Ant Control in Fort Lauderdale

Broward County’s Ant Control Specialists Since 1998

If there’s one thing our customers in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding Broward County agree on, it’s the heebie-jeebies we get from ant infestations. And if it seems like they’re everywhere, that’s because you can find ant species in nearly every environment!

Homes and businesses are just some of the places where you’ll find ant colonies. Whether it’s in the lawn, your kitchen, or nesting in your outdoor furniture, ants are an issue for almost everyone.

Why Are Ants a Problem in Broward County?

Although many ants are tiny (at least in comparison to humans), they can cause big problems. Here are some of the reasons why –

• Ants feed on and contaminate our food (and our pets’ food too).
• They infest buildings by making a nest in wall voids, underneath kitchen sinks, behind baseboards, and other places that are difficult to see.
• Ants build unsightly mounds in lawns and other landscape areas.
• Some ants can inflict painful bites or have venomous stings.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ants don't follow each other. Instead, they follow a scented path known as a pheromone trail. Spraying the trail with a glass cleaner containing ammonia will destroy the scent and stop ants in their tracks.

Which Type of Ant Problem Do You Have?

Ants are highly adaptable to different weather conditions, but like humans, seem to really like the weather in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and other parts of South Florida. Our part of the state is home to many different ant species, all of which can cause problems. The most common pest ants in South Florida are pharaoh, white-footed, Argentine, ghost, pyramid, carpenter, rover, native fire, imported fire, crazy, thief, Caribbean, acrobat, and big-headed ants.

Ants are the most common call – once the first ant comes in, you've got a problem!

Here are a few types of ants we see most often in our area:

Ghost Ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum)

These tiny, translucent ants can be difficult to spot. They are sometimes called "sugar ants" because they are attracted to sweet substances like sugar, honey, and syrup. They're most often found in the kitchen or bathroom.

Argentine Ants (Iridomyrmex humilis)

If you see a trail of ants inside your home or workplace, they're probably Argentine ants. The Argentine ants are very small – just a sixteenth of an inch – and vary in color from light to dark brown. They're an invasive species, arriving from South America (probably on coffee ships) in the late 19th century.

Argentine ants are highly organized and are known for taking over areas from other types of ants. They're attracted to moisture sources like potted plants, dripping sinks, bathrooms, and irrigation systems. They love eating anything sweet, such as sugar, honey, syrup, and jelly (and if you have a candy bowl, you may have found Argentine ants feasting on them!). Thankfully, Argentine ants don't bite or sting, even if you take away their candy.

Fire Ants (Solenopsis spp)

There's a reason these ants don't have a gentile name like Super Cool Soothing Ants – the California Fire ant bites! The pain from a Fire ant bite can be pretty nasty, sometimes more painful than a bee sting.

The good news is that they're nowhere near as prominent as the Argentine ant and live mostly in small, inland colonies. They also don't reproduce with the ferocity of the Argentine ant.

The bad news is that a distant cousin, the Red Imported Fire ant, has recently moved into locations near Southern California – and these jerks have a much more painful bite than the regular Fire ants. In fact, in Texas, public playgrounds have been closed due to being overrun by the Red Imported Fire ant.

Carpenter Ants (Camponotus modoc)

You would never hire these guys to remodel your house despite their title and occupation, but they might do it anyway. Carpenter ants are wood-destroying organisms, much like termites and some beetles. They have the destructive habit of entering wooden beams, carving out enclaves, and causing serious structural damage. They can grow up to lengths of a half-inch or more. Indications of their presence can include tiny piles of sawdust left behind and the faint sound of rustling behind the walls. Talk about nightmare fodder.

In terms of pest management, carpenter ants fall into a different classification than the rest of the ant family, and treatment can be difficult.

A licensed termite inspector is the best person for the job. Once they've inspected and determined the presence of Carpenters infesting the home, the inspector can make recommendations for localized treatments depending on the nature and location of the infestation.

How Maximum Pest Can Protect You Against Ants

At Maximum Pest, our goal as a responsible pest control company isn't the complete extermination of ants on your property. Like any insect, ants are a vital part of our environment. But when they invade our home or commercial property, it's time to apply sprays, baits, or other ant control solutions to keep them out.

Controlling Ants Starts with Prevention

Some ants, such as the tiny white-footed ant and the rover ant, can fit through extremely tiny openings, giving them easy access to your home. The easiest solution is to seal cracks and holes where ants may be entering, effectively stopping most ant invasions (if you can find the entry points).

That's why our ant control experts begin outside by thoroughly examining your building. Once any visible entrance points have been sealed, they treat the exterior perimeter of your home or business with a minimally invasive product that stops ants from finding other ways to get indoors.

We treat all infested areas on the inside, using dust formulations placed inside wall voids to keep ants from entering. We remove outlet and switch plate covers to employ a special "duster" to place our products inside the walls so that it's removed from the general living space and away from children and pets.

Different species of ants have a variety of dietary habits; for example, fire ants eat honeydew, proteins, oils, seeds, plants, and insects, while pharaoh ants feed on sugars, proteins, fats, and insects. Additionally, the sorts of food that ants favor can change over time to sustain a particular ant colony's productivity. Therefore, when dealing with ant infestations, trying a range of baits may be necessary, as ants may lose interest in one type of bait over time.

Did You Know?

Almost Any Food Will Attracts Ants

Depending on the type of ant, almost any food you have in your home is on the menu.

Ants are attracted to:

• Fatty foods like butter, lard, and shortening
• Proteins in peanut butter and other nut-based products
• Carbohydrates, including cereals, pet food, and crumbs or any type
• Sugars such as candy, jams, jellies, and soda-ants will even eat sugars they can find in your bathroom, such as toothpaste and mouthwash!

How Maximum Pest and Fertilization Controls Ants

When it comes to controlling ants, various methods are available, ranging from natural to chemical treatments. Natural methods include using borax, diatomaceous earth, or a combination of the two to create a barrier around the area where the ants are most likely to enter your home or create problems.

The best ant control company uses a combination of baiting, dusting, and spraying to eliminate and prevent ant infestations. What else does a company like Maximum Pest and Fertilization offer?

• Free inspections and estimates for all ant control services
• Ongoing maintenance plans to ensure ant infestations do not return
• An expert team of experienced and certified technicians
• Specialization in ant control and prevention
• Peace of mind knowing you're hiring a company that's licensed and insured for all pest control services