Due to the challenging economic situation in the world, people are becoming hell-bent on saving as much money as they can. We keep it so tightly that sometimes we won’t even use it in emergencies. An ant infestation is, in most cases, severe.
Ant exterminator costs ranges from $80 to $500, with an average cost of $150. Several factors affect this pricing estimate, including types of ants, square footage, and infestation level.
Now let’s talk in-depth about ant exterminators, how they price their services, and how to choose the right one for your problem with ants. We will try and save you some money with our guide and tips, so read carefully. Let’s start!
Signs and Causes of an Ant Infestation
There are numerous ant species, and each has its own unique set of traits and habits. The frequent species you can encounter in and around your house are listed here, along with advice on how to spot infestation warning signs.
Carpenter Ants
Wood is a favorite material for carpenter ants, who dig nests there. Carpenter ants don’t eat wood like termites do; instead, they leave behind visible sawdust outside of their burrows as a byproduct of their activity.
If you see sawdust tracks near floorboards or window sills, get in touch with a reputable ant extermination provider right away.
Fire Ants
Fire ants are typically found in parks, playgrounds, and yards. They are distinguished by their reddish-brown exterior and unpleasant sting. These pests prefer warm environments, and food remnants and waste left around your house will attract them.
Pharaoh and Other House Ants
Pharaoh ants are known to consume nearly everything and range in color from tan to brown. These insects hunt for food, from sweet delicacies to leftover meat, and they can get inside your house.
What Does an Exterminator Do for Ants?
The expertise, knowledge, and tools of a professional exterminator should help you get rid of your ant problem if home solutions are unsuccessful.
Exterminators will determine the origin and kind of the ants involved, assess the level of ant infestation, and apply the necessary remedies. It is important to remember that professional exterminator will advise the ant treatment that is both the safest and most capable of eliminating significant numbers of ants.
Information You Need to Provide to the Ant Exterminator | Topics of Discussion
Ant exterminators are like detectives or doctors. They can’t solve your problem if you don’t tell them more about it. There are some things that they MUST know to be able to help you.
Where and When Did the Infestation Start?
The location of the infestation is crucial for solving the issue. Regardless of the exterminator’s experience, this is the hardest step. You need to tell the exterminator where you first saw the ants so that he can have a good starting point.
Sure, he will explore your house even more, but the starting point is crucial because it could be close to a potential nest. We suggest thinking about that before calling the company. If needed, write down what you need so you don’t forget anything. After that, call the exterminator company and inform them about that.
Also, you need to tell them when you noticed the infestation. This will help the company evaluate the severity of the situation. If it’s a couple of months, chances are that the infestation is already huge. In that or any other case, the exterminator will offer you a couple of solutions and probably tell you the approximate price right away.
When Should You Call an Ant Exterminator?
People tend to call the exterminators when it is too late, without knowing that this will impact the final price. The more work ant exterminators have to do, the more they’ll charge you – simple math! When you see cracks and crevices stuffed with ants, it’s time to call pest control.
We all encountered ants at some point, but if things start turning for the worse, you need to do something. To explain it better, if ants start eating food from your kitchen or infesting different places in your home, that’s an alarming sign as they can transfer diseases and germs.
Average Ant Exterminator Cost
An average price for ant removal is $150, ranging from $80 to $500. This price estimate is influenced by a number of variables, including ant species and the extent of the infestation, which will be covered later.
To keep your home free of ants, you can choose to get monthly treatments. These routine procedures begin with an upfront cost before a business starts billing you on a monthly basis.
The usual price range for this first appointment is $150 to $300. After a preliminary treatment strategy is developed, anticipate spending $40 to $70 for each subsequent consultation.
Ant Exterminator Cost by Type of Ant
Not all species of ants require the same extermination methods. View the chart below for rough estimates of extermination costs based on ant type.
| Type of Ant | Average Extermination Cost |
| Argentine ants | $150 |
| Carpenter ants | $250 to $500 |
| Fire ants | $100 to $300 |
| Pharaoh ants | $200 to $250 |
| Sugar ants | $200 to $250 |
Argentine Ants
Argentine ants are a frequent household nuisance. The cost is normally around $150 because the procedure is rather easy to perform.
Carpenter Ants
Because they prefer the wetness, these ants typically build their nests outside in dead or decaying wood. Hiring a carpenter ant exterminator falls on the more expensive price with an average exterminator cost of $250 to $500 due to the numerous nests and difficulties of doing the work in one visit.
