Ant Control In Calgary
Learn more about ants, what they do, what to do with them below! If you are looking for expert ant control in Calgary we are here to help!
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Why Ant Control Is Important
Choosing the right pest control company is pivotal when seeking master solutions for ant control in Calgary. It’s important to select a provider that not only understands the local ant species and their behaviors but also offers sustainable and effective treatment plans tailored to your specific situation. Look for companies with strong reputations, verified customer reviews, and the necessary certifications that indicate trained professionals will be handling your ant problem. Additionally, a reliable company should offer a clear explanation of their treatment methods and expected outcomes, including safety measures for pets and children. By selecting a knowledgeable and experienced pest control service, you ensure a more thorough and effective resolution to your ant infestation.
Habits of Ants: Ant behavior in Calgary is focused on finding food and secure nesting areas. Foraging is a daily activity, often leading ants into homes. Organized trails and pheromone communication highlight the importance of cleanliness and food storage for ant control.
Searching for Food: Foraging is crucial for ants, with pheromones guiding colony members to food sources. These paths often lead into homes and businesses. Effective ant control involves disrupting these paths to prevent ants from establishing routes inside properties.
Where Ants Make Nests in Your Home: Ants prefer moist areas for nesting, such as underground, landscape materials, or home structures. Carpenter ants nest in wood, causing damage. Effective ant control requires understanding and eliminating nests to prevent colony resurgence.
In Your Yard: Outdoor spaces like garden beds, lawns, and driveways are common ant habitats. Moisture from irrigation and rainfall makes these areas ideal. Integrated approaches, including landscape alteration, are essential for ant control.
In Your Building: Indoor spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements are vulnerable to ant infestations. Ants establish trails and nests in areas with food and moisture. Effective ant control includes regular cleaning, proper food storage, and moisture control strategies.
Why Do I Have Ants In Calgary?
Many of the 100 species of ants found in Calgary are foraging ants that travel long distances away from the nest in search of food. Ants are attracted to the food in your home. Ants will enter to forage for crumbs and spills or other edible items they may encounter. Even dirty dishes could be a cause of ants entering your property. Ants enter buildings using cracks in walls or the foundations or any other gaps and small openings where plumbing or electrical lines enter the home.
Many ant species are able to continue infesting once they have gained entry by following an invisible scent trail that scouts produce when searching for food. They follow the scouts scent and the other ants will follow. So you could completely remove the ants however if the trail is still there, the ants keep coming.
What Attracts Ants To Your Calgary Home?
Your home provides the three things ants need: food, moisture, and nesting sites. Ants are attracted to food remnants found within the home such as spills, crumbs, and leftover pet foods. Ants are also attracted to areas within the home where moisture collects such as in areas with rain damage, leaky pipes, or other condensation.
Finally, ants are attracted to areas within the home that are suitable for nesting such as moisture-damaged wood, exposed dirt from cracks and crevices, wall voids, and subflooring. So make sure these three topics are not an issue with your home. Regular home checks to make sure there are none of these issues is recommended. It is better to stop the problem before it can turn into something bigger.
Types Of Ants Around Calgary
- Carpenter Ants – they belong to the genus Camponotus, are between 3 and 13 mm in length, have a rounded thorax and prominent mandibles, and are brown, black, or red and black in color. Carpenter ants nest both indoors and outdoors in moist, rotting wood. Unlike termites that eat wood, carpenter ants remove wood, depositing the debris in small piles outside their nests.
- Field Ants – also known as thatching ants or wood ants are ants that prefer to nest outside. These ants are typically found in the ground around fields, parks, gardens, and lawns. The majority of these ants make a distinguishable mound of dirt where they excavate the ground to build their nests.
- Odorous House Ants – also known as Tapinoma sessile. They are between 2 and 3 mm in length and are dark gray or brown in color. Their name is derived from the rotten odor they emit if crushed. Outdoors, odorous house ants live in shallow nests established on beaches and in swamps and bogs. Indoors, they are attracted to warmth and moisture and will colonize within walls, around hot water pipes and heaters, and under sinks and bathtubs. Odorous house ants are highly opportunistic and are active year-round in Canada.
