Ants

Carpenter Ant	Citronella Ant	Pavement Ant	Pharaoh Ant

Click on a Pest for Identification, Information, and Treatment.

Carpenter Ants

Basic characteristics:

Carpenter ants range in color from all black to reddish-black. They vary in size from 1/4" to 3/4" in length, with the queen being the largest. The female reproductive ants have wings and are sometimes confused with termites, which are much smaller than carpenter reproductive ants. (Please refer to our termite page to compare the difference.)

Time of year they are active:

In the Northeast, carpenter ants are usually seen as soon as the cold weather breaks. However, that doesn't mean you won't have a problem during the winter months! If there is an infestation on an inside wall, and if the inside walls of your home stay warm, you may see ant activity in the winter.

The damage they can do:

Carpenter ants are commonly found in wood in the home, and wooded areas near the home. Although ants do not "eat" the wood, they do excavate tunnels through the wood for nesting purposes. They prefer wood that is wet or damp, as it is easier to bore through. Over time, they can cause as much structural damage as termites.

You'll know you have carpenter ants if you see:

• Signs of wood shavings (resembling sawdust) mixed with insect body parts in or around your  house
• Ant activity inside the house during inclement weather and rainy days. 
• Ants carrying a dead insect -including one of their own-  toward your house. These are the foragers bringing food back to the nest to feed the others.

Are they dangerous?

The danger is in the potential damage they can do to your house. Carpenter ants are not dangerous to people or pets. A carpenter ant might bite if it feels threatened, but it would be no worse than a fingernail scratch.

Why are they in my home?

Ants enter homes in search of food and water and to establish satellite colonies, which are extensions of the main colony. Satellite colonies can be found throughout the home, from the attic to the basement, and anywhere in between.

Our treatment-and our promise to you:

Our goal is to eliminate your ant problem during our first visit. If you see more ant activity after the treatment, we will re-treat, free of charge, over the warranty period.

Our Carpenter Ant Elimination Service starts with a complete inspection of your home to find the cause of your problem. We then treat the infestation at its source, with our non-repellant insecticides. This strategy ensures that the foraging ants will bring the insecticide into the original colony, where it will be contaminated and eliminated. This enables us to solve your carpenter ant problem, in most cases, without drilling and treating inside the walls of your home. It's an effective treatment, guaranteed to eliminate the source of the ant infestation with the least amount of inconvenience.

What happens after treatment?

The biggest challenge is to be patient and not kill the ants that may continue to forage inside your house after the treatment. In fact, if the colony resides in your house, it is normal to see ant activity for two to three weeks following treatment. 

Is the treatment safe?

Safety is one of our primary concerns at Guaranty Pest Elimination. Because pesticides are designed to kill insects, there are inherent dangers. However, a professional service technician, well trained in handling and applying insecticides, reduces the risks associated with pesticide treatments. And remember, it's always important to keep people and pets out of and away from the area while a treatment is underway, and until treated surfaces have dried.

Year-after-year protection?

Now is a great time to protect your home for the entire season. For just a little extra, you can arrange for a Full Maintenance Program to protect your family against the threat of ants, bees, mice, and many other pests that can invade your home!

Once you experience our service and results,
you'll never think of using another company.

Click  to read why a pest elimination service by Guaranty Pest
Elimination is your best option.

How the Carpenter Ant Made
Guaranty Pest Elimination an Industry Leader.

The Carpenter Ant is one of our specialties. Just a few years ago, the only way to eliminate a colony of Carpenter Ants from a home effectively was to find the nest, drill into the wall voids and inject an insecticide directly into the infestation. We can now eliminate your carpenter ant problem with the least amount of inconvenience. Read more

Pavement Ants

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Basic characteristics:

Pavement Ants are about 1/16"-1/8" in size and usually dark brown to black in color. These ants usually have spines or "hairs" all along their body. They can be found nesting near or around sidewalks, driveways, foundations, and basements.

Time of year they are active:

Pavement ants are usually seen in the summer months in high numbers. Although they are still active during winter months, they are usually not as visible. They nest in warm areas of your home. Slab homes are more susceptible to pavement ants because heating pipes underneath the slab make for a nice warm environment. 

The damage they can do:

Although Pavement Ants do no real damage to your home. Once they find your food cabinets they will most likely contaminate several of the sweeter food products. Otherwise, they are more of a nuisance than anything else.

You'll know you have pavement ants:

Small piles of sand near their favorite entryways into your home are a sign of pavement ants; for example, near your sidewalks and along the foundation, or small ant hills in the lawn, particularly in areas where the lawn is thin.

Are they dangerous?

Pavement ants can bite, but they are not poisonous. 

Why are they in my home?

Pavement ants are attracted to homes with moisture problems. They are also attracted to any kind of food that is greasy or sweet, including pet food.

Year-after-year-protection...

Now is a great time to protect your home for the entire season. For just a little extra, you can arrange for a Full Maintenance Program to protect your family against the threat of ants,bees,mice, and many other pests that can invade your home!

