a more serious reaction. A person seldom receives just one sting. Rather, dozens or even hundreds of stings can be inflicted quickly on a person accidentally kneeling or standing next to or on a fire ant mound. Take care in that these mounds can be concealed in patches of grass or under rocks, etc. They swarm VERY QUICKLY.

Where They Live

The red fire ant was brought into this country during the 1920s and has spread to cover most of the Gulf Coast states and most of eastern Texas. Fire ants nest in the soil and construct large mounds that are easily seen in lawns and pastures. A single lawn may contain a dozen or more mounds. This ant will also locate nests within landscape mulch and beneath items on the ground, such as landscape timbers. The mounds of such colonies may be shallow and poorly structured, making them difficult to detect. Fire ants may construct mounds next to the foundation and enter homes through weep holes or other exterior cracks and holes. Once inside, workers forage in trails beneath the edge of carpeting. On occasion, the ants will bring soil up into walls or beneath first floor bathrooms and construct a nest.

Solution

Because of the health threat posed by fire ants, it is important to take steps to control the ants around the home and in the yard. Over-the-counter fire ant baits can be effective if properly used, but regular applications are necessary because the ants readily reinvade from neighboring properties. Many homeowners employ Trademark Pest Solutions to provide fire ant services.

Find

Some ants do establish nests in decaying structures such as firewood stacks or other woodpiles around the home. Because ants are social insects, they establish, live and work together in large colonies. Queens, workers and males make up the 'castes' that make up the colony. The primary function of the queen is to lay eggs. Usually there is only one queen in a colony but, in other species, more than one queen may exist. The males mate with the queen thereby enabling the colony to grow and sustain themselves.

New colonies are created in two ways. The first occurs when male and female reproductive ants leave the nest and establish a colony. Their first brood of workers then disperses to bring food back to the nest. Workers foraging for food and water are one of the reasons ants find their way into your home.

Eliminate

Our approach is to first identify the species of ant. This will dictate the method by which we treat - and eliminate - the colony. Finding the location of the nest is the next step since this is where the ant population resides. Chemical control of ants can be applied as barrier treatments, drench treatments, direct application to nests or bait treatments.

Prevent

We utilize a variety of treatments to control fire ants. We suggest treating your ENTIRE LAWN a couple of times per year to achieve best control results. 

To schedule a FREE INSPECTION to determine the best ant control and elimination method, please call Trademark Pest Solutions at 770-614-6534.

CARPENTER ANTS

How They Look

Carpenter Ants are one of the largest ants we have in the United States. They range in size from three-eights to three-quarters of an inch. Like ants in general, they are social insects with highly-developed colonies and a well-defined division of labor. Carpenter ant colonies can range in numbers from a few dozen ants to several thousand.
In addition to the traditional large Black Carpenter Ant (Pennsylvania carpenter ant), there is the Florida Carpenter Ant. These ants are smaller, travel less than their cousins, and have a wide range of colors including yellow, red, light to dark brown and black.

What They Do

Carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects. Unlike termites, however, carpenter ants don't actually eat wood. They excavate galleries in wood in which they lay their eggs and raise their young. Over time, carpenter ant damage can become substantial and can require costly repairs to homes and other wooden structures. Carpenter Ants are unique. Regardless of which carpenter ant you have, their characteristics will include: 1) Scent trails which may be hundreds of feet in length (expect to see only a few ants on this trail at any given moment). 2) Nocturnal activity (mostly active at night). 3) Chewing on wood structures and in wall or ceiling voids for nesting. 4) An ability to identify leaky, damp wood and spaces. 5) An ability to avoid chemically treated areas and find new ways into a structure.

Where They live

In general, carpenter ants prefer wood that has been moisture damaged, although they also will attack sound wood. They tend to infest structural voids in areas with fairly high relative humidity such as wall voids, roof soffits, the areas behind door and window frames, voids behind plumbing fixtures in kitchens and bathrooms, and hollow ornamental beams and posts. They're also commonly found on sill plates, in ornamental railroad ties, and in stored firewood.

Solution

If you only get 1-2 of their nests but miss even one satellite colony, they might be able to rebound and rebuild. This is why a thorough and complete treatment is needed when implementing a carpenter ant program. When carpenter ants are moving they'll grab eggs and pupae first thus insuring the survival of their family members.

