Ant Control
More Trouble than You Might Think
Dozens of species of ants call our region home, and each kind finds its own, unique way to trouble your home or property.
Many types, like common black ants, seem harmless enough when they’re out in the yard. But ants are on a never-ending search for food, often stray far from the colony in their search, and are adept at fitting through the tiny cracks in the exterior barriers of your home or business. When one finds your pantry or garbage can, you can bet he’ll be back with friends, and you may end up with a constant stream that never seems to go away.
Beyond ruining food, other types of ants, like fire ants, can pose health risks with their painful, allergy-inducing bites, while carpenter ants wreak havoc on your wood and siding.
If you see signs of ant activity, Dixie is here to help.
Some ants can carry up to three times their weight.
Georgia is home to more than 100 ant species, and these ants pose a huge pest problem for many states in the South. George has a particularly tough time with ants, because a lot of the ant species dwell inside households. Despite this, ants are an important part of the ecosystem, and not all ants are harmful. Knowing the types of ants can help you decide which types of ants act as pests and which types are harmless creatures.
Reasons for Ant Populations
In a recent study conducted at the University of Georgia, scientists sought to study the diverse and numerous species of ants in the state. After finding more than 96 species of ants, the scientists concluded that the diversity of ant population must be due to Georgia having so many different types of terrains: the Atlantic Coast, flatwoods, southern coastal plains, sand hills, black lands, southern Piedmont region, southern Appalachian Mountains, ridges and valleys, sand mountains, and the Blue Ridge. These areas contain different amounts of soil, moisture and sunlight, which are conditions that affect the types of ants that can inhabit an area.
Types of Ants
Whereas there are more than 96 species of ants in Georgia, all of the major and minor ant species can be broken down into three categories: household ants, forest ants and desert ants. Some ant species may belong to multiple categories. Household ants include red ants, carpenter ants and Argentine ants. Forest ants occupy dense environments with a lot of moisture, and desert ants need little water and burrow underground to survive scorching heat.
Household Ants
Argentine ants, which are one of the most common household ants, are one-tenth of an inch long and are dark black. They occupy homes to search for water and food, and they can be found in dark and damp areas of the house, such as in the attic or under the foundation. Carpenter ants chew through wood to create a nesting place for themselves, which earns them the title of carpenter. They are typically three-eighths of an inch long and have yellow and black hairs. Fire ants, which measure in at one-fourth of an inch and are red, search homes for food and can bite humans with great force.
Major Species of Ants
The most populous ant populations in Georgia come from these species: Aphaenogaster picea, Crematogaster ashmeadi, Myrmecina americana, Paratrechina faisonensis, Prenolepis imparis and Solenopsis molesta. Aphaenogaster picea, Crematogaster ashmeadi, Myrmecina americana and Prenolepis imparis are commonly founded in wooded and forested areas with a lot of moisture and brush. Paratrechina faisonensis and Solenopsis molesta are more commonly found in dry and desert areas, such as the sand hills of Georgia.
FAQ Termidor for Ants
What types of pests does Termidor control?
Where can I buy Termidor?
How does a professional apply Termidor to my home for ants and other general pests?
How fast will Termidor work to eliminate ants and other pests?
Can Termidor be used for both residential and commercial buildings?
Will Termidor have or leave an odor?
What makes Termidor different from Do-It-Yourself ant control options?
What will a Termidor ant treatment cost?
Is it real-world proven?
What is Termidor?
Termidor is a professionally applied ant and general pest control product. The same nonrepellent, undetectable technology that makes Termidor America’s #1 termite defense product also makes it highly effective in controlling ants and other general pests.
What types of ants and other general pests does Termidor control?
Termidor controls the following pests:
Ants (acrobat, Argentine, big-headed, carpenter, crazy, odorous, pavement, pharaoh, thief)
Asian lady and darkling beetles
Box-elder bugs
Pillbugs
Centipedes
Cockroaches (Australian, Oriental, smokey brown)
House crickets
European earwigs
Cluster flies
Millipedes
Silverfish
Spiders (black widow, brown recluse, hobo, cellar)
Brown dog ticks
Paper wasps
Yellow jackets
Where can I buy Termidor?
Termidor cannot be directly purchased or applied by homeowners. Only licensed pest control professionals who have taken Termidor Certification Training are authorized to purchase and apply Termidor. You can find a Termidor Certified Professional in your area with our online locator.
How does a professional apply Termidor to my home for ants and other general pests?
Termidor is applied outside to the exterior foundation of your house, creating a treated area of protection.
How fast will Termidor work to eliminate ants and other pests?
The effects of Termidor should begin within one to three days and most pests will be controlled within the first week following the treatment.
Can Termidor be used for both residential and commercial buildings?
