Pest Control in Manasquan, NJ

Challenge

Recently, I went on a service call for a homeowner in Manasquan, NJ, who contacted us to help him resolve an ant infestation in his home. Ants are the most common nuisance pest for homeowners and can be challenging infestations. The foraging ants you see are just the tip of the iceberg. Somewhere in or nearby your home, there is a subterranean nest that can easily have thousands of members. Ants will build nests in hidden, protected places like wall voids, under appliances, behind window frames, and beneath floors. To get rid of ants, the entire colony must be eliminated, and that means treating the nest.

As I was preparing for my inspection I asked the homeowner where he saw the highest level of ant activity inside his home. This is invaluable information that helps me determine the cause of the infestation, identify potential entry points, and find the best solution for the infestation. In this case, the homeowner reported seeing ants in his living room near the sofa.  However, after a thorough inspection of the living room, I was unable to find a single trace of ants. I continued my inspection to other areas in the house and still found nothing. 

While talking with the homeowner about other possible locations, I noticed something significant. He had just gone to his mailbox and had brought in his mail. I noticed that he brought in something else — there were little black ants crawling on one of the magazines. I had a sneaking suspicion that ants may have been inadvertently brought inside. I decided to go outside and inspect the mailbox. Low and behold, there were ants nesting in the mailbox! Whenever mail was brought into the house, ants were likely brought in as well. 

I identified these ants as pavement ants, one of the most common home-infesting ants. Pavement ants are small ants, only about 1/8 of an inch long, and are usually dark brown to black. They often nest under sidewalks, driveways, and concrete slabs — which is how they got their clever name! Pavement ants feed on almost anything from sugar, fruits, small seeds, and grease. And they are not too proud to even eat other dead insects. Suffice it to say, they're not picky eaters.

Solution

For treatment, I applied a non-repellant liquid application on the entire mailbox as well as all along the base of the exterior property. This non-repellent is undetectable to the ants, so when they come in contact with it, they return to the colony and share it with other ants, including the reproductive queen. The application works quickly, and soon, the ant population is completely gone. As an added measure, I also treated the living room and a nearby bedroom with a liquid gel bait. In no time at all, with this indoor-outdoor treatment, this home will be ant-free. Until then, this homeowner told me he would be carefully checking his mail for any unwanted attachments before bringing it inside!