Who’s In Control?

Alexander Wild

A multi-pronged approach is how pest control operations best treat and prevent ants. That means implementing a combination of pesticide applications, sanitation, exclusion and vacuuming. And, PMPs need to be sure customers are not in the dark about their treatment approach.

“You don’t want them to squish the ant when it goes to the bait, so we tell them, ‘When you see this ant going and collecting the product, let them take it back to the colony. Let the bait do what it’s supposed to do,’” says Josh Nielsen, service manager, Gecko Pest Control in Marshall and Longview, Texas. Another temptation for clients is to spray and wipe up the ants they see traveling to or from the bait.

Hunter Bowman says, “In situations where customers may be self-treating before we arrive, we see a scattering situation so it can make it more difficult to determine the plan of action or find the point of entry.” So, the pest service manager for Ace Exterminating in Joelton, Tenn., is sure to find out what methods a client has tried before inviting Ace to the party. Also, technicians ensure that all over-the-counter pest control solutions are removed so the company’s integrated pest management program will work.

Almost every PMP who took the survey for PCT’s State of the Ant Control Market report, sponsored by Syngenta, said they use pesticides to manage ants (98 percent). Read on to learn more about this important service offering.