Ants search for protein to nourish the brood. Capitalize on this ant craving by selecting Maxforce Granular Insect Bait and/or Maxforce Bait Stations.

SUMMER

Ants forage for sweet honeydew, which is typically found on plants and ornamentals. Choose a bait that is high in carbohydrates, such as Maxforce FC Ant Killer Bait Gel.

FALL

Honeydew-producing insects begin to die off naturally so sweet-feeding ants will prefer Maxforce Ant Bait Gel. Maxforce Granular Insect Bait is also effective because it contains a balanced diet.

WINTER

When it’s cold outside, ant activity indoors indicates a colony has located inside the heated environment. This normally means that the ants are feeding on the same foods we eat, so a balanced bait or combination of protein and sweet Maxforce Baits will work best.

Therefore, mother to mother, I say embrace your role as pest controller! Do it with gusto and pizzazz, just like you do everything else. But work smarter and not harder, by following a few easy prevention steps to make your home as pest free as possible.

First off,

1-NO, and I mean, NO eating outside of the kitchen dining area. Yes, they will moan, yes they will groan. But, you know as well as I do that children are messy little creatures, who will leave trails of cracker crumbs, and sticky dribbles of grape juice where ever they travel without blinking an eye. They will not alert you to their Hansel and Gretel antics until the ants have marched on in looking for the witch’s candy coated house. So I ask you, would you rather fight off ants, roaches, flies, rodents and spiders in ONE room, or TEN? The choice is up to you. May the force be with You. Also, be certain to use sealed containers for everything bugs or rodents might want to snack on. (Translation: anything edible.)

Secondly,

2. There are SEASONAL duties that you already engage in for your home. Add pest control maintenance to that list. For the New Year cleaning, Spring cleaning, Summer clothes switch out, and Winter clothes switch out, take a few moments to check for signs of pests and to replace your pest bait stations. This helps to make sure that your baits are able to actively reduce populations of any pests who wander in. It would wise to have 2-3 types of baits so that your pest don’t get bored with the bait and keep wanting what you’ve got. Also, be sure to place your baits out of harms way for pets and little people. This could be under your fridge, dishwasher, the tops of cabinets, or under the washer/dryer.

Lastly,

3. When doing spring cleaning, wash anything that can be washed in a high temperature or steam setting. Take extra care to vacuum corners, crevices, baseboards and curtains. Make sure to EMPTY your canister into a sealed bag for disposal in case you did pick up anything. Inspect your home for leaks and any gaps in doors, windows, or screens that may be letting the pests into your home. If any problems are located, walk up to your husband, while offering a beer (or whatever treat makes him happy), hand him the report of deficiencies and then back out of the room slowly.

Following these simple techniques should save time and money and keep your house pest free.

Ants are not only a problem in your home and for your picnic, they can devour your garden vegetables right off the vine.  Let us review ways to keep ants out of the garden.

The short answer, OH YES HE DID!

Recently we were on a short vacation and had friends doing basic watering for our garden.  After our five day hiatus, we were anxious to return home to pick our eggplants and turn them into a delicious crawfish eggplant dressing. Upon our arrival home, we rushed to the garden to find ALL of the eggplants had been hollowed out and devoured by ANTS.  I was shocked.  I had never seen ants move in and cause such complete destruction before.

I was so sad.

So now I’m over the sad, and onto the revenge. I don’t know if it was because I was gone, or if it would have happened anyway, but I never saw those ants coming.  It seemed like one day nothing and the next day, all was lost. In the future, I’ll be sure to take more precautions to keep ants out of the garden. It is an especially sensitive process since we can’t just ladle in ant poison since we plan on EATING what is growing there. I’ve done some research and have found a few helpful hints on ant control in your vegetable garden.