 Our treatment and our promise to you:

Our goal is to eliminate your ant problem during our first visit. If you see more ant activity after the treatment, we will re-treat, free of charge, throughout the warranty period.

Our Ant Elimination Service starts with a complete inspection of your home to find the cause of your problem. We then treat the infestation with our non-repellant insecticides. This strategy ensures that the foraging ants will bring the insecticide into the breeding nest site, where it will contaminate and eliminate the entire colony.

 What happens after treatment?

The biggest challenge is to be patient and not kill the ants that may continue to appear in or near your house after the treatment. In fact, if the colony resides in your house, it is normal to see ant activity for the two to three weeks following treatment.

Is the treatment safe?

Safety is one of our primary concerns at Guaranty Pest Elimination. Because pesticides are designed to kill insects, there are inherent dangers. However, a professional service technician, well trained in handling and applying insecticides, reduces the risks associated with pesticide treatments. And remember, it's always important to keep people and pets out of and away from the area while a treatment is underway, and until treated surfaces have dried.

Year-after-year protection...

Now is a great time to protect your home for the entire season. For just a little extra, you can arrange for a Full Maintenance Program to protect your family against the threat of ants, bees, mice, and many other pests that can invade your home!

Once you experience our service and results,
you'll never think of using another company.

Click  to read why a pest elimination service by Guaranty Pest
Elimination is your best option.

Pharaoh Ants

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Basic characteristics:

Pharaoh ants range from light yellow to reddish brown in color and are very small, measuring only 1/15" to 1/12" long. They like to live between walls, under floors, above ceilings, behind baseboards and switch plates, in old trash, and sometimes in linens. They prefer to nest on porous surfaces and forage in moist areas. Pharaoh ants eat anything from sweets to protein.

Time of year they are active:

Pharaoh ants are seen in warm weather, starting in late spring and through the summer. You may also see them in the winter near a warm place, like the interior wall voids of your home.

The damage they can do:

Pharaoh ants are nothing more than a nuisance!

Why are they in my home?

Pharaoh ants come into homes because they are attracted to food and moisture. If your house proves to be a good source of food and moisture, pharaoh ants will move their entire colony inside.

Our treatment and our promise to you:

Spraying will cause pharaoh ants to split up and start several new colonies throughout your home. Homeowners should never spray these ants with insecticide or use a cleaning product near them. A baiting strategy or the application of non-repellent insecticide are the preferred treatment methods.

Our goal is to eliminate your ant problem during our first visit. If you see more ant activity after the treatment, we will re-treat, free of charge, throughout the warranty period.

Our Ant Elimination Service starts with a complete inspection of your home to find the cause of your problem. We then treat the infestation with our non-repellant insecticide or implement a baiting strategy. Either of these methods ensures that the foraging ants will bring the insecticide into the heart of the colony, where it will be contaminated and eliminated.

What happens after treatment?

The biggest challenge is to be patient and not kill the ants that may continue to appear in or near your house after the treatment. In fact, if the colony resides in your house, it is normal to see ant activity for tow to three weeks after treatment.

Is the treatment safe?

Safety is one of our primary concerns at Guaranty Pest Elimination. Because pesticides are designed to kill insects, there are inherent dangers. However, a professional service technician, well trained in handling and applying insecticides, reduces the risks associated with pesticide treatments. And remember, it's always important to keep people and pets out of and away from the area while a treatment is underway, and until treated surfaces have dried.

Year-after-year protection?

Now is a great time to protect your home for the entire season. For just a little extra, you can arrange for a Full Maintenance Program to protect your family against the threat of ants, bees, mice, and many other pests that can invade your home!

Once you experience our service and results,
you'll never think of using another company.

Click  to read why a pest elimination service by Guaranty Pest
Elimination is your best option.

Citronella Ants

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Basic characteristics:

Citronella ants are yellowish-red to yellowish-brown in color and approximately 1/5" long.

Time of year they are active:

When it first starts getting warm in the spring, the winged citronella ant makes its appearance. They are approximately 1/2" long during this reproductive stage.They reproduce and usually vanish.  

The damage they can do:

They cause no damage to either you or your home.  

You'll know you have citronella ants:

If they look like the citronella ant (see Basic Characteristics, above) and if you crush the ant in a napkin or tissue and it gives off a citronella scent, chances are it is a citronella ant.

Are they dangerous?

Citronella ants are not dangerous to you or your pets.

Why are they in my home?

These ants enter homes because they are living near or around your house and want a warm place to reproduce. They feed exclusively on the "honeydew" produced by aphids (not honeydew melon). So, unless you have an aphid infestation, the citronella ants won't be staying long!

Our treatment and our promise to you:

This is the one ant for which we do not recommend treatment. The activity is typically gone within a day or so without the use of insecticides.

Year-after-year protection?

Now is a great time to protect your home for the entire season. We can arrange for a Full Maintenance Program to protect your family against the threat of ants, bees, mice, and many other pests that can invade your home!

Once you experience our service and results,
you'll never think of using another company.

Click  to read why a pest elimination service by Guaranty Pest
Elimination is your best option.