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BLOGging about bugs

Ant Prevention Tips

6/15/2018

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We’ve assembled some ant prevention tips that are guaranteed to help prevent these pesky little critters from buggin’ you.
  1. CLEAN UP SPILLS. This is the number one way to prevent ants in your kitchen. If there’s nothing available for them to eat, they’ll look for somewhere else to live.
  2. If you’re eating outside, cover all food dishes.
  3. Sweep floors after each meal – especially if you have small children and no dog to pick up the crumbs!
  4. Wash dishes immediately after a meal and don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink.
  5. Empty trash cans daily.
  6. Search the outside of your home for small cracks through which ants could enter and seal openings with caulking.
  7. Clean Fido’s pet bowl daily!
  8. If you attempt do-it-yourself ant control, you’ll likely kill only the ants you see. Because the preferences of ants vary depending on the species, home remedies don’t consider that different kinds of ants require different treatments to be effective.

Call DA Exterminating at 800-650-PEST!
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That's What She Said

5/30/2018

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A DA reporter has recently had the opportunity to do an actual interview with one of the most troublesome ants in existence – the thief ant. Here’s the transcript of our interview with  Antie.

DA: So you’re known as a thief ant. Does that mean you’re a convicted felon who has spent time in the slammer?
Ant: Yes, I am a thief ant. You’ve got to be kidding! Just because my name is “thief” ant doesn’t mean I’ve spent time in ant jail! I know a guy named Woolweaver but he doesn’t weave wool! Geez! We get our name from our habit of nesting close to other ant nests from which we steal food. But we’ve avoided the ant police so far!

DA: What’s your favorite food, Antie?
Ant: Unlike most other ants, we prefer something greasy like a potato chip or other greasy things in a kitchen. When the lady of the house spills something greasy, that’s a banquet for us. But we also feast on sweets as well! We’re not picky!

DA: Where do you like to live?
Ant: Well, where do YOU like to live, smarty? We like the exact same environment that you do – one with lots of food and water.

DA: How do you get into homes?
Ant: We thief ants enter structures through cracks in the foundation or small openings in woodwork.  We forage in trails throughout a structure seeking protein, sweets and liquid. We’re smaller than most other ants, so we can squeeze through the tiniest opening!

DA: You look a lot like other ants. What’s the difference between the way you look and the way your cousins look?
Ant: Not that you’re going to check, but we thief ants have tinier eyes than most other ants and we’re lighter in color. And we think we are beautiful! In fact, we’ve entered our most lovely specimen in the 2018 Miss Beautiful Ant contest.

DA: In all ant colonies, there is a queen. What’s your queen’s name and is there a king?
Ant: We’re not like other ants, really we’re not! We can have more than one queen and NO, there is no king! Our colony has 3 queens, Irene and Arlene are OK but that last one is a real pain in the @#$%! Ilene brags about the number of eggs she lays. . . like we care!

DA: We’ve heard that ants are extremely strong. Is that right?
Ant: You betcha! We can lift 50 times our own weight, and that’s without going to the gym!

DA: Do you actually communicate with other ants?
Ant: Well, we don’t chatter like people do, but we communicate, and we’re very good at it. We use chemicals, vibrations and touch to communicate with individuals and/or the entire colony. Communication is not the problem for us that it is for you crazy humans.

Call DA Exterminating at 800-650-PEST!
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Ant Prevention

6/15/2017

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Ant prevention isn't too different from general insect prevention: the overall goal is to keep them on the OUTSIDE and prevent them from entering your home. If you take the following steps, ants should not be a major problem:

  • Eliminate water sources, one of the ant’s life requirements. That means repairing leaking faucets, water heaters and other water sources inside the home.
  • Eliminate food sources, including any sweet spills in the kitchen. Most tiny ants that enter your home are looking for sweets, whether it’s a spilled Coke that hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned up or an open bowl of fruit.
  • Pet bowls can attract ants, so keep them clean! Fido’s bowl may LOOK clean but give it a quick wash with detergent before the next feeding.
  • Seal any cracks and crevices on the outside of the home with silicone caulk, paying special attention to areas where utility pipes enter.
  • Rake back mulch, pine straw or other landscape bedding at least 6 inches from the structure to create a "dry zone" that ants are likely to avoid.
  • If you have fruit trees nearby, remove ripe fruit from the trees and off the ground around them.
  • Store outdoor trash cans and dumpsters as far away from your home as possible and be sure they have tight-fitting lids.
  • Thoroughly wash out trash cans and dumpsters with an ammonia solution when needed.
  • The best way to prevent ants – call DA Exterminating! 800-650-PEST
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June 01st, 2017

