Common PNW Ants
Common Pacific Northwest Ants
Treatment:
Most ant infestations can be tackled with 2 visits, 2 weeks apart. If you live in a high ant pressure area, we recommend going onto our quarterly maintenance program afterwards.
Info:
Colonies can range from 10 to 10,000+ individual ants. Research shows that about 90% of the ants remain in the nest, so the ones you see in your home represent only 10% of the entire nest.
We use professional products that the ants do not detect, known as non-repellants. The ants walk over our products and the product attaches to their legs and body. The ants then return to the nest and share it with the rest of the colony, like a virus.
We also use ant baits that can initially attract LOTS of ants. This in normal. The ants eat the bait, then return to the nest to feed the other ants by regurgitating the bait. The workers feed the queen and the larvae first. This process can take from just a couple of days to several weeks, depending on the size of the colony. It is extremely important that these 10% of ants make it back to the nest. We ask that you do not kill any of the ants and DO NOT spray them with any pest control products or home remedies, this can significantly hinder our results. If the activity is still very heavy after 48 hours, please call so we can apply more bait.
There are thousands of ant species, listed below are our most common found in or around homes in the Pacific Northwest.
Odorous House Ants AKA Sugar Ants
- Number one nuisance ant in the Pacific Northwest.
- Generally black in color.
- Monomorphic, meaning all the same size.
- Polygenic, meaning multiple queens.
- Budding, meaning splitting the nest in two when disturbed.
- Nomadic by nature. No physical nest.
- Produce a rotten coconut like odor when squished.
- Colonies can have multiple nests set up around a home.
- Ants are less active in colder months. This can hinder results.
- Complete eradication can be difficult.
Carpenter Ants
- Generally black in color. Some species have red or brown parts.
- Satellite and parent colonies.
- Carpenter ants don’t consume wood like termites. They mine places to nest.
- Monogenic, meaning one queen.
- Polymorphic, meaning more than one size.
- Complete eradication is possible.
Pavement Ants
- Generally black in color, grooves on the large head and thorax.
- Rarely infest homes.
- Monogenic, meaning one queen.
- Monomorphic, meaning all one size.
- Most likely found making sand mounds in driveways.
- Treatment not always necessary as they mostly prefer to stay on the exterior.
- Complete eradication is possible.
Western Thatching Ants
- Generally black and red in color.
- Build huge pine needle mounds usually next to trees.
- Polygenic, meaning more than one queen.
- Polydomous, meaning a single colony has multiple nests.
- Polymorphic, meaning more than one size.
- Treatment usually discouraged. They are incredibly beneficial and rarely infest homes. They want to be in the forest.
- Colonies can survive 20 years or more.
- Complete eradication is possible.
Moisture Ants AKA Cornfield Ants
- Generally brown to red in color.
- Monogenic, meaning one queen.
- Monomorphic, meaning more than one size.
- They don’t consume wood. They eat the fungus that grows on rotting wood.
- Treatment not always necessary. Once you remove the rotting wood, the ants will go away as well.
- Queens can live more than 10 years.
- Complete eradication is possible.