Ants March Along Walkway in Red Bank, NJ
Challenge
Recently, a new residential client in Red Bank, NJ contacted Cowleys because she saw a large number of ants on her walkway and she was concerned that the ants would make their way into her home. Ants that wander from the nest are scout ants that are looking for a new home for their colony. Once these few ants find a safe harbor in your home, the entire ant colony will soon follow
As soon as I arrived, I began a thorough inspection and immediately found pavement ants along the left side of the walkway leading to the front door. The reason why these ants are called pavement ants is because their nests are usually found outside underneath or along the edge of sidewalks, driveways, and other hard surfaces. While they do have a stinger, they will rarely sting people, and a sting from one is generally too weak to penetrate the skin. They are black-brown ants, with paler legs and antennae. They are distinguished by two spines on the back, two nodes on the petiole, and grooves on the head and thorax.
After identifying the ants, I inspected the rest of the exterior property, as well as the interior, for pavement ants and found no other activity.
Solution
For treatment, I applied a light liquid application along the walkway and, as a preventative measure, along the entire exterior of the property. This application is designed to keep the ants alive long enough to carry the application back to their colony. When ants forage, they leave a pheromone trail for them to follow back to the colony. Once an ant finds food, it lays down an even stronger pheromone trail, and other ants start following it. When ants come in contact with this application they transfer it from one to another. In no time at all, the ants are eliminated. I scheduled a follow-up inspection to monitor the ant activity and, if needed, apply any additional treatment.