6/1/2017

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As summer approaches, ants of all kinds become more active and may invade your kitchen in search of sweets and other goodies that they love. We’ve compiled some information here about ants that we hope you’ll find interesting. Watch our June 15 blog for a list of prevention tips to help keep them out of your home.

Ants are social insects that live in colonies which are usually located in the ground, but many enter buildings for shelter and food. Ants feed on practically every type of food, but those entering homes are looking for sweets and substances containing protein.

Inside of a typical ant colony you will find thousands of ants living together and performing their individual jobs like reproducing, construction, foraging for food or defending the nest from invaders. Inside the nest the queen or queens are responsible for the reproduction of the entire colony. Worker ants remove the eggs from the queen and tend to them until they are able to care for themselves.

Why should you care?
One of the interesting things about ants is that once they enter and find what they are looking for, they “tell” the rest of the colony and before long, you have an ant circus on your kitchen counter! So long as an appealing food source is present, more and more ants will eventually find their way into your home. Once inside, they are masters at finding other sources of sweets so they will quickly spread around your kitchen.

Ants may not threaten your home like termites, or be the same threat to you and your family as poisonous spiders, but they are a terrible nuisance that are not easily eradicated. Certain ants, like carpenter ants, do pose a problem to your home as they damage wood that they nest in. And of course, if you’ve ever happened onto a fire ant nest, you know the havoc they can cause with their stings.

What to do if you have an ant infestation.
Call DA Exterminating right away so we can stop the ants before they become a real problem. (After all, who wants Aunt Ethel to see ants on the counter when she visits!) Call 800-650-PEST!
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7 Ways to Keep Ants Away from Your Picnic

6/15/2016

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The last thing you plan for when preparing for a picnic is ANTS and other bugs. There are several things you can do to keep these pests from bugging you and ruining your festivities.
  1. Use fans. If you’re planning a cook-out around your deck or patio, turn fans on high outside to keep small flying insects away.
  2. Don’t wear heavy perfumes or scents that might attract bugs.
  3. Choose foods that are neither sticky nor sweet. Insects are particularly drawn to foods like melon, grapes, fruit juices, and soda – to them, they’re like flower nectar. They can easily detect these foods and will be persistent in their pursuit. While they may be terrific summer foods, avoid them at outdoor meals, or keep in well-sealed containers that you open only when everyone is ready to have some.
  4. Keep lids on sweet drinks and food bowls.
  5. Smoke repels mosquitoes and flies. Tiki torches and citronella candles add ambiance to outdoor entertaining, plus they’re affordable, effective and have a pleasant scent.
  6. Here’s one you may not have thought of: to keep ants off your table, put table legs in pie tins of water!
  7. Cover up with a colander. A simple wire-mesh colander can be used to keep bugs off dinner. If you are setting up a buffet-style meal, an upside-down colander over a plate of food protects it while keeping the dish on display. You can also buy domed food covers or nylon netting.

Have pest issues? Call us at 800-650-PEST!

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Ants: 6 Ways to Keep Them Out of Your Kitchen

6/3/2015

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Out of around 15,000 ant species and subspecies worldwide, North America has close to 1,000 known species. Ants enter a home through small openings looking for water or food. They prefer either sweet-based food or protein/grease-based foods. Once they find a food source, they will leave a pheromone trail for other ants to follow. And follow, they do! There can be 300,000 to 500,000 in an ant colony.

