The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!  The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!  The ants go marching one by one.  The children’s song we have all sung to our children can become a reality this spring when the ants come marching into your home. Ants are the number one nuisance pest, according to the National Pest Management Association.

As the warmer weather approaches, ants will be found in homeowner’s kitchens, bathrooms and marching around in search of food, water and shelter. There are several types of ants found in the Albany NY area, most popular the odorous house ant (more popularly known as sugar ants or little black ants) and carpenter ants.

Odorous House Ants:

• House ants are small (1 millimeter in length), dark brown or black in color.
• Nest in walls, beneath the floor, near heaters, water pipes, under carpets inside. They are commonly found in bathrooms and kitchens (moisture). It is common to see them after rainy weather.
• Odorous house ants travel in trails, foraging both day and night.
• Food Source: Odorous house ants prefer sweet items found in our kitchen or pantry (honey, sugar, peanut butter, fruits).

Carpenter Ants:

• Carpenter ants, vary in size and color but are usually large (1/4-1/2 inch) and blackish.
• Carpenter ant swarms usually occur in the spring and are an indication that a colony is nesting somewhere inside the structure.
• The presence of frass, sawdust from carpenter ants, which is “kicked out” while carpenter ants their galleries is an important clue in locating ant nests.
• Carpenter ants have satellite and parent colonies. A carpenter ant parent colony may be a tree where the satellite colony is located in your home’s wall.
• Their presence is not known until damage has already begun... Eliminating an ant problem early can avoid costly repairs rebuilding and replacement.
• Carpenter ants prefer moist wood... most common are porches, decks and eaves, but they quite often burrow through and destroy dry wood as well.

Seeing just one may mean big trouble...you will only see a small fraction of the colony. There may be a hidden nest of thousands just a few feet away; either outside your house or even inside! Ants can be difficult to control and eliminate. Their presence in a home is not only irritating, but problematic.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need immediate relief from ants in the kitchen, here's what you can do until help arrives:

• DO NOT spray the ants with over the counter insecticides! These materials are designed to be a repellent and can make long term control much more difficult. 
• For immediate control, place white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the area where there are ants.
• Inspect the exterior for where the ants are entering. Sealing the entry point may provide some relief.  
• Contact us to make an appointment to have a no charge inspection.

Contact Thomas Pest Services no matter how severe an ant problem may be to eliminate ants along with our nuisance pests. We understand how annoying ants can be and offer customers in the Clifton Park NY and surrounding area various ant solutions. For effective ant pest control and a no charge inspection, contact Thomas Pest Services to learn more about ant control services.