Why are ants in my house?
For most homeowners, small black ants are the most common ants entering the homes, but other ants can certainly invade your home. From tiny black ants to big carpenter ants, pests can come into your home when you least expect them.
“Ants will invade homes sometimes for reasons that we can’t explain,” said Dr. Richard Cooper, staff entomologist. “The reasons ants are coming in is that they are either looking to build a nest in a wall or they are scouting for food resources or both.”
According to Cooper, “ants are going to survey their entire environment, and if the home is within their surveying territory, then it gets included in the areas that they are scouting for food resources. If they don’t find food resources, they may occasionally re-scout those areas periodically. However, if they do find food resources, then that may result in chronic or persistent activity.”
Where do ants come from?
Contrary to what you see in your home, ants do not typically live indoors. Ants create nests that are more like home base in your backyard or nearby properties as far as your neighbor’s yard. You encounter ants when they scour outside of the nest to find food and water to bring back to the colony. After finding resources, they signal others to follow their pheromone trails and go to what they’ve found such as tiny crumbs on your kitchen counter in the case of nuisance ants, and damp wood or insulation when it comes to carpenter ants.
How can I get rid of ants on my own?
You might be looking to get rid of ants on your own before calling a pest control company. Although we can’t confirm that any of the following strategies work, many homeowners swear by them.
DIY Remediation
There are two main types of DIY products that are on the market: ant baits and ant repellents.
Repellents most literally repel ants. Some repellents can work, however, in the end, you’ll just be redirecting the ants, and they may find another entryway into your home. Repellents don’t kill the colony, and if that’s what you want to do, then you may want to use a bait instead. Examples of common DIY ant repellents are:
- Baby powder (talcum powder)
- Coffee grounds
- Vinegar spray
- Salt/water solutions
- Dish soap/water solution
If you’re looking to deplete the entire ant colony, you may want to use a baiting solution. The bait will attract the ants, and they will ingest it to bring back to the colony, where the rest of the ants will also eat the bait and eventually die off.
A few common DIY Ant Baits are:
- Borax solution
- Food-grade safe Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
- Terro Liquid Ant Baits (sold at Home Depot or any other major retailer)
- Amdro Liquid Ant Killer Bait Stations (most major retailers)
To learn more about how to get rid of ants on your own, read our blog post here.
Preventative Tips
- Clean your house. Start by cleaning your kitchen because according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) kitchens were found more vulnerable to ant activity 96% of the time and bathrooms were vulnerable 89% of the time.
- Ants are generally looking for a source of food and water, both of which can be found in your kitchen. Be sure to clean up crumbs and spills immediately as to not attract the ants.
- Keep an eye on any fruit that may be over ripe that can also attract ants into your kitchen.
- Trim your shrubs. Shrubs and tree branches that are close to your home can be bridges for ants, so it is best to keep them trimmed so that they are not touching the home in any way.
- Consult with a Landscaper before Prior to doing any landscaping, consult with a landscaper to ensure that you are not using plants that are prone to aphids, scales or other homopterous insects that will, in turn, attract ants. If you are including ornamental plants in your landscaping that attracts homopterous insects, you may need to treat them to eliminate the insects that attract the ants.
How much does ant control cost?
Ant control is priced based on the type of ant you are dealing with and the level of coverage that our different services provide. Please refer to the guide below for ant removal pricing at Cooper Pest Solutions.
Carpenter Ants
If you have a current carpenter ant issue that you need to be addressed, the Cooper Carpenter Ant System is for you. The Cooper Carpenter Ant System is a plan designed to eliminate the carpenter ant nests that exist around your property to effectively eliminate current activity, and then prevent them from returning. This is a year-long program that provides unlimited coverage after the current infestation is eradicated.
This plan costs a one-time fee of $399 for a 1-3 bedroom home. For homes that have 4 bedrooms or more, please call our customer service department for custom pricing.
To schedule carpenter ant service for your home, click the button below. If you would prefer that one of our representatives come to your home for an inspection, please call our customer service department.
After the Cooper Carpenter Ant System has been completed and the ants are eliminated, you will be eligible for the Carpenter Ant Renewal Plan. The renewal option is a preventive chemical treatment around the exterior of your home to keep carpenter ants from returning. It comes with unlimited service calls should carpenter ants reoccur in your home. This plan provides year-round coverage and can be renewed each year for continued protection.
The Carpenter Ant Renewal Plan cannot be scheduled online. Please call our customer service department for more information.
Nuisance Ants
If you are currently seeing small black ants crawling around your bathroom, kitchen, or anywhere else indoors, our One-Time Ant Control Program may be the best fit for you. This service only targets nuisance ants and provides coverage for 90 days and unlimited technicians visits within this period. Once our state-certified technician visits your home, they will inspect for potential entry points and food sources that are drawing the ants into your home. After gathering this information, they create a customized approach to ant control. To create a protective barrier around your home, the technician will apply treatments to the exterior foundation of your home. Also, baiting will be placed in discrete areas where ant activity is high indoors. Common placements for gel bait include window frames, pipe chases, and base boards.
You can schedule our One-Time Ant Control Program online for a flat fee of $225. Click the button below to schedule a Cooper technician visit and begin getting rid of ants as soon as today.
The Traditional Service Plan is substantial value for the homeowner that does not want to be bothered by crawling insects, mice, and wasps. The Traditional Service Plan provides preventive pest and rodent control for your home, year round. As part of your plan, you will receive four services per year. Each year you will receive three exterior maintenance services (March – November) and one interior service (December – February). There are some exclusions in the Traditional Service Plan when compared to the Intensive Service Plan. Nuisance ants are covered under the Traditional Plan. However, carpenter ants are not covered under this plan. The Traditional Plan is priced by the scope of the current infestation as well as the size of your home.
The Intensive Service Plan is designed to provide preventive pest and rodent control for your home, year round. This is our most popular service for homeowners. The service plan includes four preventive services per year. Each service is unique and will be accompanied by a detailed 30-point inspection report with detailed findings as well as providing you with important recommendations for your home. Each year you will receive three exterior maintenance services (March – November) and one interior service (December – February). The winter service will focus on the interior of the structure and is geared towards rodents and other pests that may live within the structure. Both carpenter ants and nuisance ants are covered under the Intensive Plan. The Intensive Plan is priced by the scope of the current infestation as well as the size of your home.
For a free inspection or to learn more about our services, please give us a call at 1-800-949-2667 or fill out the contact form on this page.
