Ants are one of the most common pests that restaurant owners face problems with, as ants are attracted to food sources, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better food source than a restaurant. Not only are ants unsightly for guests who are eating at your restaurant, these little insects are unsanitary and will make any food they get into unusable, potentially costing your business thousands of dollars. In this article, we’ll offer you some tips on how you can prevent ant infestations in your restaurant! If you have any questions about ant infestations or if you would like to get a free estimate on an ant extermination service for your restaurant in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, please contact Absolut Pest Control today!

Good Waste Management

Ants are drawn to sugary substances and leftover food, and your restaurant could be at risk of an infestation if you aren’t disposing of your waste properly. Waste management not only entails properly bagging and getting rid of food waste on time, but also reducing the amount of food that ends up on the ground without being cleaned properly in your restaurant. You should ensure that food crumbs and spills, especially from sugary food & drinks, are immediately cleaned up with soap and water to prevent the spot from being targeted by ants. This should not only apply to the dining area but also within the kitchen. When it comes to waste disposal, you should make use of sealed bins with tight-fitting lids to contain any trash or food waste.

Routine Cleaning

As mentioned above, if you want to keep your restaurant ant-free, you need to have a robust cleaning routine, not only within the restaurant, but also outside the restaurant, especially where waste disposal bins are kept. Cleaning should be done with soap, water, and other effective cleaning agents and it should cover every part of the restaurant from the dining tables, to the floors, the counters, the windows, the ceilings, the walls, and most importantly, the kitchen. It is good practice to make sure that every spill and crumb is cleaned up as quickly as possible to avoid attracting ants.

Inspect Your Kitchen & Waste Disposal Sites Regularly

If you want to avoid an ant infestation, you need to make sure that you perform inspections on the areas they may target, such as the dining area, kitchen, and waste disposal bins. You also need to inspect all windows, walls, and crevices of your restaurant to make sure that ants are not forming colonies. Whenever you see a train of ants moving around your restaurant, make sure to kill them and clean up the area to erase the pheromones, preventing them from reporting the viability of the site back to the colony.

Hire A Pest Control Professional

One of the best ways to solve and prevent ant infestations in your restaurant is to hire a professional pest control company. Here at Absolut Pest Control, we offer effective, affordable extermination services for ants and other insects to commercial customers in Massachusetts and Southeastern New Hampshire. We also offer regular pest inspection services that will help you prevent future infestations in your business! Please contact our team at Absolut Pest Control today to learn more!

Contact Absolut Pest Control!

If you have any questions about ant infestations or are currently experiencing an ant problem in your Massachusetts or New Hampshire business, please contact our team at Absolut Pest Control today! We provide home and business owners in MA & NH with a wide range of affordable pest removal & extermination services! Get a free pest control estimate today by calling us at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!

Most people know about the dangers of termites and how they can cause significant damage to the wooden structures in a home, but there is another wood-damaging insect that you should be keeping your eye out for: carpenter ants! While carpenter ants are typically not quite as destructive as termites, they can still cause thousands of dollars in damages when they infest your home and tunnel through wooden doors, window frames, porches, joists, beams, and more. In this article, we’ll offer some tips on how you can identify, prevent, and control carpenter ant infestations! If you have any questions about carpenter ants or are a Massachusetts homeowner that would like a free estimate on a carpenter ant control service, please contact our team at Absolut Pest Control today by calling us at (978) 388-4589!

Carpenter Ant Identification

Spotting a carpenter ant isn’t too tough if you know what to look for. Carpenter ants tend to be larger than common black ants, usually measuring ½” to ⅝” long. Color-wise, they can range from jet black to a dark brownish red. What sets them apart from other ants, physically, are their smooth, rounded backs, which is unlike other ants that tend to have a more uneven silhouette.

If you notice a fine, sawdust-like material near wooden structures in your home, it can be a telltale sign of a carpenter ant infestation. They leave behind this debris, known as frass, as they tunnel through wood. If you’re noticing any signs of carpenter ants in your home, it’s important to contact a pest control professional as soon as possible!

Causes & Risks Of Carpenter Ant Infestations

Carpenter ants don’t need an invitation to enter your home. They work their way in through cracks and crevices around windows, doors, and electrical holes. These small insects also have an uncanny ability to crawl along tree limbs, shrubs, and even overhead wires, quickly making their way into your home. Some of the most common causes of carpenter ant infestations include:

• Moisture Problems: Areas with persistent moisture or water damage, such as leaky roofs, pipes, and damp basements, are prime real estate for carpenter ants.
• Old, Rotting Wood: If your home has old, decayed wood in structures, decks, or landscaping, it’s like rolling out the welcome mat for these pests.
• Cracks and Openings: Small openings around windows, doors, and foundation cracks provide perfect entry points for carpenter ant colonies.
• Nearby Vegetation: Overhanging tree branches or plants in contact with your home’s structure can serve as bridges for carpenter ants to enter your residence.
• Stored Firewood or Lumber: Stacks of firewood or lumber that are kept close to your home can harbor carpenter ants, making it easy for them to transition from the woodpile to your living spaces.

How To Prevent & Control Carpenter Ant Infestations

The best way to prevent carpenter ant infestations is to make your home less attractive to them. This means controlling moisture and sealing those cracks and crevices that we mentioned above. Furthermore, be sure to stay on top of routine home maintenance as your home is at greater risk for an infestation if it is not properly kept up. Be sure to keep vegetation from getting too close to your home, as this creates the perfect vehicle for carpenter ants to make their way in. 