The common thing most people do when they see ants in their homes is to look for a solution to get rid of them when proactive preventive measures are much more effective. Here are some:

·        Blocking entry points is the most effective and the most difficult. Since ants enter through miniscule openings, it’s nearly impossible to find them all, but make an effort to caulk the ones you find.
·        Clean your house, especially the kitchen, as ants are attracted to foods.
·        Always cover foods you don’t store in the refrigerator.
·        Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher after meals.
·        Take the trash out every day.
·        Don’t allow moisture to accumulate anywhere.
If you attempt do-it-yourself ant control, you’ll likely kill only the ants you see. Because the preferences of ants vary depending on the species, home remedies don’t consider that different kinds of ants require different treatments to be effective.

If you have a larger problem than your usual do-it-yourself product can resolve, you can rely on our expert pest controllers to clear it up.

DA Exterminating can solve your ant problem quickly and effectively because we offer effective methods targeted to specific species.

Please call us today at 800-650-PEST.

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13 Genius Tips to Keep Ants Out of your New Orleans Home

3/4/2015

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Ants know numerous ways to get in your New Orleans house: holes in walls, floor and foundation, crevices in the ceiling, basement and attic. Ants invade the home to forage for food or seek shelter or both. We’ve put together 13 tips to keep ants at bay from your home! How many of these do you do? 1. Keep your house clean, especially the kitchen, as ants are attracted to food sources.
2. Clean furniture surfaces.
3. Sweep floors after meals (especially if you have small children).
4. Never leave dirty dishes in the sink.
5. Keep trash cans and bins far from your house.
6. Don’t allow moisture to build up on counters and other surfaces, as ants are attracted to water.
7. Trim trees and shrubs away from your house to prevent a superhighway for ants to access you home.
8. Remove logs and stumps as they can provide ant harborage.
9. Seal openings (wiring, plumbing) that allow access from the outside. Applying a bead of caulk or foam sealant is an efficient method of protection.
10. Keep gutters and downspouts free of leaves.
11. Store all food in covered glass or plastic containers with airtight lids.
12. Ants will often find food crumbs under refrigerators or stoves so clean these areas frequently.
13. Keep the trash can closed, clean, and emptied regularly.

Ant problems? Call DA Exterminating today at 800-650-PEST.
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Should You Do Your Own Pest Control?

12/2/2014

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John and Mary were awakened one night by the sound of scratching in their ceiling. It sounded like a big creature was running very fast back and forth. They lay awake for hours wondering what could have invaded their home. The next morning, John decided it must be a squirrel. Off to the hardware store, he went in search of squirrel repellent, squirrel traps and anything else he could find. The store employee was helpful in helping find what he thought he needed. So $150 later, he headed home confident that he was armed with the best weapons to take care of the squirrel! He employed all the methods he purchased and went to bed that night, sure that they would not hear more scratching the ceiling. A week passed and every night, John & Mary told each other, “It takes time for these things to work, so we’ll give it another few days.”

Finally, after 5 more nights of scratching, they called in a professional. They did not have a squirrel in the attic, but rather a mouse infestation. The pest control company found chewed wires, mouse droppings and several mouse nesting areas.

The moral of the story: John and Mary spent a lot of money and many sleepless nights trying to take care of the pest problem they did not have. Only the professional could do the job adequately and completely!

While you may be tempted to do your own pest control, it’s not the smartest decision. Incidents have been reported where people used “bug bombs” to try to do their own pest control and ended up blowing up their home or causing serious fires.

There are many elements that we take into consideration when we perform pest control with chemical materials such as: 1. Is it the safest material for the job?
2. Is it labeled for indoor or outdoor use?
3. How often can it be applied?
4. What is the re-entry time for pets and humans?
5. Where is the best place to apply the material?
6. Do we need protective equipment to mix and apply the product?
7. How should the material be stored?
8. Will the material kill or repel the insects?
9. If material is spilled, what is the best way to clean it up?
10. And finally, are we treating for the right pest?

You may save money initially by purchasing products over the internet or in a store, but in the long run, it may cost you more than your initial investment. Professionals like our technicians at DA Exterminating know how to treat your home or business and they’ll service on a regular basis. When doing your own pest control, you tend to treat when you think you need to, and not on a regular basis. If you plan to do it yourself, pest control is one of those things you may forget about or may fall to the bottom of your “to-do” list, whereas we will be sure your house is taken care of regularly.

