[State of the Industry 2007] Ant Control: Opportunity or Problem?

Results from PCT’s annual readership survey indicate for the second year in a row, ants are the leading growth market in the pest management industry. At the same time, survey respondents consider ants the most difficult pest to control. So are those accounts worth the headaches they may cause or do pest control professionals consider ant problems good for business? PCT asked several pest control professionals across the country to share their perspectives.

“There’s no question, our pest control services are the strongest growth part of our business, and that has continued into 2007,” says Perry Tindol, a partner in Allgood Pest Solutions, based in Duluth, Ga. “While it’s not a year-round increase, for January through July of this year, our residential pest control revenue was up 30 percent compared to 2006.”

Tindol said three out of four incoming calls in the Atlanta office the past summer were related to ants. As a result, the Atlanta operations team added more than 350 new residential accounts — in July alone.

“That equates to 2.5 new routes and anywhere from $250,000 to $300,000 of annualized revenue,” he said. Tindol and his partners anticipate similar growth in the company’s general pest control business across all of their locations, which service Georgia as well as parts of Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama.

Joe Lupini, president, Loyal Termite and Pest Control, Richmond, Va., agrees that ants are one of his company’s biggest sources of revenue. Years ago fleas and ticks were a hot market in Richmond. Today, with the ability of veterinarians to treat pets, flea and tick treatments only provide a small revenue source for his company.

“Ant control accounts for our biggest percentage growth for the last three years — about 30 percent each year,” Lupini said. “With the exception of termite revenue, ants have become a big source of revenue for us.”

Many factors are contributing to increased ant control opportunities. Reduction of ants’ natural habitat by urban sprawl, Mother Nature’s cyclical character and modern landscaping methods — to name a few — play a role.

There’s no simple answer as to why ant problems are increasing, said Dan Collins, president of Collins Pest Management, Evansville, Ind. “It’s a whole variety of issues working together. Ants have lived here way before we have, and the more we build into their natural habitat, the more they are going to move into and adapt to our structures.”

Steve Venables, owner of Venables Pest Management, Olympia, Wash., agrees.

“Ants are opportunists, always looking for food sources. They find structures are a good environment in which to live,” he says. “As a result, there’s a higher frequency of ants coming into homes than any other insect pest, stimulating calls from potential customers.”

CONTROL CHALLENGES. Nearly half of PCT’s survey respondents indicated that ants are the most difficult pest to control. According to Jeff Wells, vice president, Advance Termite & Pest Control, Hutchinson, Kan., ants have become the new German cockroach in the industry.

“Before current products were available, German roaches were a challenge for us. But the industry responded and today, we are able to control roaches. In fact, those callbacks have dropped to next to nothing,” he said. “Now ants have edged out other pests as our biggest issue.”

Wells said he believes that ant control issues have intensified since organophosphate products went off the market.

“Callbacks on ants were almost unheard of using organophosphates, and since then, we’ve had a significantly higher callback rate, particularly with the sugar-feeding ants,” he said. “And when your route consists of 900 miles across the state from Kansas City, Kan., to Guymon, Okla., we really want to keep our callback rate down.”

But again, the industry is responding, he said.

“The coolest thing about our industry today is when control issues become a real problem, the industry responds at an overwhelming rate. We’ve not only seen that with roach products, but when termites were a real issue, the industry developed liquids and baits that effectively control them,” Wells said. “Over the last several years, the industry has continued putting new technology to control ants in our toolbox, and now we are once again seeing great results.”

But even with PCOs equipped with effective tools and treatment strategies, each account presents a unique situation. As a result, many companies are breaking out ant control as a stand-alone service.

“Years ago when cockroaches were the big issue and we began treating them as a stand-alone service, the industry responded with new baits and methods of control, and took a new look at that market,” said Norman Connolly, owner, Connolly Pest Management, Mesa, Ariz. “Although it’s not happening in the Phoenix market yet, we think ant control is headed the same way and expect to see more materials coming out specifically for ant control.”

According to Wells, when customers called Advance Termite & Pest Control for cricket, spider or ant problems, the company’s GPC service would take care of them all. In the span between losing organophosphates and the introduction of non-repellents for ant control, he said that wasn’t the case.

After changing his company’s treatment approach several years ago, he began documenting ant control calls. It didn’t take long for him to recognize the new market opportunity specific to ant control.

“Looking back, we see that trend for termites, roaches and fleas. With the products available today and what may be coming, it just makes sense to offer separate services for ants,” he said. “Our industry treated pests the same way for 40+ years. Considering the last 10 to 15 years, it’s been almost constant change. Today, you have to change and adapt to succeed.”

Successful Service Strategies

Companies considering offering ant treatment as a stand-alone service should consider the following suggestions to help ensure success.

Become an expert. Different ant species require different treatment methods. Taking the time to learn as much as possible will have a positive impact on an ant service program and help differentiate it from competitors.

“Identify the top five ants in your area and become an expert on them,” said Dan Collins, president of Collins Pest Management, Evansville, Ind. “Then you can start putting together what conducive conditions to look for on your inspection and identify the best strategy to treat each species.”

Build in time for a very thorough inspection. The majority of time on-site should be spent inspecting the structure and property, not applying the treatment.

“The most important part of any ant treatment is a complete survey,” said Joe Lupini, president, Loyal Termite and Pest Control, Richmond, Va. “We spend the majority of our time inspecting the area, identifying the ant species, looking for conditions that are attractive to that species and identifying the colony.”

A thorough inspection on the front end saves time and money in the long run. “Taking the time to identify the source, extent and severity of the ant infestation is a critical component to develop the most effective treatment plan,” Collins added.

Educate customers. Steve Venables, owner of Venables Pest Management, Olympia, Wash., considers educating customers an essential element that should be built into any ant management program.

“The more they understand, the easier your job is, but it takes more time up front,” he said. “Educating them on ant management practices makes the customer partly responsible for control as they need to take responsibility for conducive conditions in and around their homes.”

Identify the safest, most effective ant management practices. Venables said the way the industry used to treat ant problems using power sprayers seems unimaginable now, although it provided good control when that was what was available.

“With the products and formulations of today, you can go out and treat a home using just a fraction of the materials and can be more effective,” Venables said.
And if the current approach is not working, don’t be afraid to switch it up.

“While we now have several items to manage ants, many companies in my area only use one product instead of expanding to try several approaches,” said Norman Connolly, owner, Connolly Pest Management, Mesa, Ariz. “This limits their success because the ants’ dietary needs change throughout the year, the stage the colony is in changes and hot weather can have an impact as well.”