1. Regularly sprinkle D E or diatomaceous earth around the base of your plants.  Yes, if it gets wet, it is null and void, butDE is inexpensive and earth friendly. It is readily available and if it keeps them from moving in, it is worth the weekly light sprinkling. Ask my lonely crawfish, they’ll tell you.
2. Bait ‘em,bait ‘em, bait ‘em…Move them away from your veggies and into a safe ant bait, where they can pick up a little treat to bring back to the Queenie.  Hopefully, this will keep ant numbers down and your vegetable numbers up.
3. Try a sprinkling of cinnamon if you like, around the base of the plants as well.  Supposedly, they do not like the smell.  As with DE, rain will wash it away.  Perhaps a cinnamon stick, staked right next to your most prized veggie might give you an added boost.  Just a thought. I’ll try it out and let you know how it goes.
4. Now there are those who say to plant mint, geraniums, and rosemary in the vegetable garden as deterrent, and I don’t think it can hurt.  But, there was a small mint plant right next to my eggplant…nuff said.
5. If you see them marching in (as the song goes), spray their trail down with a dish soap and water solution and wipe it away.  They walk in those lines for a reason and need the scent to follow the trail.  This method is fine for in or outside of thehome. It will at least slow them down.
6. Check with your local pest control supplier for chemical options for outdoor ant control if additional measures are needed.

Inspect area for ant activity and conditions conducive to infestation of ants.

• Are there food sources readily available that would be inviting for ants?
• Check potted plants for signs of ant’s activity.
• Do you have large cracks or crevices allowing ants to travel into your home?
• Are garbage receptacles located very near your home?

Recommend corrective measures for conditions that are conducive to ants.

• If you see that you are making it easy for ants to invade your home, rectify the conditions in number one tolimit the accessibility of your home to ants.
• Repair cracks and entry way accessibility and practice good sanitation.
• Move debris, garbage and large brush from near your home.
• Mop up any ant “trails” after you have located the source using an insecticidal soap.

Correctly identify the ant species: click here for help

Select the proper ant bait product for control:

• Once you have determined which species of ant that you are dealing with, review bait information to ensure that you are using the proper
  bait for that ant type.  Ants also change their foraging habits seasonally.
• In SPRING, Ants search for protein to nourish the brood. SUMMER Ants forage for sweet honeydew, which is typically found on plants and ornamentals. Choose a baiting product that is high in carbohydrates.
• During FALL, Honeydew-producing insects begin to die off naturally so sweet-feeding ants will prefer a balanced diet.
• WINTER has ants trying to keep warm, ant activity indoors indicates a colony has located inside the heated environment. This normally means that the ants are feeding on the same foods we eat, so a balanced bait or combination of protein and sweet willwork best. Review manufacturer descriptions for their baiting product.

Place bait(s) close to ant nests and along foraging trails:

• Ants travel down foraging trails and can be easy to spot.  Use this to your benefit and place the bait station where it is easy for the ants to move to the bait.
• Only use your bait indoors if there is an infestation and you cannot locate where the ants are coming from.  You do not want to inadvertently lure them into your home.

Apply a perimeter spray around the structure to prevent ants from entering:

• Stop your problem from spreading by protecting your home with a perimeter spray.

Follow-up and place additional bait if ant activity persists:

• Baits cab go rancid and lose their efficacy after a certain period of time. The manufacturer of the ant bait should list the length of time that their bait is able to actively bait the ants.

There are several species of ants that you may encounter invading your home or outdoor area.  Some of the more common types are carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, sugar ants, black ants, house ants, thief ants, odorous house ants, argentine ants, crazy ants, ghost ant, acrobat ant, big headed ant, pavement ant and red imported fire ant. The following link should assist in your identifying which species you are dealing with and how to effectively eliminate your ant pest problem. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html

Whether your ants are indoor or outdoor will dictate the types of control method that will be available for use to eliminate your ant problem. Read any labels carefully.  Some products are not water proof and may be completely ineffective if used in areas that have moisture.  The products should give clear recommendations for efficacy and usage.

