Trusted Ant Control Services
Controlling ants can be especially difficult depending on the type of ant infestation in your home or business. Therefore, a professional ant inspection is always recommended to identify what kind of ant colony is pestering you and to determine the best treatment option. Our trained professionals at Carolina Pest Management are ready with the proper equipment and experience to effectively handle your Carolina ant control needs.
Contact us online or call us at 704-283-1527 to schedule a service today!
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- What to Expect
- How to Identify an Ant Infestation
- Our Ant Inspection Process
- Our Ant Control Treatment
- How Often Should I have an Ant Inspection
- Ant Control Frequently Asked Questions
Charlotte Ant Control: What to Expect
1. Identify
It’s important to act quickly and identify which type of ants are infesting your Charlotte home to catch and prevent internal and external damage.
2. Inspect
Our technicians are experts in Charlotte ant inspections – many of our ant control professionals have worked with Carolina Pest for ten years or more.
3. Ant Treatment
At Carolina Pest Management, we keep your preferences in mind as we choose the most effective, safe ant treatment option for your pest problems. In addition to regulated pesticides, we offer green ant control solutions in Charlotte.
4. Maintenance
After treating your home or business for ants, maintenance is key to prevent re-occurring issues.
How to Identify an Ant Infestation
Particular signs of an ant infestation vary depending on which type of ant colony has taken up residence. However, common signs of a possible ant problem include:
Ant pathways
Ant pathways are the trails on which ants travel in large numbers. It’s like a hiking trail for humans, except ants lay down an invisible trail of pheromones that other ants from the colony can follow. In most cases, ant pathways lead to food. You can spot an ant pathway by looking for a significant number of ants all traveling along the same general line.
Ant Nests
Ant nests can be constructed from different materials. The nests which are easiest to spot are made from mounds of soil. Although many nests are seen above ground, certain types of ants such as fire ants can create soil nests below ground. Wood nests for carpenter ants are usually found in rotting or moldy pieces of wood. These are more difficult to spot as they can be inside your walls.
Stray Wood Debris or Shavings
A common misconception is that carpenter ants consume wood for food. In fact, carpenter ants tunnel through wood to make their nests, leaving behind sawdust or wood shavings in their paths. Carpenter ants will leave behind wood debris when nesting in logs, tree limbs, stumps, and home building materials.
Live Worker And/or Foraging Ants
One of the easiest ways to identify an ant infestation is to see worker ants leaving the nest in search of food. Even though you might not see too many live ants, that doesn’t mean the colonies are small. Ant colonies typically range between 3,000 to 4,000 ants.
Our Ant Inspection Process
Our team of Carolina Pest control technicians will thoroughly inspect your home or business as well as your landscaping and lawn for signs of an ant infestation. Each ant inspection includes the prompt arrival of a professional and uniformed technician, followed by a complete inspection of your property to identify ants and find the areas where they could be hiding.
We’ll look for the frequent hiding spots of problematic ants and identify the specific type that’s responsible for your problem. Pavement ants, fire ants, and carpenter ants are some of the most common ant types Charlotte homeowners encounter.
Pavement ants are brown or black and come in variable sizes. They usually reside outdoors and make their nests in pavement cracks. Pavement ants can come indoors to forage for food and may nest in floor or wall cracks. Fire ants have red coloring and small body types. Typically, fire ants remain outside unless in search of food. Carpenter ants have black bodies and can measure up to ½-inch long.
After completing the inspection, your ant technician will alert you to any observed or potential issues including the type of ants found, the signs of these ants’ presence, and the potential risk to your home and family. They will then recommend the best treatment options and ant control services for your situation.
Our Ant Control Treatment
Charlotte ant treatments can vary depending on the type of ant infestation, season, weather and the specific location where the treatment is going to be applied. Typically, our Charlotte ant control technicians will apply a liquid, bait or granular product to effectively rid your home of ants. At Carolina Pest, we also offer eco friendly green ant treatment options, including botanical-based sprays and baits. Our Charlotte area exterminators will first talk with you to discuss which type of ant treatment would be most effective for your situation.
Our Accreditations
How Often Should I have an Ant Inspection?
Charlotte homeowners and business owners should have an annual insect damage inspection performed. This type of inspection focuses on finding and identifying any form of insect activity, including ant and termite damage.
