Hello, my name is Aaron Taylor. Me and my dad started a Pest control company here in Reno. We have been in the pest control business for 10 years. I joined to give some advice on fighting these ants, because i have seen some advice given that can lead to worsening the issue rather than helping it. First off, these ants are most likely "odorous house ants" so you can do some more targeted research on them. These type of ants are very good at surviving. When the colony is stressed, they will fracture. Fracturing is when a queen ant takes a number of workers, and relocates to a new area. There are multiple queens to do this, and when they do, the issue spreads. This is a survival action taken by the colony, hence why they are tough to get rid of. The key to fighting these ants is not to stress them. Applying chemicals that kill on contact is the worst thing you can do with these particular ants. Baits do work, but it takes quite a bit to get enough into the colony to kill off ALL the nest. Generally baits will knock down the population in the colony to a minimal amount, but they will rebuild. This is why some things work for a while then they come back in a few months. Wiping the tables/floors/and counters with a mixture of dish soap and water will break down the pheromone trails they use to navigate and communicate. This will help keep them from walking all over your usable areas. but a chemical application is needed to target the colony. there are many liquid chemicals that work well, but you must do your research to make sure the product you use is not a fast acting poison. Some recommended products we have found effective are: Arilon, Phantom, and Termidor. There are others as well, but these are fairly common. These are products that should be used by pest management professionals, but if you take the time to read the directions, you will be able to use them just the same as we can. You will need a hand sprayer to apply the product. I recommend Arilon/Phantom for interiors, and Termidor for exteriors. You do want to treat the areas that they forage and "trail". I recommend treating all the baseboards in kitchen, and going around the exterior foundation of the home also. I would NOT treat above counter height with spray, but use a treated towel and wipe other areas with product. These products are designed to allow the ants to move over it for a few days before it takes effect, this allows the ants to become infected and then carry the product back into the colony. As they pass each other, they will transmit the product onto the ants that touch them. This is why these products work, but you have to ignore the ants while they are spreading the product to the rest of the colony. try not to disturb them for a few days after treatment. Lastly for those of you who are skeptical about the use of pesticides and chemicals, this is not the option for you. I realize not everyone is on the same page with regard to using chemicals. These chemicals when used as per the directed mixing instructions, and handled with care, are no more dangerous then medicines or cleaning chemicals. Again, this is best left to professionals who do this for a living, and know what to look for, but if that is not an option, this can be done by homeowners if directions are followed. If you are not going to read the directions fully, DO NOT USE CHEMICALS OF ANY KIND. If anyone has any further questions, I will follow this thread, and reply back when i can, or you could call me and i can walk you through it. I don't want anyone to feel as though I'm advertising on here, that is not my purpose, I just want to help prevent the issue from getting out of hand. Aaron Taylor 775-830-9310