There are also some specific products  that are used to target a species distinct tastes.  The red ant, for example, has pest control products formulated to increase the likely hood of insecticide ingestion.  Also, using a bait targeted for small household ants might not work if carpenter ants are your problem.

Options for indoor ant control include products like; gels, baits, dusters and sprays.  Some of the household ants that will be
affected by these applications are sugar ants, Pharaoh ants, Cornfield Ants, Argentine Ants.  Gels and baits are good because your chemical pest control is contained to one area and are not spreading the chemicals onto numerous surfaces in your home.

Outdoor ant control may include products such as granules, liquid sprays and baits.  Granules are able to be broadcast or used to treat individual mounds.  Liquid spray insecticides may reduce populations of other nuisance insects in your area. Look for products that can incorporate in insect growth regulator to reduce the resurgence of ants on your property.

No matter which ant pest control technique you decide to use there is something that you will need to be considered. You must be aware of where you place your pest control and who will have access to that area.  If you have pets or small children, are you
certain that there is no way that either can access the pest control product?  Be mindful of placement, and as with any pest management technique, home safety always comes first.

Ant Season is coming upon is quickly and it is always better to have to much information than not enough!

So this is a short guide on apply you Carpenter Ant Bait Killer Gel, but truth be told it will a apply to application of all ant baits.

To apply the gel remove the cap from the tip, it usually unscrews. Save this piece as you will want to replace it when you are finished using the bait and this will keep the ant bait from drying out.

You will insert the tip onto the end that you have just removed the cap and place the plunger in the other side of the tube.

Gently engage and apply pressure, you will see a small amount of the bait come out of the tube. Some ant baits have a Honey Dew formulation and will appear runnier than others.

Apply the ant bait in spots in cracks and crevices.

For best results, make or place many spots of dabs of bait where you see the ants foraging and entering the structure. Do not apply the ant bait in areas where you have recently applied a repellent insecticide or contaminated with a fogger the ants will have an aversion and not pick the bait up.

Do not apply the ant bait in areas that are routinely washed, such as countertops, as the ant gel will be watered down or wash away. Remove the dead ants before applying the ant bait gel.

Place the ant bait in locations as in cracks and crevices, corners and any out of the way place, under cabinets, refrigerators, behind kitchen appliances, along baseboards, under sinks, in pantry, around pipes and plumbing penetrations water heater, door and window frames and in the garage and the attics.

Of course apply in these areas that are being frequented by ants. Visually inspect for ants and place the bait where you are seeing the ants.

Good places to consider are areas where Carpenter ants are gaining access to the structure. Also areas with potential water damage, should be inspected for ant activity. Wall voids, cracks and crevices in kitchens, bathroom apply under sink.

For outdoor use place the ant bait gel into, on or adjacent to the structures where you are seeing the ants moving around and foraging.

You can place the bait next to the ant trails and suspected areas of infestation. Again likely locations to start are areas with potential moisture problems; Carpenter ants are on the lazy side and prefer structures they can easily excavate.

Eaves, soffits, weep holes, where wires enter, pipes into the building, railroad ties and landscaping.

Inspect stumps, trees, roots, wood decks, fences, planters and woodpiles.

Extreme heat or cold and direct sunlight can affect the residual effect of the ant bait gel. Outdoors you many want to apply you ant bait gel into refillable ant bait stations.

Check Ant Bait locations and reapply as necessary.

 The ant bait gel will remain attractive to ants for approximately 2 weeks.

What type of ant bait will typically depend on what type of ant and also their food preference.  Another important factor is santitation so that the bait is not competing with other food sources, remember that the bait is trying to mimic the ants food source.

