Windsor, Ontario
Ant control
A trail along the baseboard, ants under the kitchen sink, or little piles of sawdust by a window frame? Tell us what you're seeing, inside and out, and we'll help you work out where they're coming from.
Estimates are free.
Trails and other signs
A few ants wandering in isn't the same as a colony using your kitchen. These signs help tell the difference: trails, ants gathered in one spot, sawdust-like piles and winged ants indoors. Note where you saw each one.
Trails
Ants following the same route, often along baseboards, the carpet edge or the inside corners of cabinets.
Ants gathered in one spot
A high concentration of ants in one area, such as under the kitchen sink.
Sawdust-like piles
Fine shavings near wood trim, window frames or other woodwork can point to carpenter ants.
Winged ants indoors
Swarms of winged ants trying to get outside, usually in spring. Some can appear at other times of year in heated buildings.
Soil beside cracks
Small piles of sand or soil next to cracks in a concrete slab or at the top of a foundation wall, pushed out by pavement ants nesting below.
A dry rustling sound
A faint rustling from a wall or woodwork can come from an active carpenter ant colony.
Where ant activity may start
Indoors
- Along baseboards and the carpet edge
- Cabinet corners and under the kitchen sink
- Around pet food dishes
- Near leaks, and in damp or decaying wood
- Wall voids, attic spaces and hollow doors
Outdoors
- Under patios, sidewalks and slabs
- In soil along the foundation
- Stumps and firewood near the house
How they get in
Ants come in looking for food and water, and sometimes shelter. Common entry points include:
- Cracks in foundation walls and slabs
- Around windows
- Gaps around cables, ducts and air conditioners
- Branches and plants touching the house
- Porches and sheds attached to the house
- Firewood brought indoors
Inside or outside?
The ants you see are workers looking for food. Their colony may be outdoors, under a patio, slab or stone, along the foundation, or in a stump or firewood pile, with a trail leading in through a crack, a window or a gap around a cable.
Or it may be inside, in a wall void, an attic space or a hollow door, or in damp, decaying wood. Lots of winged ants at the windows indoors, sawdust-like shavings or a rustling sound point that way. Carpenter ants can do both, keeping a main colony outdoors and a smaller satellite colony inside.
That's why we look for the source, not just the trail. A spray that only reaches the ants you can see leaves the colony and its queens untouched, and Health Canada notes that spraying indoors where trails appear may encourage an indoor colony to split into several new ones.
How we deal with ants
We use an Integrated Pest Management approach. Ants aren't all handled the same way, so what we do depends on the ant and where its colony is.
Finding the source
Our licensed, certified exterminators identify the ant and follow the activity, indoors and out, to where they come in and, where possible, to the colony.
Choosing the treatment
Baiting or another treatment where it's appropriate, chosen for the species and where the colony is, with people, pets and property in mind.
Closing the way in
Where it's appropriate, we seal the gaps they use and point out what draws them in, such as leaks or damp wood.
Follow-up visits
Follow-up visits are included as part of the service.
What happens next
Tell us what you're seeing
Call, use the estimate form or message us on WhatsApp. Say where you've seen ants, and whether there's a trail, wings or sawdust. Photos help.
We look at what you've shared
A description, photos or a short video can be enough for us to quote from.
An on-site inspection, if needed
If your details or photos aren't enough, we'll tell you whether an on-site inspection is needed.
Your quote
Estimates are free. We aim to send yours within 60 minutes, by email or WhatsApp.
What you can do now
- Keep counters clean, and store sweet or greasy food in glass jars or snap-lid containers.
- Empty the kitchen garbage often, and rinse containers before they go in the bin or recycling.
- Fix dripping taps and other leaks, and keep damp areas dry.
- Move firewood away from the house, and trim plants touching the walls.
- If you can, leave the trail unsprayed until we've seen it, since it can lead back to where the ants come in. Tell us about any product you've already used.
- If your service needs any preparation, we'll tell you what to do beforehand.
Homes and businesses
At home
Whether it's a trail in the kitchen or ants coming up through the patio, tell us where you see them, inside and out.
For businesses
Ants in a restaurant, a residential building or another public place? We work there too, and offer ongoing commercial accounts.
Ask about an ongoing accountWhere we work
We're based in Windsor and work across these communities. Outside them, contact us and we'll confirm availability.
Ants: common questions
Why do ants keep coming back?
An ant that finds food leaves a scented trail for others to follow back to it, so one crumb can bring a line of them. Cleaning up and sealing food takes away the reward, but while the colony is nearby, new scouts will keep looking. That's when finding the source makes the difference.
Do you look outside as well as inside?
Yes. Most ants nest in soil, so the colony is often outdoors even when the ants you see are in your kitchen. Where they come in matters as much as where they show up.
Are winged ants termites?
They can look alike. Ants have a very narrow waist and elbowed (bent) antennae; termites have a thick waist and straight antennae. A clear photo helps us tell which you have. Health Canada's guide to carpenter ants (opens in a new tab).
Are ants harmful?
Most ants commonly found in Canada aren't aggressive, although some can sting, Health Canada notes. Carpenter ants are the ones to watch around the house: they don't eat wood, but they hollow it out to nest, and that can cause structural damage.
Not ants?
Not every small pest in the kitchen is an ant. Dark specks near food or water can point to cockroaches, and droppings or gnawing to mice and rats. If what you've found doesn't fit, start here.