The BugGuys program involves many steps for Ant control.

Basics of ant control using baits and minimal pesticides:

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  First is the Identification process.

Know your enemy.
For the purpose of this discussion we are going to use the Argentine Ant.

(Iridomyrmex humilis)

This ant is a major nuisance ant. These ants infest entire neighborhoods and control is focused on
keeping them out of the structure. While this program has been shown to greatly reduce the population in
a specific area. That result has taken many seasons and close to 30% of the homes treated in a
neighborhood with this program.

Moisture is the key:

 These ants prefer to nest in moisture rich areas, landscape changes are required to gain complete control.

  Structures with moisture issues need to address these or control will be greatly affected. Around the structure there needs to be a 12-18 inch border of material such as stones, pebbles, lava rocks etc.
 Keep the perimeter free of leaves and other material that will trap or bind with moisture. Below the border needs to be a “weed block” material so that water will drain. Do not use plastic as this will just trap moisture and ants will nest below it making control extremely difficult.

Inspect the perimeter and observe any areas of moss or fungus growth.

This growth will show an area of moisture build up. Sometimes just trimming bushes away from the area will allow enough sun to get into the area and help clear up the moisture.
Other times more drastic measures need to be taken. Look for misdirected down spots or gutter problems or a sprinkler that is misdirected. Inspect the entire structure for these issues as well, even if no moss or fungus's are present.

 Leaking faucets and A/C drip lines are also a prime source of moisture.
A/C drip lines need to be diverted from the structure or plumped into drainpipes.

Argentine ants are climbers, if they nest next to a structure they will climb that structure in search of food
and water.

 Changing the landscape now will help prevent them from nesting next to the building. All trees and shrubs need to be trimmed so that they do not touch the structure. If mulch is used under the shrubs, pick mulch that is a hard wood variety. Soft woods tend to absorb more moisture. Hence stay away from Pine chips and Pine straw , keep leaf litter to a minimum.

 There has been a few studies done to come up with the best mulch type to aid in insect reduction and termite repellency.

So far no definitive results have been made to show one type of mulch is better then the other. But most all agree that soft woods and definitely pine straw is a huge contributing factor in ant and other insect levels.

Food Sources:

The main food source for Argentine ants and most other ants is the by-product of plant sucking insects.

“Honeydew”

As you may know Argentine ants actually farm Aphids for the food source. Since our program relies mainly on baits to control these ants. Eliminating the natural food source will make the baits much more effective from the start. Giving a faster and longer knockdown.

Treat the landscape with a systemic product labeled for aphids and other plant-sucking insects.

Read the
label carefully and apply the product ahead of time to allow the product to be in the plant system as spring
begins and aphids begin to appear. Since systemic take some time to get though the plants system
planning ahead of time is critical.

Placing Bait Outside around the structure:

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