Location of ant baits should be in the areas where the ants are being seen indoors.  Inside ant bait should be placed in window sills, electrical outlets, pipes and sinks, countertops, toilets, pipes and drains, sinks and any other source of moisture.  On the outside, ant baits can be placed at corners of windowsills, at corners of the foundation, arond entrances and exits, around base of trees, outside tree holes, and at incoming and outgoing pplumbing and electrical lines.  Best way to determine what ant bait they will select is to give them all the options, proteins, carbohydrates and oils.  Some of the ant baits have all options in the formulation (advance Dual Choice ant bait stations).    Make sure the ants are feeding on the ant bait, and continue placement in areas where they are actively picking the ant bait up.  The ants should be allowed several days to feed on baits before switching any of the baits. 

Do not spray a repelling insecticide in areas where you are trying to bait for ants, most of the insecticides aside from Termidor and Premise 2, which are non repelling insecticides.  You want the ants to pick up the ant bait, but spraying a chemical around the areas of the bait, something the ants will sense and avoid will definitely make the bait unattractive to the ants.

There is always the option of ant bait stations that make it easy to have bait in a sensitive area.

Tips for Use:

• Place Maxforce ant bait stations by ant trails and where ants have been seen.
• Three bait stations should control an average size room, or approximately one bait station per 100 square feet.
• Do not spray chemicals or disturb trails between ant nests and bait stations.
• Periodically, replace Maxforce ant bait stations that are empty and relocate stations that show little or no ant activity

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1-888-523-7378

Carpenter ant

Basics of Ant Control

How to kill carpenter ants? ePestSolutions Online professional pest control supplies store has all the  information and recommendations necessary to get rid of carpenter ants.

Product Recommendations for controlling Carpenter Ants are located at the bottom of this page

Common Name:  Carpenter Ants

Scientific Name:  Camponotus species

Carpenter Ant Description

Color: from red to black  Legs: 6

Shape: segmented; oval  Size 5/8”  Antennae: yes  Flight: no

Habitat

Carpenter ants can and will establish a nest inside and outside of any type of structure.  You can locate in some cases satellite or parent colonies outside a structure, these will be located in tree stumps, landscape timbers, wood piles or moist damp wood.  You can locate trails in the early morning or early evening when the carpenter ants are foraging, locate the trails back and forth from parent colony and structure.  Typically the interior locations of the carpenter ants will be near a moisture source kitchen, or bath areas.  Look for an area that maybe gets more moisture from rain runoff then other areas of the structure.

Carpenter ants enter structures though openings or cracks while foraging for food. The appearance of large numbers of winged adults carpenter ants inside a structure indicates that the nest or nests exists indoors. Carpenter Ants don’t eat wood, but they eat proteins and sugars. Carpenter ant wood damage is caused by tunneling into the structure. Once inside, they will try and locate a water source, food and use wood for their nest.

Best Professional pest control products on the market let us show you

how to kill carpenter ants.

Carpenter ants do not sting and usually don’t bite humans. However, when irritated they can and will inflict a painful bite.

These ants can cause property damage to a structure. They usually invade wet, decayed wood but they can tunnel through dry undamaged wood as well. As you can see, it is important to get rid of carpenter ants to avoid property damage.

Prevention

Eliminate sources of moisture, seal cracks around your foundation, and keep wood materials away from your home. Cut back bushes and branches will also eliminate sources of entry to your home.

Eliminating Carpenter Ants can be difficult and requires a multitude of control and exclusion techniques.  This can involves moisture elimination, removing overhanging tree limbs, stumps, and firewood.  Seal up entry points, cracks and crevices. It is helpful to locate the nest and satellite nest, but if you cannot locate them then use of Ant Bait (Advance Carpenter Ant Bait and Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait) is very effective.

Areas where water leaks occur should be inspected they will be attractive to ants as well as Termites.  Treat nests with a gel bait labeled for carpenter ants Maxforce Carpenter ant Gel Bait or use a labeled dust. Treat inside wall voids with a foam (premise Foam) or dust. You will want to treat the ant trails followed by workers when they forage with carpenter ant bait granules.

