Pest management professionals (PMPs) who offer ant management services should expect the unexpected: Customers who have used do-it-yourself products that made the infestation worse. Ant colonies that are not easy to locate. An invasive ant species that is new to the area. Wet weather that hampers efforts to gain control.
No matter how many of these challenges you encounter, communicating your ant control protocol and progress with customers will help instill confidence, reduce callbacks and lead to additional work.
“By keeping customers informed, they become more engaged in the process and better understand the steps they can take to support effective treatment,” says Derek Wood, manager of Florida’s Finest Lawn & Pest Control in Ocoee, Fla.
Common behavior, typical nesting areas and favored attractants — such as dry soil, carbohydrates, proteins and harborage zones — are just a few of the facts about ants he shares. He also relies on a treatment plan that encompasses integrated pest management (IPM).
“Emphasizing physical barriers, such as sealing entry points around the exterior of the structure, is key, as these often last longer than chemical solutions,” Wood says.
Melisa Arnold, ACE, owner of Horizon Pest Solutions in New Cambria, Kan., educates customers on habitat modification. “Something as simple as removing a tree limb touching the home is enough to reduce an infestation,” she says. “I have seen customers with three to four layers of mulch in flowerbeds next to the house, a perfect harborage for ants to create generational stability before they get noticed.”
Explain conducive conditions
Helping customers understand the importance of reducing conducive conditions can ensure successful treatments and zero callbacks.
Educating customers helps PMPs manage infestations and reduce callbacks, which appear to be under control, according to the PMPs who answered Pest Management Professional’s (PMP’s) 2025 Ant Management Survey. Of those who responded, 43 percent expect their callback rate to remain the same as last year’s, and 49 percent had five percent or fewer callbacks last year.
Josh Stevenson, owner of Smart Pest Pros in Fairfield, Calif., says communication and education help his company tackle callbacks. He continually refines his treatment protocols, particularly because Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are prevalent and nearly impossible to eradicate.
“We try our best to communicate quickly and get to customers ASAP if needed,” Stevenson says. “Most of the time, we get customers on our side by communicating quickly and letting them know why ants in our area are so difficult to control.”
Seek expert advice
Certainly, some customers may not care which species is invading their structures; they just want the ants off their premises. Successful PMPs pinpoint the species and develop targeted treatments.
John Komor, president of Johnny Bugs in North Port, Fla., relies on size and color for proper identification and can rattle off five of the species most common in his service area. Control depends on more than just identification, however. “Finding the source and using the right products are key to elimination,” Komor says. “Our lack of callbacks is a testament to our success. Today’s products make control much easier.”
If a positive ID proves elusive, seek out expert advice.
Jacob Morehouse, director of pest prevention for Honor Services in Melbourne, Fla., regularly sends specimens to entomologists at the nearby University of Florida, even if he believes he knows the species because he has been proven wrong.
“This always helps me create an effective treatment for the specific species of insect I am dealing with,” Morehouse says. “Why not take advantage of all the resources at your disposal for help?”
Loyalty is an added benefit to gaining control of a challenging ant infestation, as customers may rely on your help with other pests, such as termites and mosquitoes.
“Often, ants are difficult for customers to get rid of themselves,” says Bill Haynes, CEO of Haynes Exterminating Co. in Buford, Ga. “Solving the problem creates an amount of trust and confidence that can lead to longer relationships and more money from that customer.”
About the Author
Diane Sofranec is the senior editor for PMP magazine. She can be reached at dsofranec@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3793.
Ants normally come in search of food. Make sure there is no food leftover or spills. Gaps in the tree house between the woods has to be sealed. A pre construction pest control is also important.