Find

Carpenter Ants typically set up a series of nests which are all "linked" together. This network of nests can be in series enabling foraging workers and scouts to have a place of safe haven when out and about doing their chores. This structure also helps to preserve any one colony because it's rare that all the members will ever be in one location at one time. Should any one "satellite" nest be destroyed, the other nests will usually have enough members left to enable the colony to move on and survive. This is also why controlling carpenter ants can sometimes be a difficult job.

Eliminate

Trademark evaluates each infestation to determine an effective treatment and elimination plan. The pesticides we use vary in formulation, method of delivery, biological activity, residual longevity and other characteristics. They also vary in their toxicity to the target organism and to humans and animals. We are very familiar with the product - especially with its relative toxicity. The type of chemical selected and the application method used depend on the location and nature of the infestation. Trademark may combine chemical and non-chemical solutions to ensure that workers, eggs, larvae and the queen of a carpenter ant colony are exterminated.

Prevent

Trees, stumps of trees or other wood items in and around the home create the potential for carpenter ant infestation. There are important steps that can be taken to prevent carpenter ants from becoming a problem. The KEY point to remember is that carpenter ants are usually associated with moisture, particularly where wood is involved.

Check for moist, soft or rotting structural wood. Pay particular attention to:
a. Attics, roof edges, eaves and gutters.
b. Flashing around chimneys, porch or deck roofs.
c. Porch roofs, railings and columns.
d. Door and window frames.
e. Flat roofs are particularly vulnerable if not maintained properly.

Keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris.

Repair outdoor water taps/spigots or other plumbing leaks that will definitely attract foraging ants.

Maintain proper drainage around the property.

Whenever wood must be in direct contact with soil or masonry (e.g., when installing landscape timbers, porch columns, decking, fencing, etc.), use the correct type of pressure treated timber, sometimes known as tanalised timber.

Repair cracks to the foundations, these will provide a 14 lane carriageway for ants to gain access, termites as well.

Keep the crawlspace dry and well ventilated. A properly installed vapour barrier will help.

Never stack firewood on the porch and deck, or up against the sides of the house itself or the garage (remember they have satellite colonies). Stack firewood up off the ground, it will make inspection easier and will also help prevent rodents from harbouring in this type of area.

Keep tree limbs and shrubs pruned well back from the property. This will also help prevent damage to the walls and roof, as well as reduce moisture problems, and help keep ants from getting onto the roof, then into the roof space, etc., etc., etc.

Remove nearby trees which are in poor health or dead or rotting, remember the picture above, the main colony could be in an old tree stump and this colony could splinter into satellite colonies which will travel 300ft.


To schedule a FREE INSPECTION to determine the best ant control and elimination method, please call Trademark Pest Solutions at 770-614-6534.

BLACK ANTS

How They Look

Little black ants (monomorium minimum) are found all over the United States, They can be found inside and outside, and one single colony can consist of more than 2,000 ants that are active both day and night. Black ants are very small, about 1/16th of an inch. These ants are solid, jet black.

What They Do

Black ants will live anywhere and eat most anything.  When it comes to food they eat, they eat everything. Favorites are sweets, vegetables, fruits, meats, dead insects, plant secretions, and grease. They'll even eat honeydew, which is a secretion given off by plant suckers like aphids and scales. They don't eat their chow right where they find it, though. Following little scent trails that they leave; they collect the food and drag it back to their nests. They can drag some pretty big stuff, too—up to 20 times their own weight. While they do not pose a major health risk and do not bite or sting, they can be an annoyance in a home or business.

Where They Live

The biggest difficulty with little black ant control is that they are very versatile. They will nest in almost anything. Outside they will be in the ground, in trees, in mulch, in cracks in sidewalks and driveways, in rotted wood, under rocks, etc. Inside, black ants will nest in woodwork, masonry, wall voids, and even under carpets. Despite their colossal strength, getting rid of black ants isn't all that difficult. The problem is that it's pretty much always temporary. Once gone, you can count on them coming back at some point.

Solution

Regular treatment of your home or business will eliminate most black ant problems. Keeping a clean environment, and not leaving food items out in the open further cuts down on black ant problems.

To schedule a FREE INSPECTION to determine the best ant control and elimination method, please call Trademark Pest Solutions at 770-614-6534.