Ant control in the South Bay

Ants common in the South Bay

The ant homeowners usually find trailing indoors in the South Bay is the Argentine ant: small, about 1/8 inch, uniformly dark brown, and moving in a defined line. These ants nest outdoors in irrigated yards, planters, and pavement cracks, and the colonies are large, often with many queens. Killing the ants on the counter does not remove that nest. They come inside for water as well as food, which is why a clean kitchen can still have a trail along the sink.

Odorous house ants look similar and give off a rotten-coconut smell when crushed. Carpenter ants are much larger, up to about 1/2 inch, and nest in moist or damaged wood. They excavate galleries for a nest. They do not eat the wood the way termites do, and the debris they push out looks like shredded wood, often mixed with insect parts, rather than the small six-sided pellets of drywood termites. Where oaks and other trees meet the house, including hillside parts of the South Bay, velvety tree ants sometimes trail in from the trees. A licensed provider tells these apart. We do not.

Signs of ants

• ✔A steady trail along a baseboard, counter, exterior wall, or the edge of a sidewalk
• ✔Ants clustered at a sink, dishwasher, pet bowl, or other source of water
• ✔Trails that return within days of spraying only the ants you can see
• ✔For carpenter ants: piles of shredded, sawdust-like debris near wood, sometimes with insect parts in it
• ✔Winged ants indoors. A winged ant has a pinched waist and elbowed antennae. A termite swarmer does not. See termites
• ✔A hanging cluster of fuzzy bees is not an ant swarm. That is covered under bee removal

When an ant problem should be handled sooner

A trail on the counter is a nuisance, not an emergency. Call sooner if you see carpenter-ant debris, wood that sounds hollow, or discarded wings indoors. That can be carpenter ants or termites, and the two are not treated the same way. A licensed provider should identify which insect is in the wood before any treatment. South Bay Pest Pros does not inspect.

What a licensed provider typically does

A licensed provider finds the trails and the nesting areas, then treats those rather than only the ants you can see. For Argentine ants and odorous house ants, providers commonly place baits and use non-repellent products that foraging ants carry back toward the colony, and they treat entry points and outdoor harborage. In irrigated coastal yards, new ants keep coming from the landscape, so the provider may suggest a follow-up or a recurring exterior visit. Ask what they recommend after they see your property.

General household ant work in California is Branch 2 structural pest control. Ask to see the company registration, and check it using the steps in the licensing FAQ. South Bay Pest Pros does not inspect or treat. We match you with an independent, licensed provider who does. How the match works is in how South Bay Pest Pros works.

What to ask before hiring

Ask the provider, not us. The agreement questions are in what to ask before you sign.

• ✔Are you licensed for this work in California, and can I see the company registration?
• ✔Are these Argentine ants, odorous house ants, carpenter ants, or something else?
• ✔If there is wood debris or damaged wood, will you rule out termites before treating for ants?
• ✔What is included, what costs extra, and is this one visit or a recurring plan?
• ✔Who quotes the price after looking at the property? The provider does. South Bay Pest Pros does not quote or perform the work.
• ✔What should people and pets do during the visit? Ask the provider. We do not give product advice.