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- info@beaconpest.ca Ancaster, Ontario
You see an ant, and you buy a spray, problem solved, right? Not so fast.
Unless you are experiencing a one-off incident, killing one or a few scavenging ants isn’t going to eliminate the source of the problem. Even ant traps, which are not actually intended to trap ants but rather bait them into carrying insecticide back to their nests, are not your best for ant control in Oakville and are only effective when used under the right conditions.
Read more about ant control here.
The Problem with Sprays
There are two issues with trying to solve a pest problem with an aerosol. First off, they are not very effective at getting to the source of the problem, which in the case of an ant infestation, is the queen. All you are achieving is dispersing pesticides throughout your home, which isn’t going to bother the unrelenting stream of ants but could be potentially harmful to children and pets.
Ant sprays are designed to kill on contact, which might solve the immediate problem of having ants in your home, but the technique will not last long-term, and you are almost guaranteed to see more ants return. So, you keep spraying harmful chemicals, and the ants keep coming back.
Ants work in a well-organized hierarchy. Scouts get sent out searching for food sources; if they are successful, they return to the nest and tell the workers where to go. Unless you can catch and kill every scout (which will be virtually impossible), they will spread the message to their nest, and worker ants will come in droves to scavenge for food.
The same goes with ant repellants. They may provide short-term success, but as soon as the repellant wears off, you can be pretty sure the ants will return.
The Difference with Ant Baits
Ant baits work differently than sprays; the goal isn’t to kill the ants but instead get them to bring the pesticide back to their home, spreading it throughout the colony, and most importantly, to the queen. Once the egg-laying ants are gone, your ant problem is solved.
This solution may sound simple enough, but even bait traps aren’t perfect, and here’s why.
Different ants have different food preferences. Yes, it’s true; even these tiny little scavengers have standards. Certain ant species, like black ants, favour fat-based foods, while other ants, like carpenter ants, prefer a sugary diet. Identifying the ant species and selecting the right bait trap is key to successfully eliminating an infestation.
Placement is also a major factor. Baits need to be spread out strategically throughout your home to increase the odds of an ant making it back to the nest with the pesticide. However, discovering the entry points is not always easy. Carpenter ants, for example, often nest inside walls, under decks, and in the roof, which makes the placement of baits much more difficult.
The Best Way to Get Rid of Ants for Good
Different ant species require different ant control strategies, and professional ant control in Oakville is the best solution to your ant problem. Experts can identify the species and get to the source of the infestation, leaving your home pest-free faster.