Ant Control Experts – Hills District and Western Sydney

Professional ant control treatments are really the only way to get rid of ants and prevent them coming back.

To get lasting control of ants it’s important to kill the entire nest, which needs expert knowledge on ant identification, knowledge of their behaviours and professional ant control products (supermarket products just don’t cut it!).

Our Professional Ant Control Treatments

The types of ant treatments we carry out depends on the type of ant causing problem and its location: indoors, outdoors or in the lawn.

Indoor ant treatments

Our choice indoor ant treatment depends on whether the ants are actually nesting inside (they quite often nest wall cavities and roof voids), or whether they are coming in from outside.

For ants nesting inside, we will often use ant baits as the main control product. We often use ant gel baits as these are favoured by the several black house ant species.

For ants coming in from outside we will often use a combination of baits inside and sprays around the entry point outside and along their foraging trails.

Outdoor ant treatments

Our outdoor ant treatments mainly utilise specialised non-repellent sprays. It is important that they are non-repellent as it allows the ants to walk on the treated surfaces and pick up the insecticide on their bodies. As they interact with their nest mates they pass on the insecticide, magnifying its impact. If enough of the ants are affected the colony dies.

To stop ants entering the building, we carry out a perimeter spray creating a treated band 1m up the wall and 1m out from the wall, as well as around doors, windows and other potential entry points. It is important that we also treat all other areas where ants are active – their foraging trails, in between pavers and their nests (if they can be located).

Lawn ant treatments

For ants in the lawn, we will do targeted sprays and bait treatments to nests and areas of activity. The key pests in sydney lawns are funnel ants, which make their unsightly mounds of soil and green-head ants, which can deliver a painful bite.

A word on ant baits…

Ant baits are made up of an attractive food material and slow acting insecticide. Foraging ants take the bait back to the nest where it is fed to their nest mates, including the larvae and queen, eliminating the nest. The insecticide is designed to be slow acting so it can be taken back to the nest and spread around the colony before the ants realise something is wrong.

Of course, not all ants like the same food and so there are a range of baits available. With the different ant species preferring different foods, the trick in using ant baits is to choose the right bait for the species of ant present and to ensure enough bait is used to eliminate the nest. That’s where the expertise of Serial Pest Control kicks in!

What to expect from our ant treatments?

If we can treat the nest directly, you should have instant relief from your ant problem. More often if we are using baits, it will normally take 1-3 weeks to get control, but can take 1-2 weeks for large nests. Sometimes for large infestations a second visit may be required.

There are some ants species, such as the coastal brown ant (or big-headed ant), that infest large areas, with multiple nests. With such ant species, it is never possible to get complete control as the ants re-invade from surround areas. Our treatment will provide relief for several months, but regular re-treatments will be necessary to keep the problem under control.

If you have ants invading your home or you can see large numbers of ants outside, you obviously know you have a problem. However, there are three other signs that can tell you there are ants nesting nearby and they may soon become a problem.

Dirt being dup up in the lawn and between pavers

Ant nests can be difficult to spot but when they dig their nest in the lawn or under pavers, the dirt they excavate becomes visible. The ants may not be a problem immediately, but you want to stop the ants at the nest building phase as this activity can damage pavers and lawns, devaluing your home!

Ant rubbish piles

Ants keep their nests very clean and regularly thrown out waste material and dead nest mates. If they have built their nests inside the wall cavity or roof void, they will often deposit this rubbish outside the nest – often through a hole in the wall or through a downlight. So, if you see piles of dirt and dead ants on the floor, you could have an ant nest nearby.

Flying ants

During the warmer months, flying ants emerge from their nests on their mating flights. These are the new kings and queens emerge in great numbers to fly off, find a mate and start a new nest. If you find lots of flying ants around your house you will have a large ant nearby. These flying ants can often be confused with flying termites, and a nearby termite nest is a significant threat to your home. So, if you spot some flying insects and not sure what they are, give Serial Pest Control a call.

Ants sometimes come inside to escape periods of hot or very wet weather, but more often they come inside looking for food or moisture.

By removing sources of food and moisture you will make your home less attractive to ants:

• Clear up spilled food
• Don’t leave pet food bowls out (especially with food in)
• Don’t leave unwashed dishes on the side after meals
• Make sure food is stored in tight fitting, “ant proof” containers
• Rubbish should be put in sealed bags before placing in the bin
• Fix any leaking taps or pipework

Filling any cracks around windows, doors and utility pipes to prevent ants entering the building.