Ant management
Pestec offers ant pest control services for residential, municipal and commercial sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and California. we can effectively control invasive ant populations in a reduced risk manner using integrated pest management (IPM) methods .
Pestec's pro-active ant baiting plan provides long-term control of ants, especially the invasive species Argentine ants (''Linepithema humile''). The benefits of using containerized baits versus residual and broad-spectrum sprays are:
- 1. Keeps harmful insecticides out of our water ways
- 2. Reduces Argentine ant population seasonal peaks
- 3. Protects pollinators by keeping baits in containers and off blooms and by reducing this out-competing invasive species
Please contact us for more information and see Our Water Our World for more information on pest management methods that reduce the risks from pesticide use to water quality.
Ants
General Facts:
*Argentine ants are the most common species of ant that invades buildings in our area.
*Ants have four life stages: egg, larva, pupa (cocoon), and adult.
*Worker ants are all the same size, around 1/8 inch long, uniformly dull brown in color.
*Argentine ants do not sting. Occasionally they may bite, but the bite is a mild pinch.
*Colonies are linked by tunnels with workers, queens and their brood (eggs and larvae) moving freely from nest to nest.
*It may be more accurate to think of Argentine ants as living in huge colonies with thousands of entrances.
*An IPM program for Argentine ants will consist of a number of elements: habitat modification, sanitation, exclusion, physical controls, and chemical controls. Baits are the ideal chemical control for a number of reasons: very little active ingredient is used compared to perimeter sprays, they are more effective because foraging ants take bait back to the colony to share directly with nest mates, baits can be contained in tamper-resistant stations to prevent exposure of people, children, and pets, and baits contained in bait stations are unlikely to wash away and cause surface water pollution.
*It is very important to keep records of what is done - not only of the amount and type of pesticide used, but other physical, mechanical and biological treatments along with preventive measures, exclusion, and sanitation. This information can be very useful in reviewing the IPM program to identify exactly what worked and what didn't.
