Pavement Ants in Brick, NJ
Challenge
Recently, I went on a service call to a home in Brick, NJ, to help a homeowner who contacted Cowleys after finding ants in his kitchen. Ants are the most common residential nuisance pest, and these infestations are extremely challenging, mostly because of their sheer numbers. The foraging ants that you happen to see are just the tip of a very large iceberg. Somewhere in or nearby your home, there is a subterranean nest that can easily house thousands of members. Ants sometimes build their nests inside homes in hidden, protected places. We have found ant colonies hidden in wall voids, under appliances, behind window frames, and beneath floors.
While inspecting the kitchen I immediately discovered ants trailing on the kitchen floor, and identified them as pavement ants. Pavement ants commonly nest under pavement — hence their clever name. These dark brown to black ants are as small as 1/16 of an inch. They often make their way inside our homes to feed on sweets, proteins, and even dead insects. I followed the ant trail and noticed that they were entering the home through a tiny crack in the baseboard.
Continuing my inspection in the family room, I noticed something else that was quite alarming — mold on the ceiling! I informed the homeowner immediately and asked if I could access his attic to examine the extent of the mold growth. The homeowner was anxious to know the extent of the problem. Unfortunately, there was a roof leak that had triggered mold growth throughout the rafters. In pest control inspections, we sometimes find issues unknown to the homeowner. No one likes hearing bad news, but finding out sooner rather than later avoids more costly damage.
Solution
After completing my attic inspection of the attic, I reported my findings to the homeowner. He had absolutely no idea that he had mold in his attic. He thought that the ceiling stains were just old water stains. I informed him that long-term exposure to mold inside homes is a health risk, especially for those with weakened immune systems. Mold can release harmful airborne toxins causing severe respiratory issues. The homeowner was quite alarmed. I informed him that we offer mold treatment and prevention services, if interested. He immediately called our office to schedule an appointment
But the pavement ant infestation still needed to be resolved. I applied a liquid non-repellent application along the exterior perimeter of the home, and inside, applied a gel bait to the crack, crevices, and baseboards in the kitchen. When ants come into contact with either the outdoor application or the indoor gel bait, they will transport it back to their colony to share with the other colony members, including the reproductive queen. Within a short period of time, the entire colony will be eliminated!
I scheduled a follow-up inspection to monitor the ant infestation. The homeowner wasn’t thrilled that he had a mold problem, but he appreciated that he was made aware of the problem so that it could be timely resolved.
