2 tips for solving ant issues

Casey Prewitt, Sales Manager, Professional Pest Management, Neogen

With more than 70 species in the United States that could be considered structural pests, there are two basics to keep in mind when solving most ant issues:

1. Most ant invasions on the inside start from the outside — and very few of them are strictly indoor issues. When solving customer problems, focusing on the inside is key for short-term results, but to eliminate extra services, we must take the time to find where the colony originates from the outside. In many cases, these colonies might even have subcolonies that must be treated as well.
2. Baiting is an important tool, but make sure it is not the only treatment protocol you have. As with all pest solutions, ensuring you have multiple products with different modes of actions in your arsenal is the key to long-term success. For example, applying a non-repellent on the outside of the structure along foundations and cracks and crevices can help prevent new infestations in the future. The easiest recommendations you can make to your customer is keep foliage trimmed away from the structure, and perform routine exclusion work around the property.