If you are seeing signs of a possible ant infestation in between your annual inspection, do not wait to schedule an appointment with a professional.
Ant Control Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ant extermination cost?
Due to the many species of ants, not all ant control methods cost the same. Getting rid of pavement ants in a home won’t cost the same as eradicating carpenter ants. During a pest control inspection, a technician will identify the type of ant in the home and their nesting locations. The size of the ant colony and the square footage of the house will affect the overall cost as well. The proper products required for the project will also affect the final cost of treatment. If you have an ongoing ant problem and require multiple treatments, ant control prices will increase. When you notice ants in the home, please contact a pest control technician promptly. By waiting, you risk significant damage caused by the ants. Structural damage is especially a concern if carpenter ants live on your property. Many homeowners find that DIY sprays are mostly ineffective and a waste of money, not to mention time. With professional treatment methods, technicians can immediately target the queen of the ant colony. Unless control methods eradicate the queen, she will continue to lay eggs and grow the colony exponentially. The cost of ant control in Charlotte is around $150 to $200.
What types of ants can infest or damage a home?
Argentine and odorous house ant infestations are more of a nuisance than danger because they typically only get into food and are non-aggressive. Carpenter ants, if untreated, can cause serious damage to homes.
How long does it take for a Charlotte ant treatment to work?
The amount of time it takes for an ant treatment to work varies on the type of any infestation. Usually, you’ll see results within 7 – 10 days, but if the ant colony is large or if you’ve been battling these ants for months (or years) it can take several months to get them under control.
Are ant treatments safe around children and pets?
Our technicians take the safety of your family and pets into consideration while they identify the best Charlotte ant control option for your ant infestation. Our pest experts select the safest, most effective treatment, which typically include baits (which only target the specific insect) or green pest control methods.
Do ant traps work?
Ant traps use bait that foraging ants identify as food, ingest, and bring back to the rest of the colony to share. Since the bait is toxic, it acts as a poison to both the foraging ants and the colony when it is exposed, killing most or all of the group. While highly effective, ant traps do take time to work and this can be frustrating if you’re looking for immediate results. In addition, the colony might not be removed completely by ant traps alone. Ants eat a variety of foods and the bait may not be enough to compromise the entire colony. Lastly, not all species of ants will respond to bait traps. As an example, traps that work on carpenter ants may not have an effect on fire ants. If you don’t have the ants identified correctly or if you purchase the wrong type of ant trap, you may not see results.
What are the most common ants?
Argentine ants: These ants are a breed we receive many calls about. Argentine ants primarily feed on sweets, oils and proteins. For that reason, they are known to invade pantries and other places where foods are kept. Although they do not pose health risks, these pesky ants do contaminate food supplies.
Pharaoh ants: Aside from fire ants, Pharaoh ants are known to be one of the most difficult ants to control. Infestations can be serious issues, especially for the medical and food industries, because they can carry or transmit over 10 different types of infections.
Carpenter ants: Carpenter ants are wood destroying insects that can infect and damage your home, necessitating expensive home repairs. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood and cause serious structural damage to Charlotte area homes. Unlike Subterranean termites, they do not consume wood for fuel – their tunnels (galleries) are merely used as passageways for nesting. Like many ants, this breed feeds on common foods such as meats, sweets and pet food.
Fire ants: Fire ants are among the scariest of ants since they sting their victims aggressively, causing pain and allergic reactions that can be severe or even fatal. Unfortunately, these ants are incredibly common and fire ant nests can be found across yards and landscapes all over Charlotte. Fire ant colonies can be very difficult to eradicate and should be dealt with cautiously; it’s highly recommended to seek professional help in dealing with these insects.
Odorous house ants: These pests release a rotten coconut-like smell when crushed. Odorous house ants feed on sweets and are, attracted to sugary foods kept in pantries and cabinets. Like Argentine ants, they do not pose health threats but do contaminate food supplies.
Charlotte Ant Control Technicians
Dealing with an ant invasion in your home can turn into a major headache. Ants may only prove to be nuisances, but some types can prove dangerous. Professional ant control services can get rid of nuisance ants as well as wood-boring carpenter ants and stinging fire ants. An ant exterminator from Carolina Pest Management will resolve current ant invasions and prevent future infestations. Once called to your home, the professional technician will identify the type of ant and determine just the right solution to control the pest. Contact us today to get the help you need from a licensed ant exterminator.