Yes, Termidor Certified Professionals can offer pest protection to most any type of structure that is at risk for infestation, including residential homes, churches, office buildings, commercial businesses, warehouses, manufacturing sites and schools.
Will Termidor have or leave an odor?
No, Termidor has virtually no odor.
What makes Termidor different from “do-it-yourself” ant control options?
Many “do-it-yourself” ant control efforts can actually make things worse. In fact, most over-the-counter sprays and repellents can cause a phenomenon called “budding,” in which foraging ants, separated from their nest and queen by a repellent spray, will actually start new colonies. Termidor is an advanced undetectable treatment that is applied outside your home. Ants never know it’s there, so they can’t react to it or avoid it. Instead, they pick up Termidor on their routine travels to and from your home. Then, they spread it to the other ants in their colony.
How much will a Termidor ant treatment cost?
The cost of a Termidor ant treatment varies and largely depends on your particular situation, the treatment plan and service package you and your pest control professional agree upon.
Is it real-world proven?
Termidor is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and can only be applied by a pest control professional who has been trained in correct application methods. Termidor is incredibly effective even at low application rates. Termidor is applied with water, is not a petroleum based material and will not cause harm to plants adjacent to the areas of application.
Termidor Ant Control
Ants in your house?
As a homeowner, you know how frustrating it is trying to get rid of ants in your house (especially since trying to do it yourself can actually make things worse!). Fortunately, for effective, professional ant control, you can count on Termidor® termiticide/insecticide. The same technology that made Termidor America’s #1 termite defense product is equally effective in controlling household ants, carpenter ants, black ants, and other ants.
To control ants, it’s important to target them where they live.
Chances are, ants, and some of the other pests in your home, actually live in nests outside. The key to controlling ants is to target them where they live—which is exactly what Termidor does. By applying Termidor to the outside exterior foundation walls of your house, your pest professional creates a treated area of protection.
How Termidor controls ants
In the last decade, the professional pest control industry has been revolutionized by new control technologies, especially in the area of nonrepellents or “undetectable” liquid treatments. Unlike older insecticides, nonrepellents can’t be smelled, tasted, or even felt by pests. So they crawl through the treated area, unaware that ingesting treated materials or merely contacting the insecticide will cause them to die.
Termidor is unique because it even controls ants that never make direct contact with its active ingredient. They need only make contact with other ants that have been exposed to Termidor. This “Transfer Effect™” means you’ll see Termidor affecting ants in one to three days and most species will be controlled within the first week following the treatment.
Carpenter ants: a potentially costly problem
Unlike most ants that are more of a nuisance than an actual property threat, carpenter ants can do significant damage to your home. While they do not actually eat wood, carpenter ants damage wood by excavating and creating galleries and tunnels. If a colony remains present long enough, carpenter ants can actually weaken structural wood and cause sever damage.
Don’t try to kill carpenter ants yourself!
But before you try to get rid of carpenter ants yourself, you should know that most “do-it-yourself” ant control efforts can often prove ineffective. Carpenter ant colonies are commonly located in wall voids and areas of your home that are hard to find. Most over-the-counter sprays are repellent and have difficulty controlling entire colonies.
How Termidor® controls carpenter ants
Termidor® termiticide/insecticide is an advanced undetectable treatment that is professionally applied outside your home. Carpenter ants never know it’s there, so they can’t react to it or avoid it. Instead, they pick up Termidor as they feed and move about and then spread it to other ants in their colony.
Flying ants or termites?
Most homeowners have a hard time telling the difference between flying ants and winged termites. But mistaking termites for flying ants can have costly consequences for your home and property. If you notice flying “ants” swarming in or around your home, you should contact a pest professional to determine if what you’re actually dealing with are termites.
Some of the physical characteristics of and distinctions between flying ants and termites, include:
Both have two pairs of wings.
Flying ants’ wings are different sizes, while termites’ wings are all the same size.
Flying ants have narrowed waists, while termites have thick waists.
Flying ants have elbowed antennae, while termites have straight antennae that resemble strings of beads.
Don’t be fooled by size or color: flying ants can vary in size and winged termites can be brown or black like ants.
More Trouble than You Might Think
Dozens of species of ants call our region home, and each kind finds its own, unique way to trouble your home or property.
Many types, like common black ants, seem harmless enough when they’re out in the yard. But ants are on a never-ending search for food, often stray far from the colony in their search, and are adept at fitting through the tiny cracks in the exterior barriers of your home or business. When one finds your pantry or garbage can, you can bet he’ll be back with friends, and you may end up with a constant stream that never seems to go away.
Beyond ruining food, other types of ants, like fire ants, can pose health risks with their painful, allergy-inducing bites, while carpenter ants wreak havoc on your wood and siding.
If you see signs of ant activity, Dixie is here to help.