Pacific Northwest Pest Control Blog

Why Ants are Invading your Home The Scout Ant: The First to Discover Food Ants are highly resourceful and curious creatures, and they’re constantly foraging for food. If you’ve suddenly noticed a swarm of ants inside your home, a scout ant likely found something appealing—whether it’s food or moisture—and left behind a pheromone trail to signal the colony. Scout ants can travel quite a distance, especially species like carpenter ants, which can forage up to a few hundred yards away from their nest! The Role of Pheromone Trails Once a scout ant finds food, it marks the path back to the...

Dealing with Hidden Wasps Inside Your Home Sometimes, wasp nests are hidden within the walls, attic, or crawl space of your home. These nests are harder to spot and even harder to deal with. If you suspect you have a hidden nest, here’s how to find it and safely address the problem. 1. Identifying the Nest Location If you notice an increase in wasp activity around specific areas of your home, check for possible entry points, such as cracks in the siding, gaps around windows, or areas where utility lines enter the house. This could indicate the presence of a nest inside the walls or attic....

Over-the-counter traps, like Terro, can seem helpful. But often, ants just die in the trap without carrying bait back to the nest. That means the colony keeps going. What Is The Best Ant Bait For Sugar Ants? If you’re serious about solving a sugar ant invasion, consider the best ant baits and products for effective control early on in your strategy. These help ensure that you are not just killing visible ants but targeting the colony, too. Professional Picks: Advion and Niban We use Advion ant gel indoors and Niban (a boric acid-based bait) outdoors. These products are more targeted and...

How Exterminators Tackle Ant Problems 1. Ants Enter Through Your Foundation Exterminators often find that ants are entering homes through cracks in the foundation. Once they get inside, they typically travel through walls, emerging from gaps behind baseboards or electrical faceplates. Sometimes ants even enter via tree branches that touch the exterior of the home. 2. The Extermination Process: Treating the Problem at the Source A good extermination plan involves not just spraying where you see ants, but targeting their entry points. Treatment often starts with spraying around the...

Do Ants Sleep? A Fascinating Look at Ant Behavior 1. The Night Owls of the Insect World Ants are generally active all the time, but they do have peak periods of activity. They tend to be most active during the evening and early morning hours, which is why you might notice more ants in your home at night. 2. The Resilience of Ants Ants don’t exactly “sleep” like humans do. Instead, they rest during periods of inactivity, but they’re always prepared to forage or defend their colony when necessary. This constant activity makes them one of the most persistent creatures around.  Sugar Ant...

Introduction: The Risks of Handling Wasp Nests Yourself in Washington While it’s tempting to remove a wasp nest yourself, it’s important to understand the risks involved and how to safely handle the situation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to safely removing a nest, when to call professionals, and tips for minimizing the danger. 1. Why Timing Is Crucial in Washington The best time to tackle a wasp nest is in the early morning or late evening, when the wasps are less active and all the individuals are likely to be inside the nest. During these times, the wasps are more likely to stay...