Product recommendations:

Carpenter Ant Control Kits Can be applied inside and outside for carpenter ant control

Premise Foam Can be used in the nest area wall voids

Drione Dust for use in the nest area wall voids

Pyganic Dust for use in the nest area wall voids

Advance Carpenter Ant  Bait for use on ant trails

Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait for use inside

Termidor for use outside on ant trails and nest perfect for large ongoing carpenter ant control problems

Visit ePestSolutions for more information on How to kill Carpenter Ants and all other insects, and weeds.

ePest Solutions is the #1 source for Do it Yourself pest control products and supplies, where you will find one of the widest ranges of insecticides, pesticides and insect growth regulators—all used by industry professionals—ready for use in the home market.

You’ll find it easy and convenient to shop for insecticides and pesticides where the professionals shop, and do so with confidence knowing that you’re purchasing name brand professional insecticides, pesticides and treatments that are the same products that your pest control professional uses.

All of our pest control products including pest control kits are ideal for residential or commercial pest control use, so you will be able to save money and, when it comes to ridding your home of nasty unwanted pests, you can easily Do-it-Yourself.

If you have ants, bed bugs, pesky birds, crickets, earwigs, fleas, flies, fungus and mold, gophers, mosquitoes, pantry pests, rats, mice and rodents, roaches, scorpions, silverfish, spider supplies, stinging insects, termites or ticks, we have the pest control product that is just right for you.

Here at ePest Solutions we have a large variety of animal traps, ant bait and killers, bed bug insecticides, bird deterrents, cricket insecticides and bait, earwig insecticide and granules, flea control kits and spray, fly traps and glueboards, fungus and mold treatments, gopher and mole bait, mosquito misting systems and insecticide, pantry pest traps and bait, rat, mice and rodent control kits and rodenticide, roach aerosol insecticides and dust, scorpion insecticide, silverfish bait, spider supplies, stinging insect aerosol, termite control and bait, and tick treatments in stock and ready for immediate delivery.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to hire a professional team of exterminators to come in and help you rid your home of unwanted pests. Advances in technology, coupled with outstanding research and development of new, safe and easy-to-use do-it-yourself pest control products make it possible for nearly anyone to cut costs and time by taking control of their pestcontrol needs themselves with confidence.

Phantom Pressurized Insecticide

Introducing a new prescription treatment brand Phantom, pressurized insecticide.  It delivers the active ingredient more effectively than ordinary sprayers, drying in “crystals” with no visible residue.  So, Now you can control general pests in commercial areas, including food handling areas, easier and faster than ever.

Ready to use formulation reduces overuse and eliminates mixing.  Broad Spectrum control for commercial accounts, including bed bugs, ants and cockroaches.  Approved for food handling uses.  Leaves no visible residue.  Reduced Pesticide load and precision application. System III compatible.

Experience the Power of Dry with New Prescription Treatment® Brand Phantom® Pressurized Insecticide.

Control general pests in commercial accounts easier and faster than ever.

When it comes to controlling pests in commercial accounts, new Phantom® pressurized insecticide delivers:

• New formulation dries in “crystals” for enhanced bioavailability and faster performance on numerous substrates (porous, non-porous and high organic matter).
• Ready-to-use formulation reduces overuse and eliminates mixing and cleanup.
• Broad spectrum control for commercial accounts, including bed bugs, ants and cockroaches.
• Food handling uses.
• Leaves no visible residue.
• Reduced pesticide load and precision application that make sense to your customers and for your business.

The Power of Dry: Ordinary Spray vs. Phantom pressurized insecticide

Compared to ordinary sprays that leave a residue, Phantom® pressurized insecticide delivers the active ingredient more effectively by drying in crystals without leaving a visible residue. It also provides superior performance on porous materials because the product remains on surface for pick up and transfer.

Still delivering the trustworthy performance and flexibility that has defined the success of Phantom® termiticide-insecticide.