Lastly, by hiring DA Exterminating to take care of your pest control services, you reduce your exposure to the actual pest control products and ensure that they will be applied where they need to be.

The pest control service from DA Exterminating is a much better value and a more effective solution than the “Do It Yourself Approach”.

Call today!
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What ants don’t want you to know about why they LOVE your New Orleans Kitchen

8/12/2014

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Ants LOVE kitchens…it’s easier pickin’s than a picnic.  We’ve interviewed “Ant” Ethel to put together her story. Ants are tricky little critters, so even the most diligent homeowner has a difficult time preventing them from taking up residence in the kitchen! That’s why we offer the best ant service in our area. (But don’t tell “Ant” Ethel!)

“It was a cool night as my family and I foraged for something sweet (you know how it is to have a sweet tooth) and we were passing this huge structure when one of the smarter guys in the group yelled, ‘Over here. I found a way in.’ All of us crawled to him and found a hole just big enough for us to squeeze our 1/8” bodies slickly through so . . . in we went!

“There was an unmistaken sweet smell that we followed into a room that was like a banquet for us! We climbed up onto the counter (a long trip in itself) and there we found it! Cookie crumbs. A drop of luscious spilled honey. A few drops of spilled orange juice and some sugar crystals. This was enough for our family plus other friends who had followed us in. Wow, were we all happy!

“We ate what we could and tried to carry some back to our nest. After that, we headed back in to partake of the banquet once again. But wait! There was nothing on the counter. No honey. No cookie. No orange juice. It had been wiped clean and sanitized with something that really smelled scary.

“What were we to do? Some wise female spoke up (as wise females tend to do). ‘Let’s take a little trip around this place and see what we can find,’ she said. So we did. But we weren’t as lucky as we once were. We found virtually nothing! It was like some giant came along and cleaned up every drop of anything we’d like!”

So, here’s what we recommend to prevent ants. . .
  • Store food in sealed containers in your pantry. If it’s left on the counter and NOT sealed up, it will become a target for ants!
  • Ants, being as little as they are, love to find tiny crumbs or food specks on counters and cutting boards. Use something like vinegar or soap and water to wipe off all crumbs on the counter, in your microwave and any other flat surfaces in the kitchen. Then rinse out the sponge or dispose of the paper towels you used!
  • You may think Fido catches any spills or dropped food from the floor – but don’t depend on him! Clean spills when they happen!
  • If there’s one place in your kitchen that attracts ants, it’s your kitchen trash can. If possible, keep it near the back door.  If ants do enter your home and find this banquet, they will hopefully stay there and not invade your kitchen looking for food.
  • Try to exclude ants by caulking and sealing any openings in your home.
  • Clean surfaces in your home with vinegar or lemon juice which will destroy the scent trails that ants follow.
And if you want to learn more about ants in general, check this out!

But best of all, call DA Exterminating for our expert ant control!
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DA Exterminating Co., Inc.
4440 Wabash Street
Metairie, LA 70001
504-888-4941

Email us: info@daexterminating.com

DA Exterminating Co. of St. Tammany, Inc.
13433 Seymour Myers Blvd., Ste 2
Covington, LA 70433
985-893-2071

DA Exterminating Co. of Houma, Inc.
202 Enterprise Dr.
Houma, LA 70360
985-872-0368

  • Home
  • About
    • Our Clients Say
    • Our Team
  • Pest Control Services
    • Rodent Control
    • Mold Prevention
    • Mosquito Control
    • Residential New Orleans Pest Control >
      • Total Home Protection
      • Rodents
      • Roaches
      • Spiders
    • Termite Control in Mandeville, Covington, Northshore, St. Tammany and New Orleans >
      • Termites
    • Commercial Pest Control New Orleans
    • Marine Fumigation
  • Blog
    • BedBugs
    • Stinging Insects
    • Fleas
    • Stink Bugs
    • Pest Prevention
  • My DA Account
  • Videos
    • Tommy the Terrible Termite
    • Carl, the Crazy Cockroach
    • Old Movies
  • Contact