If you have been seeing a lot of ants in your home, then it is a good idea to call an ant control service. They will usually come out and spend a few hours performing various services around your home and yard with the goal of not only getting rid of the current ant infestation but also preventing any future ones. But what, exactly, will an ant control service do? There will be some variability from home to home, but in general, here's what you can expect.

Species Identification

One of the first things an ant control service will do is identify the species of ant you're dealing with. This will give the ant control technicians a better idea of where they should be looking for nests. For instance, if they are carpenter ants, then they will focus on looking at any areas with wet wood. If they are sugar ants, they may look in the backs of cupboards and closets.

Trail Following

Once the ant species has been identified, the ant control experts will look for trails where the ants travel and follow those trails back to the ants' nests.

Nest Spraying

Once the nests are located, the ant control technicians will typically spray the nests with insecticides. This will not always kill all of the ants, since sometimes there are multiple nests in inaccessible areas, such as between walls or under pavement. However, killing the ants in any accessible nests is at least a good start.

Perimeter Spraying

Spraying pesticides around the exterior perimeter of the home will also help keep ants from other nests from wandering into the home. If they do wander into your home, they will walk through the pesticides on their way, which will kill them.

Baits

The ant control company will probably also put some baits out around your home. Baits are different than traps. They contain a food substance that the ants will carry with them back to their nest and share with the other ants. A few hours after eating the bait, all of the ants will die. Baits are a good way to kill any nests of ants that were not directly addressed with the insecticides.

Ant control services take a comprehensive approach to pest control, tackling the infestation from multiple angles at once. If you have any questions about the specific steps they will take in your home, don't be afraid to ask.

To learn more, contact a local ant control service.

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