I've been doing this job for over thirty years. I've seen ant infestations that made grown men cry. I've treated homes where the colony had been living in the walls since before the current owners bought the place. Ants are patient. More patient than most people give them credit for.
But the colony I found near the utility access box on Mockingbird Lane — that one was different.
I'm not going to say they were placed there. I'm just going to say that the trail pattern doesn't match any natural foraging behavior I've documented in my logbooks, and I've been keeping logbooks since 1994. The pattern was geometric. Deliberate. And it led directly to the main junction box of the property's exterior electrical system.
I'm not drawing any conclusions. I'm just noting it in the record.
What You Can Actually Do About Ants
First thing: identify the species. Argentine ants require different treatment from fire ants, which require different treatment from carpenter ants. If you don't know what you're dealing with, you're guessing. I don't guess.
For most residential ant problems, a two-step approach works: perimeter barrier spray combined with bait stations near active trails. Don't just kill the workers you can see. You need to reach the queen. Everything else is theater.
Boric acid bait is effective for slow-kill scenarios where you want the workers to carry the poison back to the nest. It takes patience. Most people give up too soon. Don't give up too soon.
For the exterior: treat a two-to-three-foot band around the foundation with a residual insecticide. Re-treat every sixty to ninety days depending on rainfall. Texas rain washes product. I don't care what the label says. Treat more frequently.
What I'm Not Going to Say
I'm not going to say that the colony on Mockingbird Lane relocated exactly forty-eight hours after a certain non-descript white vehicle was seen parked on the street. I'm not going to say that because I have no way to prove causation.
What I will say is: if you've got an ant problem that doesn't respond to standard treatment, call me. Some situations require a closer look.
— D. Gribble
About the Author
Dave Gribble has been in the pest control business since 1992. He lives in Texas. He works alone, by preference. He does not have social media accounts, which he considers a security feature.