Massachusetts Ant Control

There are approximately 14,000 species of ants in the world. But here in Massachusetts, the species we tend to see most often are far more limited. The most common ants in New England include the odorous house ant, the pavement ant, the carpenter ant, and the pharaoh ant. Each of these ants presents some unique challenges in controlling them. While all are capable of causing some level of damage, carpenter ants are, by far, the most serious when it comes to compromising the structural integrity of a building. Ants are small, social insects that reside in large colonies. One small colony can easily support thousands of ants.

There are three things that ants need for survival: food, shelter, and moisture. Without these three elements, it becomes impossible for an ant, let alone an entire colony, to survive. When you think of your home, take it from the perspective of an ant by asking these three questions: Are you providing shelter? Do you have a moisture problem somewhere that's conducive to ant activity? And do you have a food source that's attractive to ants? If you answer yes to these questions, it's time to take corrective action. Keep in mind, the sole purpose of an ant is to care for and protect its colony. Foraging ants are usually the ones you see: seeking food, water, and a new place to call home - your house!

The most common ants in Massachusetts and New England are mainly considered by experts to be nuisance pests. In other words, they are not highly poisonous, and in turn, are generally not considered dangerous to humans or pets. Carpenter ants, however, cause structural damage by making their nests in wood. This could potentially cause a risk to humans.

One of the challenges of eliminating an ant colony is that the ants you see are only the tip of the iceberg. By some accounts, 90 percent of an ant colony is located in an area you can't see. If you’ve treated on your own, the product you used may kill the ants you see, but there’s no residual capability to impact the rest of the colony.

Burgess Pest Management’s ant specialists are trained to rely on Integrated Pest Management to effectively treat with the correct residual products or gel baits. We also rely on natural and biological controls to eliminate ant colonies. By locating the approximate location of the nest, we have a much higher likelihood of eliminating the queen. Remember, no queen means no colony. And no colony means a happy, ant-free customer.

At Burgess Pest Management, we know how important it is to solve your pest problem as soon as possible. That's why we offer emergency and same day service, and in most cases we can be there the very next day.

Safety is always our top priority. Burgess Pest Management is a Quality Pro Certified company; our industry's highest distinction. We are also a pest management firm based on the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques. IPM is a system of controls and barriers that limit the need to treat for pests with a chemical. It's only when a certain environmental or economic threshold is crossed that a Pest Management Professional will resort to the use of a low impact product, which may include gel baits.

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That's one way to answer this question. Most of our customers are enrolled in Pad Protection Plans which offer year-round proactive control against ants and dozens of other pests. A regular pest management program can help prevent future ant infestations.