- Pharaoh Ants – The scientific name for pharaoh ants is Monomorium pharaonis. Workers are 2 mm in length and yellow to light brown in color, while queens are 4 mm in length and reddish in color. Queen pharaoh ants, which are twice the size of workers, have enlarged abdomens that are somewhat darker in color compared to the rest of the body. Before mating, queen pharaoh ants have wings which they shed after mating. Pharaoh ants are sometimes overlooked due to their small size and inconspicuous color, allowing them to infest structures. They establish nests in areas with moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms, and use plumbing pipes and electrical lines within walls to forage in other rooms.
- Moisture Ants – are wood-destroying organisms that usually indicate there is wet wood in or around the house. They do not eat dry wood and tend to only feast on moist and wet wood. In a building or home the moisture ants are not the main problem but more of a secondary problem to the decaying wood.
- Pavement Ants – The scientific name for pavement ants is Tetramorium immigrans. They are between 2.5 and 3 mm in length, have visible grooves on their head and thorax, have one pair of spines on their thorax, and are pale brown to black in color. Their names is derived from their tendency to establish nests under sidewalks, driveways, and building foundations. A common sign of pavement ant activity is a mound of displaced soil near a paved area. Pavement ants may establish nests
Best Ways To Control Ants in Calgary
Eliminating ants is difficult because ants are social animals with large colonies. The use of sprays and baits can help in killing some of the ants you see but is unlikely to control the entire colony. Several species of ants require professional pest control, such as black carpenter ants. It is always best to call a professional, some homemade sprays or baits could even attract more ants than before.
Major Pest Control is a trusted professional pest control company that can eliminate ants from your home with safe and effective extermination services available 24/7 from our trained pest control specialists.
Ant Control Calgary - D.I.Y. Ways To Remove Ants
While the most effective way to prevent or address an ant infestation is to call in pest control professionals, you can also try these do-it-yourself methods:
- Place natural repellents like coffee grounds, peppermint oil, and lemon in areas where ants are likely to enter. This will keep ants at bay, but will likely not resolve the source of an ant problem.
- Clean with a solution of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar, which ants dislike.
- Poison ants with bait stations or topical solutions from a home supply store. Ideally, the worker ants will take the poison back to the queen and eradicate the colony. However, in many cases, the workers die before they ever get back to the nest, so the poison doesn’t make it to the source of the problem.
How Much Does Professional Ant Control Cost?
Pest Control is something people always dread because they think it costs an arm and a leg when in reality it isn’t bad at all! Our experts on site will give you a detailed inspection and quote. Usually for an ant removal it will cost around $300 – $1,000 depending on the severity and size of the nest.
Where Can You Find Ants In Calgary?
Cabinets and Cupboard
Lawns
Sheds
Gardens
Baseboards & Floor Boards
Shops and Garages
Calgary’s Geography and Climate Factors:
Cold Winters & Snow
- Cold winters drive ants indoors to escape freezing temperatures, increasing indoor infestations.
- Winter is critical for preventative ant control measures, such as sealing entry points and reducing indoor attractants like moisture and food.
- Winter-specific strategies help bolster defenses and create unfavorable conditions for ants, ensuring homes remain ant-free.
Chinooks
- Chinook winds cause rapid temperature increases, disrupting ant dormancy and leading to unexpected winter infestations.
- Homeowners need dynamic, responsive ant control measures during these warm spells, such as securing food sources and sealing entry points.
Short Summers
- Ants maximize activity during Calgary’s short summers, leading to increased foraging and colony expansion.
- Frequent inspections, targeted treatments, and yard maintenance are essential for effective ant control during this period.
Geography
Rivers
- Rivers and streams create moist environments ideal for ants, leading to more frequent infestations near these areas.
- Specialized ant control strategies, including robust perimeter treatments and regular monitoring, are necessary for homes near water sources.
Mountains
- Mountainous terrain creates microenvironments for unique ant species, which may migrate to urban areas.
- Master solutions for ant control must adapt to these specific geographic conditions with heightened surveillance and customized techniques.
