Ant Control in King, Pierce & Thurston Counties

Odorous house ants: the little ants that keep coming back

Small brown or black ants trailing across a counter, around a sink or toward food may be odorous house ants. Customers often call them sugar ants, although that nickname can describe more than one kind of ant.

These ants are a household nuisance and do not damage structural wood. The ants you can see may be only part of the activity, so removing a trail does not necessarily resolve the colony behind it.

Tell us where they first appeared, whether the trail returns to the same place and whether you've already tried a product. That information helps us discuss recurring activity and the next step.

Carpenter ants: understand the signs around your home

Carpenter ants are often larger than other household ants and may be black or a combination of red and black. They excavate wood to make nesting spaces; they do not eat the wood.

Repeated indoor sightings, ants consistently entering the same area of a building or unexplained sawdust-like material near wood deserve a closer look. An ant seen outdoors does not, by itself, establish that your home has an indoor nest.

A professional assessment can help distinguish ants passing through from activity that warrants further investigation. If you have a photo of the ants or material you've found, include a wider view showing its location.

Pavement ants: activity around paths, pavers and the house

Pavement ants are small brown-to-black ants that can nest in soil beneath stones or pavement and sometimes inside buildings. You may first notice activity around a walkway or patio before seeing ants indoors.

Seeing ants outside does not automatically mean the house is infested. Recurring trails into living areas are a useful reason to ask for help identifying the ant and the route it is using.

A short video showing where the ants enter or leave can be more helpful than a very close, blurry photo. Tell us whether the activity is outdoors only or also appearing inside.

Moisture ants: look at the damp conditions as well as the ants

Moisture ants are often associated with decaying wood and damp conditions. When they are found in or under a home, checking for moisture and wood decay is an important part of understanding the concern.

Tell us about any nearby leak, damp area or damaged wood you've already noticed. The next step may involve addressing those conditions along with the ant activity.

You don't need to open a wall or enter a crawl space before contacting us. Start with what you can already see and describe.

Thatching ants: when an outdoor mound becomes a concern

Thatching ants often build outdoor mounds using soil and plant material such as grass or needles. Many are red and black, although appearance varies. They can bite when disturbed and rarely nest inside homes.

The mound's location matters. Activity near a play area, a frequently used path or a place where pets spend time raises different practical concerns from a mound in an undisturbed part of the property.

Tell us where the activity is and how it is affecting use of the yard. A photo from a comfortable distance can help start the conversation; there is no need to disturb the mound.

A few useful things to note before we talk

• Where you first noticed the ants and whether the activity is indoors, outdoors or both.
• When it started and whether the ants return to the same spot.
• Any nearby moisture, damaged wood or visible trail you've noticed.
• The name of any product you've already used, and where and when you used it.

You don't need to gather every detail before calling. Whatever you've noticed is a useful starting point.

What you can do right now

Wipe up food spills, keep food in closed containers, remove leftover pet food and address an accessible drip if you can. These steps reduce attractants, although they may not resolve an established infestation.

If you are already following a treatment plan, check before adding other products or changing bait placements. Let us know what has been used so we can take it into account.