What to Expect During an Ant Treatment
If you have booked an ant treatment with Surekill Pest Control, knowing how to prepare and what to expect can help you get the best results from your service.
This guide explains how to prepare your home or business before treatment, what your technician may do during the service, what to expect after treatment, and the practical steps you can take to help reduce future ant activity.
Ant treatments can vary depending on the ant species, where the ants are nesting and foraging, and the conditions around the property. Your technician will assess the activity and determine the most appropriate treatment approach for your situation.
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Booking Information
Booking and Treatment Time
Your scheduled booking time is an arrival window, not the time by which your treatment will be completed. For example, if your booking window is between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm, your technician may arrive at any time during that period. If the technician arrives at 12:00 pm and the treatment takes approximately one hour, the service may be completed around 1:00 pm.
Treatment times can vary depending on the size of the property, the level and location of ant activity, accessibility and the treatment methods required. Please allow sufficient time after your scheduled arrival window for the technician to complete the treatment.
Before Your Appointment
When booking, please let us know where you have been seeing ant activity, including any trails, entry points or areas where ants regularly appear. If possible, avoid disturbing or treating the ants yourself before your appointment, as visible ant trails can help the technician assess their movement and locate possible nesting and feeding areas.
Please also advise us of any areas that may be difficult to access and any relevant concerns about children, pets or sensitive areas at the property.
Weather Conditions
Some exterior ant treatments may be affected by rain or unsuitable weather conditions. If weather is likely to affect the effectiveness or safe application of the treatment, Surekill Pest Control may contact you to discuss whether the service should proceed or be rescheduled.
Free Service Period
Surekill Pest Control provides a one-month free service period for ant treatments. If you have concerns about continuing ant activity during this period, contact us so we can discuss the activity and determine whether a follow-up service is required.
Payment
Payment can be made by EFT/bank transfer, cash, EFTPOS or credit card. Payment is required before treatment commences.
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How to Prepare for an Ant Treatment
Leave Ant Activity Undisturbed
Where possible, avoid spraying, wiping away or disturbing visible ant trails before your appointment. The location and direction of ant trails can provide useful information to your technician when identifying where ants are travelling, feeding and potentially nesting.
Food and Kitchen Areas
Remove or securely store exposed food, including fruit, bread, snacks and pet food. Wipe up food spills and crumbs, clean food preparation areas and empty rubbish bins where necessary.
Do not leave dirty dishes, food containers or pet bowls containing food accessible to ants. Reducing alternative food sources is particularly important if ant baits are required as part of the treatment.
Outdoor Food Sources
Before treatment, remove or clean up food sources around outdoor areas where practical. This may include food scraps, dirty pet bowls and unrinsed food or drink containers.
If you have noticed ants regularly travelling on plants or vegetation around the property, let your technician know, as this may also help identify where the ants are feeding and travelling.
Clear Access to Ant Activity
Make areas where ants have been seen as accessible as possible. Remove unnecessary items from around skirting boards, cupboards, under sinks and other areas where ant activity has been noticed so the technician can inspect and treat these areas if required.
There is no need to empty every cupboard or completely clear the property unless Surekill Pest Control has specifically asked you to do so.
Clothes Lines and Outdoor Areas
Please remove clothing, towels, bedding and other items from clothes lines before your treatment if ant activity is nearby or the surrounding area is likely to be treated. Keep the clothes line clear until the treatment in that area has been completed.
Cleaning Before Treatment
Normal cleaning can be completed before your appointment. However, avoid using household insect sprays or applying your own pest-control products to areas of ant activity before the technician arrives, as this may interfere with the assessment or treatment.
Chemical Sensitivity
If you or anyone at the property has a known sensitivity to chemicals, please let Surekill Pest Control know before treatment. Additional precautions may be recommended depending on the treatment being carried out.
Follow your technician's instructions regarding when treated areas can be re-entered. Allow treated areas to fully dry and ensure the property is adequately ventilated where required.
Access to Roof and Subfloor
Please ensure your technician has safe and clear access to roof spaces, subfloors and other areas where ant activity has been noticed or may need to be inspected or treated.
Pets, Fish and Birds
Remove pets from areas that are going to be treated. Cover fish tanks and ponds, and cover bird cages before treatment. Your technician will advise when pets can safely return to treated areas and when covers can be removed.
Please let Surekill Pest Control know before treatment if you have pets, fish, birds or other animals that may require special consideration.
Water Tanks
If you have a rainwater tank or other water collection system, please let your technician know where the tank and any associated collection points are located before treatment.
Air Conditioners
Please turn off air conditioners while spray treatments are being carried out. Your technician will advise when they can be turned back on.
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Before Treatment
Discussing the Ant Activity
When your technician arrives, they will discuss where you have been seeing ants, how long the activity has been present and any areas of particular concern. Let the technician know about any ant trails, entry points or nesting areas you have noticed, even if the ants are not active at the time of the service.
Inspection and Assessment
Your technician will inspect the areas of ant activity and, where possible, follow ant trails to help determine where the ants are travelling, feeding and nesting.
Ants seen entering a crack, wall or other opening are not necessarily nesting in that location. They may simply be travelling through it, so identifying their movement and likely nesting areas is an important part of determining the appropriate treatment.
Selecting the Treatment
The treatment method will depend on factors such as the ant species, location of activity, nesting and foraging behaviour, accessibility and conditions around the property.
Depending on the situation, treatment may include ant baits, dusts, targeted sprays, direct nest treatments or residual treatments to areas where ants are travelling or entering the property. Not every treatment method will be required at every property.
