Ants
Ant control in Bakersfield
A trail across the counter usually leads back to a nest outside. Call to reach an independent company that handles ants around Bakersfield.
Calls answered early morning to late evening
Why ants come in during a Kern County summer
UC IPM says ants enter buildings looking for food, water, warmth, or refuge from dry, hot weather. They can appear suddenly when conditions outside change, and Bakersfield summers are long, hot and dry.
The Argentine ant is the most common ant around California homes. Its nests link into one large colony with many queens, so killing the ants you can see does little to the rest.
How to recognize the problem
- A steady line of small ants on a counter, baseboard or pipe.
- Ants in the pet bowl or the pantry, or on the bathroom sink.
- Trails on wires and pipes, which ants use as roads into a building.
- Small winged ants indoors. Winged ants can be mistaken for termites, so save one to describe on the call.
What an ant visit usually involves
Someone follows the trails to find where ants get in and where they might be nesting, then explains the options. Ant species differ in what they feed on, which is one reason to describe what you see.
UC IPM suggests that if you hire a company, you ask about baits and spot treatments instead of perimeter treatments or monthly sprays. It's a fair question to raise on the call, along with how to prepare and how long to stay out.
What you can do today
- Wipe trails with soapy water, which removes the scent ants follow.
- Store sweet food in sealed containers and rinse recycling.
- Caulk cracks around the foundation, and gaps where pipes and wires enter.
Ant questions
Why do ants come back after I spray?
Spray only reaches the ants you can see. The colony and its queens are usually elsewhere, so the trail returns.
Is it worth calling for ants?
If trails keep returning after you've cleaned and sealed, or ants have reached several rooms, it's a reasonable time to talk to a company.
Seeing something now? Make the call.
Say what you found, where you found it, and your ZIP. The company on the line can tell you how it would handle the job and what a visit involves.
Calls answered early morning to late evening. Calls may be recorded. Referral disclosure