Identify ants
Carpenter ants
The biggest of the three, black or black and red. They hollow out damp or damaged wood for nests and push out coarse shavings called frass. Finding them indoors is treated as a structural question.
Pavement ants
Small and dark brown to black, with pale legs. They nest in soil under slabs and sidewalks and leave tiny dirt piles in pavement joints.
Odorous house ants
Brown to black and about an eighth of an inch long. Crush one and it smells like rotten coconut. Their colonies can be huge, and they move indoors after rain or when sweets are left out.
Signs you have ants
- A steady line of ants between a crack and the kitchen
- Little piles of soil beside a driveway or patio
- Piles of shavings under a window frame or soffit
- Swarming winged ants indoors in spring
Why they come inside
Ants are scouting for food and water, and a leaky pipe or a bowl of pet food is a bigger draw than any crumb. Wet weather floods outdoor nests and pushes colonies toward the house.
How Go Go treats them
We follow the trail to its source, inside and out, then treat the colony instead of the foragers you can see. For carpenter ants, we also look at why the wood is damp so the nest has no reason to come back.
Covered by a protection plan?
Yes. Ants are on the plan, so scheduled visits can stop a trail before it reaches your counters. See how plans work →
FAQ
Ants: common questions
Why do I keep seeing ants after I wipe the trail?
The scouts you see are a small part of the colony. Wiping the trail clears the scent for a day or two while the nest keeps sending workers.
Are carpenter ants eating my house?
They do not eat wood. They remove it to make galleries, which is why sawdust-like frass and soft, damp wood are the signs to take seriously.
Do ants come back every year?
Often. The same moisture and food sources attract new colonies, so prevention is about fixing what draws them.