Even if you’re doing everything right to try to prevent these wood-damaging insects from entering your home, they may still find their way in. The best way to control a carpenter ant infestation is to contact a professional with extensive experience dealing with these wood-damaging pests. If you’re a home or business owner in Massachusetts that is currently experiencing a problem with carpenter ants, contact our team at Absolut Pest Control today to get a free carpenter ant control estimate!

Contact Absolut Pest Control!

If you need assistance identifying, preventing, or treating a carpenter ant infestation in your Massachusetts or Southern New Hampshire home, please contact our team at Absolut Pest Control today for a free estimate! We provide various pest removal and extermination services at affordable prices throughout the region! Give us a call today at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website to get a free estimate!

Ants are one of the most common household pests in Massachusetts and the United States as a whole. While common black ants do not pose a major threat to you or your home, as they rarely cause damage or transmit diseases, they’re still a nuisance. Carpenter ants, however, can cause serious damage to your home, as they like to burrow into wood to create their nests, which can result in damage to the structure of your home. Regardless of the type of ant you’re dealing with, these little six-legged insects shouldn’t be bothering you this summer! In this article, we’ll offer some tips on how you can prevent ant infestations during the hot summer months here in Massachusetts!

Most Common Types Of Ants In New England

While New England is home to many ant species, there are three types of ants that most commonly cause problems for home and business owners in Massachusetts:

• • Carpenter Ants: These ants are one of the largest species in North America, usually measuring between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in length. While these ants do not actually eat wood, they do like to create their nests in damp or rotting wood, potentially causing damage to your home.
  • Odorous House Ants: These ants get their name from the strong odor they emit when killed. Odorous house ants are quite small when compared to other ant species, as they are usually only about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch in length. These ants are attracted to sweet foods and are often found in kitchens and other places where food is stored.
  • Pavement Ants: These ants get their name from the fact that they are often seen on roads, sidewalks, and driveways. Pavement ants are another small ant species with similar size to odorous house ants. These ants are also attracted to sweet foods and when they get into homes, they are often found searching for food in kitchens and pantries.

Ant Infestation Prevention Tips

The best way to prevent ant infestations this summer is to hire an experienced pest control company who can find and fix vulnerabilities in your home or business, preventing ants from ever entering your premises. There are also some DIY steps you can take to help prevent ant infestations this summer:

• Find and seal off any cracks and holes around your home that ants may be using as an entry point.
• Repair any damaged screens on your doors and windows.
• Store food in airtight containers.
• Frequently sweep and vacuum to pick up any food crumbs that may end up on your floors, countertops, and tables.
• Fix any plumbing issues and water leaks that may be attracting ants.
• Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
• Don’t leave pet food out for long periods of time.
• Landscape your yard to avoid overgrowth.

Contact Absolut Pest Control For Ant Control Solutions In MA & NH!

If your home or business in Massachusetts or New Hampshire is experiencing an ant problem, Absolut Pest Control is here to help! Our team has years of experience dealing with ants and various other insects, so you can count on us to solve your problem and prevent these pests from coming back! Give us a call today at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

All ants can be nuisances, invading your home in search of food and multiplying to the point where it can become a serious issue. Here in the northeast, the two types of ants we most commonly see homeowners have problems with are common black ants and carpenter ants. These two species of ants can look reasonably similar to the naked eye, but the dangers they bring to your home are vastly different. In this article, we’ll go over the main differences between common black ants & carpenter ants and give you some tips on what you can do to prevent them!

Common Black Ant Characteristics

Common black ants are the ant species that many of us are accustomed to. These ants are scavengers and commonly enter homes searching for food and water. When black ants enter your home, they often come with a large group and will stick around if there is ample food for them to forage. Black ants are typically five to seven millimeters long and have three noticeable body sections: the head, thorax, and abdomen. They commonly invade homes in the New England spring & summertime and can be a nuisance to get rid of once they have taken up residence.

Carpenter Ant Characteristics

Carpenter ants are typically a little bit larger than black ants, as they are usually around ½ inch long. Carpenter ants also have a heart-shaped head, a slight bend or crook in their antennae, and are more likely to have a dual set of wings. While physical differences are important for identifying the species of ant, the most impactful difference between carpenter ants and black ants is the damage they can cause to your home. Similar to termites, carpenter ants can damage the structural integrity of your home. These ants burrow into and make their nests in wood, weakening the walls and framing of your home or building. Carpenter ants typically make their homes in wet wood, so keep your eye out for signs of them in your kitchen, bathroom, and any other room that’s commonly exposed to moisture.

Tips On Preventing Ants

The best way to prevent common black ants is to thoroughly clean your home of any and all food crumbs. Be sure to regularly vacuum carpets, hardwood, and tiles to pick up any food that may be on the ground. Preventing carpenter ants can be a little more tricky. These ants target wet wood and moisture, so it’s essential to make sure you don’t have any leaks or water spots in the walls, floors, and ceilings of your home. If you notice carpenter ants around your house or building, it’s essential to contact a pest control professional as soon as possible to prevent or remedy any damage to the structure of your home.

Contact Absolut Pest Control!

If you have an ant problem in northeastern Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire, Absolut Pest Control is always here to help! Our team has years of experience dealing with ants and various other insects, so you can count on us to solve your problem and prevent these pests from coming back! Give us a call today at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!