Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:51 pm
If there are ants in your home or garden, you should not take this lightly. Although the ants are inconspicuous, they can cause a lot of damage.
Therefore, it is advisable to take action against the ants at the very beginning of the infestation. It is advisable to lay out ant bait and prevent a new infestation. Do not leave any leftover food and seal the entrances so that ants do not get into the kitchen or the apartment in the first place.
If these measures do not help, then the exterminator is the last resort. With professional help you will succeed in defeating the ants. But what does an exterminator actually do and what are the costs?
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What damage do ants cause?
Calling an exterminator is much more expensive than using ant bait or other home remedies. However, when looking at the damage picture, the expense can be well worth it to avoid further damage. In the consciousness the ant is considered annoying, but the damage is often minimized. In fact, the damage is considerable.
Contamination of food
Especially in sensitive areas, such as a restaurant, the infestation of ants is associated with a great deal of damage. The ants are attracted to sweet foods. Once they have found their way and eaten their way to the food source, it must not be used again. Ants are so agile that they can find access even to food that is actually closed off. In this case, the entire food must be destroyed.
The same applies to private households. If the ant attacks the pantry, you have to check very carefully which food you still want to store or have to dispose of.
Damage to plants
The ant in itself does not count as a plant pest. Indirectly, however, it can certainly be considered a pest. This is because aphids and ants live in symbiosis. The aphid secretes a honeydew, which serves as a food source for the ant. In environments with many ants, aphids spread faster, because the ants keep many natural predators at bay. Thus, the ant is a danger to your plants.
Damage in the living space
Although it is so small, the ant is capable of causing material damage over time. It becomes especially dangerous with the wood ant. It attacks the structure of the building and wears away the wood over time. This reduces the load-bearing capacity and the statics are endangered.
In the garden, ants can also cause sidewalk slabs to be lifted or become wobbly. They dig up the soil. Eliminating this damage requires extensive remediation measures, which are associated with considerable costs.
How does an exterminator fight the ants?
If you discover the ants, you can come up with the idea to get rid of them yourself. For this purpose, you can use, for example, an ant spray or ant bait.
If the infestation is very pronounced, the methods will not always be crowned with success. The ants keep returning and continuously cause problems.
If you want to effectively stop the infestation, it is worth calling the exterminator early. This is especially the case when it comes to disease-carrying pharaoh ants. This species is capable of transmitting germs and causing diseases. Especially in sensitive areas, the specialist is needed immediately to take action against the ant.
The exterminator first determines the exact ant species. Then the damage caused is recorded and an assessment of the infestation level is made.
After the first inventory, the actual control measures begin. The exterminator has other means at his disposal, which are more effective and targeted against the ants. In doing so, the strict guidelines for nature protection are observed, so that the burden on the environment is minimal.
In addition to acute control, the exterminator also takes care of a long-term effect. In order to prevent an ant nest from forming again, he lays out a feeding gel and clarifies how the ants get into the kitchen. This makes it possible to seal the corresponding cracks and joints so that the ants no longer have any possibility of access.
All in all, the fight against ants by professionals is very quick. In private households, all necessary measures are usually completed after 1 to 2 hours. Thus, you can quickly use your garden or living space again.
What does an exterminator against ants cost?
The costs of the exterminator are individual. It depends on which company you hire, how severe the infestation is, and whether there is an emergency. Many exterminators offer a 24 hour service. With ants, such an emergency is rare. However, if you have discovered other pests, it may well be worthwhile to use this fast service.
An initial consultation is usually free of charge. There you will receive an initial estimate of the cost framework and how quickly a fight is possible.
In the simplest case you should expect costs of about 150€. This already includes the journey as well as working time and material costs. Tenants can also benefit from cost absorption. If the tenant is not responsible for the infestation and the landlord has been informed about the pests, the landlord is responsible for eliminating the causes. If the landlord does not fulfill this obligation, the tenant may reduce the rent by a small percentage. He also does not have to bear the costs for the exterminator, but assigns this to the landlord.
Where can you find an exterminator?
Classically, exterminators could be found in the Yellow Pages or the newspaper. Meanwhile, you should try the Internet to get a wider selection.
As a search term, you can simply enter “exterminator” + your respective city. Then you will get enough pest exterminators that are located near you and can control the ants. Contact them by phone or email to describe your problem and they will give you initial advice on what control measures are needed. Do not necessarily choose the first company that is at the top of the Google search, but try to find reviews and testimonials. Then you will not experience a nasty surprise during the fight and will be satisfied with the service.
The exterminator in action against the ants
If you suffer from an ant infestation, then do not hesitate to use the professional help. An exterminator is able to act against the ants in the shortest possible time and prevent their recurrence. With different means the cause is fought, so that the ants are repelled lastingly.