• Offers long-residual nonrepellent control.
• The only liquid nonrepellent, non-IGR labeled for indoor general pest control including commercial food handling areas.
• Creates an undetectable treatment zone that pests continue to contact.
• Will not disperse or “lock in” pests.
• Pests are exposed to the active ingredient either by ingestion or contact.
• Remains highly effective in high organic matter substrates and is not subject to rapid breakdown with detergents and cleansing agents.
• Effective on pyrethroid-resistant strains of bed bugs and cockroaches.

Beyond Ants, Cockroaches, and Bed bugs

Phantom pressurized insecticide also controls

• Beetles
• Centipedes
• Flies
• Scorpions
• Spiders
• Wasps

Controlling the Common House Ants

Ants are social insects, and as a whole can be the most difficult household pest to control.  With some ants spraying the ant trails only makes the infestations worse.  Included in this article are a few characteristics of the most common house ants, Pharaoh, argentine, black ant, odorous house ant, theif ant and some recommended control methods.

Pharaoh ants have become a serious nuisance, indoors, we get a email or phone call almost daily about these little guess.  They tend to feed on jellies, honey, shortening, peanut butter, grease, dead insects, etc.  Workers are very small only about 1/16 inch long.  the Pharaoh ants color is light yellow to reddish brown..  Nest of the Pharaoh ants are very small, located in wall voids, under floors, behind baseboards, light fixtures, etc.  These ants are trail making ants and treatment should consist of baiting and if colony is located in wall use of a boric acid dusting product.

Thief Ant:

The Thief ant Feeds on grease, proteins, dead insects, and even dead rodents, they also sometime may sometimes feed on sweets.  Thief ants got their name because they often steal food and ant larvae from nests of other ants.  Trails can be located in cabinets, on walls, along baseboards and along branches of trees and shrubs.   They may travel from one room to another on electrical wires, and are commonly seen in electrical outlets.  The Thief ant are small enough to forage into pantry foods that are packaged.  They will nest in soil under rocks and in decaying wood outdoors.  Colonies will be found in cabinets or wall voids or behind baseboards.  Colonies of thief ants are small compared to many ant species and thief ants may have multiple queens.  Workers are all the same size, tiny 1/32 inch long.  Thief ants coloring is yellow to light brown and they will have very small eyes.

Argentine Ants

Feed like many on us on sweets, fresh fruit, and young buds of plants. Argentine ants tend honeydew-producing species as mealy bugs and aphids.  They travel rapidly in distinctive trails along sidewalks, up sides of buildings, along branches of trees and shrubs, along baseboards, and under edges of carpets. Colonies may split in spring and summer when queen and workers move to new site.  The workers are all the same size, small, 1/8-inch long and a dull brown Musty odor emitted when crushed Millions of ants per colony with multiple queens and subcolonies

Black Ants:

These are common house ants which nest in woodwork, masonary, soild and rotted wood.  Black ants prodiamently feed on sweets, meats, vegetables, honeydew and other insects.  Black ant workers are about 1/8 inch lon, slender, shiny balck, sometimes dark brown.  They will nest in the ground and are easy detected by very small craters of fine soil.

Odorous House ant

The odorous house ant is found throughout North America is a very common ant pest. This pest is often found foraging for food in long trails over household surfaces and can contaminate food products. These ants do not bite or stinf, but are huge nuisance ants and they will be found foraging in large number.  Odorous house ants are tiny, about 3 mm in length, and are dark brown to black in color. They will have single node on the petiole that is hidden from above by the abdomen. However, odorous house ants are most easily identified by the coconut odor that is produced when their bodies are crushed. These is how they got their name, odorous house ants. 

Outdoor nest are usually shallow.Look for outdoor nests in mulch, soil, debris, logs, stumps, under stones and under plastic outdoor tarps.  Indoors, Odorous House ant nests are usually found in wall voids, around hot-water pipes and heaters, behind paneling, under carpets or beneath the floor. House ant colonies can become so large that they create satellite colonies.Odorous house ants forage both night and day and eat many types of foods.  They will eat live and dead insects. Odorous house ants are very attracted to sweet foods.