Fire Ants
Fire ants need to be exterminated as soon as they are found since they are little, flaming red, and dangerous. These ants will sting and bite anyone they can grab in order to defend their territory.
It’s advisable to hire a professional to handle the ant eradication because it’s difficult to predict who will have serious reactions to their bites; on average, this will cost between $100 and $300.
Pharaoh Ant
They enter through narrow entryways riding on bundles, clothes, or shoes. As soon as they do, they locate a spot for the nest that is well concealed inside the walls, making it exceedingly challenging for exterminators to reach the nest for destruction. Pharaoh ants are difficult to eradicate and hence expensive to get rid of, costing between $200 and $250.
Sugar Ants
The sugar ants will start to infest your house with just a modest spill of sugar during the appropriate season. The ability of sugar ants to enter packaging and travel fast through a residence is one of the reasons why experts who know how to get rid of sugar ants typically charge between $200 and $250.
Ant Exterminator Cost by Square Footage
Others will do a general price increase or decrease based on how your home’s size measures up to the average home they service. Below is an estimate of how the square footage of your home affects the overall cost of treatment.
| Square Footage of House | One-Time Treatment Cost |
| 2,000 square feet | $160 |
| 2,000–3,500 square feet | $180 |
| 3,500–5,000 square feet | $200 |
Infestation Level
Your ant infestation’s intensity will determine how much time, work, and trips an exterminator needs to spend on it. Therefore, as the severity of your infestation grows, be prepared to pay more.
How To Choose the Right Ant Exterminator: Instructions
Speaking of choosing the right ant exterminator, we’re here to make your life a lot easier.
License and Credentials
Logically, you want the company to be licensed and registered as a valid pest control company. If you visit them, you can ask them to give you a document to prove this. Alternatively, you can start with this site.
BBB (Better Business Bureau) is a federal organization that helps people avoid scams, thus giving legal businesses an advantage. Just type in the company’s name and see the rating. Furthermore, every company member should have a certificate and document proving they can do the job correctly.
Company Experience
Is the company for the last ten or twenty years on the market? Or perhaps, we’re talking about a 2-years old company? This matters a LOT. The experience in this field is what separates good companies from bad companies.
Ideally, you want the company to be at least a few years old. A decade is great, but if the company is even older, that’s a huge plus.
Warranty
The company needs to give you some sort of warranty on its services. For example, they can assure you that if the treatment didn’t work the first time, they would repeat it. If a company doesn’t offer anything similar, avoid it.
Number of Satisfied Users
When choosing an ant exterminator, contact some previous users for feedback. How to do this? You can use the reviews online or simply request a list of earlier customers from the company. Then, write down the names of some of the customers and contact them about their feedback.
Furthermore, it’s always smart to look closely at the list. If it’s pretty long, chances are that the company serves many people, which is always a good thing, and it means that they are very effective.
Chemicals Used in Eradication
Chemicals play a huge role in this process. Sure, a more aggressive approach will grant better results but at what cost? Putting your health in jeopardy is the last thing you want to do, especially if you have kids and/or pets.
On the other hand, chemicals are compulsory, and almost every ant exterminator will use them. They just use it in different forms. Your task is to ask the exterminator to see if they’re licensed to use the chemicals they want to apply.
Also, the exterminator should be willing to inform you about each chemical, tell you how it works, and give you info about protection. If they refuse to give you a list or they aren’t cooperative, it’s a bad sign.
Related: What Chemicals Do Exterminators Use for Ants?
Are Professional Ant Exterminators Always 100% Effective?
It’s only a matter of time before the infestation is completely exterminated. It depends on many factors, but the epilogue is always the same – the exterminators will win against ants. Licensed companies have lots of experience. This grants them the effect that all potential clients want.
Ant Extermination: DIY vs. Hiring a Professional
With a $5 can of ant spray or a bundle of bait stations, you can get rid of small, underdeveloped ant colonies.
It is essential to believe that a professional can complete the task more skillfully than the client can if the colony is large or the ants are carpenter ants or fire ants. The experts can design a treatment strategy that is most likely to be effective and completely clear the house of ants because they have access to a wider variety of treatments.
List of Sources
Controlling Termites and Carpenter Ants, University of Massachusetts
Jiang W., Soeprono A., Rust M.K., Gan J., Ant control efficacy of pyrethroids and fipronil on outdoor concrete surfaces, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California
Do’s and Don’ts of Pest Control, United States Environmental Protection Agency
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