It's been quite a while since I last wrote an article, so I thought it best to share what I've been doing all summer... killing ants! Below are a few insights to help you in your quest for dominance over these pesky little pests.
Ants enter from outside so the focus of any treatment should be there. Due to impressive chemical technology interior applications are usually not needed, unless the pest pressure is so great that it requires immediate attention. If interior applications are made, they are made in areas where kids or pets cannot be exposed to the insecticide.
Think of pipe chases under sinks, cabinet voids, and other cracks and crevices. During this time it is best to place any food items in solid double-tongue containers like Tupperware. You'll be amazed and annoyed all at the same time when you discover just how many things ants can infest in your pantry. Deal with that pet food also, don't leave any out as it attracts ants also. In my experience cereals, spices, sugars and other items are great for ants. In some cases it is necessary to utilize ant bait stations to control huge trailing ant populations going across your counter and along cabinet shelves. Remember that the freezer is your friend, I had one client who invested a considerable amount in koi food... now infested with ants. He placed the food in Ziploc bags in the freezer to kill the ants and save the koi food. It works likes a charm.
A little prevention goes a long way. Keep plants trimmed away from the house. Weeds at the very base of the foundation are a great source of moisture and their presence make it somewhat difficult to render an even pesticide application on the exterior perimeter. Trees touching roof lines or stucco serve as bridges for ants and rodents to invade your house. Seal window sill joints. Usually corner cracks in the stucco near the weep screed are responsible for allowing ant access to the interior walls. Once the ants are in the walls they use the "utility highway" of water piping or electrical wiring to find an exit to the interior of the house, popping out electrical outlets and piping exiting walls under sinks, islands, etc. In a few cases, I've seen ants use stove venting from an island which was laid through the foundation and exited near the base of the wall under a hedge near a sprinkler on the exterior. Those situations are challenging because ants and other pests enjoy the moisture under these hedges created by irrigation and decaying organic matter, like leaves from hedges.
Well, that's enough for now. I've got to get to work and engage in some ant "behavior modification".
