Be careful with do-it-yourself ant control.
Box store products are usually half strength, have little residual effect, and are typically repellents that will make matters worse rather than better. To add insult to injury, the cost of buying multiple products and the time invested in using them typically ends up costing more money than a professional treatment would have from the start.
Why DIY Ant Products Often Fail
When we respond to ant calls where a homeowner has already attempted treatment, we frequently find piles of dead ants from direct contact spray, but colonies still very active throughout the home. Odorous House Ants, one of the most common small ants in our area, are chemical sensitive and require uncontaminated baits and non-repellent liquids that have slow-acting, long-lasting residuals. The goal is to eliminate the colony at the nest site, not just kill the ants visible on the surface.
Most store-bought contact sprays kill only what they touch and leave a repellent residue that causes the colony to split and spread, making the problem harder to treat afterward.
One Thing You Can Do in the Meantime
If you need to do something about trailing ants before calling us, use glass cleaner. Be careful with certain surfaces due to the blue coloring, but it will knock the ants down immediately and eliminate the pheromone trail other ants are following, without leaving behind a repellent residue that would interfere with professional bait treatment later.
If you have ants, do not make it worse with the wrong products. Give us a call and we will get to the root of the problem.
Have a pest problem? Call us for a free estimate, no obligation.
(540) 818-9375