Urban Areas
- Dense populations and concentrated food sources in urban areas lead to higher ant activity and infestations.
- Effective urban ant control requires multifaceted approaches, including public awareness campaigns, waste management, and regular property inspections.
Rural Areas
- Rural landscapes and agricultural activities provide ample food sources and nesting sites for ants.
- Comprehensive management strategies, including regular monitoring, targeted baiting, and environmental management, are crucial for rural ant control.
Ant Infestation Prevention
Home Inspection
Home inspections are a vital component of effective ant control in Calgary, serving as a proactive measure to identify potential vulnerabilities where ants could enter or establish colonies within a property. During these inspections, professionals look for signs of ant activity, such as trails, nests, or entry points around the foundation, windows, and doors. Special attention is paid to areas where moisture may accumulate, as these can be particularly attractive to ants. Implementing master solutions for ant control through regular comprehensive home inspections helps to detect issues early, allowing for timely interventions that can prevent minor sightings from escalating into full-blown infestations. This proactive approach is essential in maintaining ant-free homes and businesses in Calgary.
Storing Food Adequately
Adequate food storage is a cornerstone of preventing ant infestations, particularly in areas prone to pest issues like Calgary. Ensuring that all food items are stored in airtight containers and keeping pantry shelves free from spills and crumbs can significantly reduce the likelihood of attracting ants into your home. Master solutions for ant control in Calgary often emphasize the importance of minimizing food sources accessible to ants, which includes regular cleaning of eating areas and proper disposal of food waste. By adopting these storage practices, homeowners can create less inviting conditions for ants, thereby reducing the chances of an infestation taking root. This approach is not only a critical step in maintaining a clean kitchen but also a proactive measure in comprehensive pest management.
Disposal of waste
Proper garbage handling is an essential aspect of ant infestation prevention, especially within the context of effective ant control in Calgary. Ensuring that garbage bins are tightly sealed and regularly emptied can significantly diminish the attractiveness of your property to foraging ants. Placing bins away from the home and ensuring they are cleaned periodically to remove any residue or spills that may attract ants are also key strategies. These practices are part of master solutions for ant control in Calgary, as they address one of the primary attractants for ants—access to easy food sources. By managing waste effectively, homeowners can create a less inviting environment for ants, reducing the likelihood of infestations.
Landscaping
Landscaping plays a pivotal role in ant infestation prevention, particularly in regions like Calgary where environmental conditions can favor ant activity. Thoughtful landscaping that considers ant control can drastically reduce the likelihood of ants entering your home. Techniques such as maintaining a tidy yard free of debris, trimming back bushes and trees away from the house, and managing mulch levels can prevent creating habitats that ants find attractive. Incorporating gravel or stone barriers near the foundation and choosing plants that are less appealing to ants are master solutions for ant control in Calgary, providing a natural deterrent while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space. These strategies, when combined with regular maintenance, form a robust defense against ant encroachment.
Cleaning Regularly
Regular cleaning is a critical defense in the fight against ant infestations, especially within homes and businesses. Keeping surfaces free of food debris, spills, and residue can significantly reduce the risk of attracting ants. Floors should be swept and mopped regularly, and countertops wiped down daily. Additionally, addressing areas often overlooked—such as under appliances and inside cabinets—can disrupt potential ant harborage areas. Implementing these cleaning practices as part of master solutions for ant control in Calgary is essential. Maintaining a clean environment not only discourages ants from entering and nesting but also aids in the early detection of any signs of infestation, allowing for prompt and effective treatment.
When To Call The Experts
Knowing when to call in experts for ant control in Calgary is crucial for effectively managing an infestation before it becomes unmanageable. If you have implemented various ant prevention techniques yet still notice a persistent presence of ants, or if you discover signs of more destructive species like carpenter ants, it is time to consult professionals. Expert pest controllers possess the tools and knowledge necessary to identify the specific ant species and the extent of the infestation, providing targeted treatments that are far more effective than general over-the-counter solutions. Engaging professionals who are skilled in master solutions for ant control in Calgary ensures that the infestation is handled efficiently and sustainably, safeguarding your property from potential damage and health risks associated with ants.