Your technician will determine the most appropriate treatment for the ant activity identified during the inspection.
Before Treatment Begins
Before applying any treatment, your technician will take into consideration areas such as pets, fish ponds and tanks, bird cages, water tanks and other sensitive areas that have been identified.
If any additional preparation is required before treatment can begin, your technician will discuss this with you.
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Ant Treatment Process
Treatment of Ant Activity
Once the inspection and assessment are complete, your technician will carry out the treatment appropriate for the ant activity identified at your property.
Treatment may target nesting areas, ant trails, entry points, cracks and crevices, wall or roof voids, external areas and other locations where ants are active. The areas treated will depend on the ant species, location of the activity and the treatment method selected.
Ant Baiting
Where ant baits are used, worker ants are allowed to feed on the bait and carry it back to the colony, where it can be transferred through the colony. You may continue to see ants actively travelling to and from baited areas while this process is occurring.
Avoid disturbing the ants or removing the bait unless instructed by your technician. Reducing other available food sources is also important, as competing food can reduce the effectiveness of ant baiting.
Sprays, Dusts and Targeted Treatments
Depending on the location of the infestation, your technician may use targeted sprays, residual treatments or insecticidal dusts in suitable areas.
Where a nest can be located and safely accessed, direct treatment of the nesting area may be carried out. Where the nest cannot be accessed, treatment may instead target the ants' travel routes, entry points or other appropriate areas.
Treatment Around the Property
Ant activity can originate both inside and outside a building. Where required, your technician may inspect and treat appropriate internal and external areas to help control the infestation rather than treating only the ants that are visible inside.
Ants may nest in soil, gardens, paths, rockeries, wall cavities, roof spaces, subfloors and other concealed areas depending on the species. Treatment therefore needs to consider where the colony may be located as well as where the ants are being seen.
The treatment carried out at your property will be based on the technician's inspection and assessment, so not every treatment method described above will be required for every ant service.
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After Your Ant Treatment
Aftercare Instructions
Follow any specific aftercare instructions provided for the treatment carried out at your property. Different treatment methods may require different precautions.
Avoid disturbing ant baits, dusts or other treatment areas unless advised by Surekill.
Ant Activity After Treatment
It is normal to continue seeing some ant activity after treatment. The amount of activity and the time required for it to decrease will depend on the ant species, size and location of the colony, and the treatment method used.
If ant bait has been applied, ants may continue travelling to and from the bait while worker ants feed and carry it back to the colony. Avoid disturbing the ants or removing the bait while this process is occurring.
Cleaning Treated Areas
Avoid washing, scrubbing or using household cleaning products on treated surfaces immediately after treatment, as this may remove or reduce the effectiveness of residual treatments.
Areas that were not treated can continue to be cleaned normally. If you are unsure whether an area can be cleaned, contact Surekill before cleaning the treated surface.
Re-Entering Treated Areas
Keep people and pets away from treated areas until spray applications have completely dried.
If any additional precautions or re-entry instructions apply to the products or treatment methods used at your property, your Surekill technician will advise you of these requirements.
Ongoing Ant Activity
Ant control can take time, particularly where baiting is being used or the colony is located in an inaccessible or concealed area.
Ants may also change their travel routes in response to treatment, so activity appearing in a different location does not necessarily mean the treatment has been unsuccessful. Ants can find alternative routes between their nest and food sources.
If you are concerned about ongoing ant activity after your service, contact Surekill on (02) 4341 5585 so we can discuss what you are seeing and advise you on the next step.
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How to Help Keep Ants Away
Reduce Food Sources
Keep kitchen benches, floors and food preparation areas clean and promptly remove crumbs, spills and food residue. Store food in sealed containers and avoid leaving pet food out for extended periods.
Regularly empty rubbish bins and rinse food and drink containers before placing them in recycling bins.
Reduce Water and Moisture
Ants need access to moisture as well as food. Repair leaking taps, pipes and other plumbing problems, and avoid allowing water to continually collect around the property.
Check damp areas around kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, gardens and external walls where ants may find reliable sources of moisture.
Seal Entry Points
Where practical, seal cracks, gaps and openings around doors, windows, pipes and other areas where ants may enter the building.
Remember that sealing a visible entry point does not necessarily eliminate the colony. Ants may find another route if the underlying infestation has not been controlled.
Around the Property
Keep outdoor eating and barbecue areas clean and remove food scraps after use. Clean pet feeding areas and avoid leaving dirty pet bowls outdoors.
Maintain gardens and vegetation around the building and remove unnecessary materials or debris that may provide protected nesting or harbourage areas.
Keep an eye on plants around the property for ants regularly feeding or trailing through vegetation. Ants may be attracted to honeydew produced by sap-sucking insects such as aphids and scale insects, which can provide an ongoing food source.
Watch for New Ant Activity
Keep an eye out for new ant trails or activity around your home or business. Early identification can make it easier to determine where ants are travelling and where the activity may be originating.
If ant activity returns or you are concerned about the results of your treatment, contact Surekill Pest Control for advice.
Ongoing Pest Risk Management
Ant activity can change throughout the year due to seasonal conditions, food and moisture availability, changes around the property and the surrounding environment.
Your Surekill technician may identify conditions around the property that could encourage ant activity and recommend practical measures, monitoring or future treatments where appropriate.
For homes and businesses requiring a more planned approach to pest management, Surekill can develop a tailored Risk Management Program based on the property's individual pest risks and ongoing management requirements.
