Removing Ants in NY and NJ

Carpenter ants are among the top five pest ant groups in the United States. They cause damage to structures through their nesting behavior. Yet, carpenter ant damage rarely compromises the structural integrity of a building in the same manner as termites do. Carpenter ants do cause damage to utility poles and urban shade trees. In New Jersey, 75% of urban shade trees sampled in 1981–1982 were infested. Carpenter ant excavation not only weakens trees, but also leads to infestations by other pests and pathogens. Foraging ants or swarmers are a nuisance when they appear inside homes.

How you get ants:

Because ants are so tiny and can crawl through the smallest cracks, they can easily enter your house searching for water and sweet food in the kitchen. Ants leave trails of pheromones for other ants to follow once they locate a food source, so if you see an ant it is important to look for more. They can nest almost anywhere in your house, lawn, walls, and even under the foundation of your home, and colony sizes can reach up to 500,000.

How to prevent ants:

Once you find an ant, follow it to find where they are entering from, and seal the area with caulk, glue, or plaster. Make sure to keep all entrance ways like doors and windows sealed and maintained. In addition, having a more effective temperature control system can help prevent infestations, keep your energy bills low, and is one of the safest prevention methods in regards to the health of your kids and pets.

Are ants dangerous?

Ants are more of an annoyance than a danger, but they are often filthy, and you do not know where they came from so they could contaminate any uncovered food.

How we get rid of them:

While killing ants by hand or with repellents seem like easy ways out, these often don’t solve the problem and only kills the ants you see. It takes a professional to locate and exterminate a whole nest or colony.
Source: Rutgers University