San Diego ant invasions surge during heat wave

Michael Chen
Posted

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The ongoing heat wave is driving ants out of the ground and into San Diego County homes, and at least one local pest control company says it is fielding hundreds of calls a day because of it.

Joshua's Pest Control branch manager Adam Whitmore said his company has been receiving between 100 and 200 ant calls across the county every day in recent weeks.

"Crazy, taking over. All over the place," Whitmore said.

Hot temperatures are a key driver of the surge, Whitmore said.

"The heat speeds up their metabolism, and increases their breeding rate. That causes them to expand, searching for food, searching for territories," Whitmore said.

Kitchens and bathrooms are among the most common places ants are found inside homes, Whitmore said, adding that any area with access to food is a target.

Whitmore said even a small number of ants inside a home can quickly become a larger problem.

"If you are seeing one to two, it's not long before they're going to lay down that scent trail, and tell others — this is the place to come," Whitmore said.

Just outside a La Jolla home, Whitmore tracked down a suspected nest under rocks and identified a crowded trail of ants along a nearby curb before treating the area.

"We got a whole bunch harboring under those rocks," Whitmore said.

Whitmore applied a gel bait near the suspected nests before spraying a pesticide around the property.

"It's a delayed reaction. They go and touch the other members of the colony and spread it for us," Whitmore said.

Whitmore recommends eliminating food sources around your home as the best precaution. If purchasing over-the-counter products, he advises looking for non-repellents, warning that traditional insect repellents can backfire.

“For some ant species, that sends a signal there's danger, and we need to reproduce," Whitmore said.

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