Ant Control in Parkland, FL

Ants show up in South Florida kitchens in every month of the year, and the tough ones to get rid of are the tiny ones. Ghost ants are pale and so small you mostly see them moving. White-footed ants are black with light tan feet and show up in long, steady trails.

UF/IFAS researchers describe the white-footed ant as an import from Indonesia, first found in Homestead in 1986, that spread through most of South and Central Florida. Colonies are huge, connected to smaller satellite nests, and they nest in trees and shrubs as well as in walls, attics and under roof shingles. That's why it feels like they're everywhere.

Signs to look for

A trail of tiny ants along the backsplash, window track or bathroom grout
Ants coming out of an electrical outlet or light switch
Ants going up a palm, a hedge or the side of the pool cage
Mounds in new sod or along the driveway after rain

Why spraying makes it worse

Grabbing a can of spray and hitting the trail kills what you see. The colony replaces those workers in a day or two. UF notes that white-footed ants are very hard to control with the residual sprays that work on roaches and termites, and many ordinary ant baits don't do much to them either.

What works better is a bait the ants actually want. The foragers carry it home and share it. A good tech will often place bait where the trail goes, treat the outside where the ants are coming in, and skip spraying the trail inside so the ants keep picking up bait.

Seeing this at your place? Call (954) 555-0108

Where the trail starts outside

In Parkland the source is usually close to the house. Hedges touching the wall, palm fronds lying on the roof, a ficus hedge full of whiteflies (ants love the sweet honeydew they produce), and mulch beds against the slab are all common. Trimming plants back so they don't touch the house cuts off a lot of the traffic. See our whitefly guide if your hedge is sticky and black.

Trim shrubs and palms so they don't touch walls or the roof
Wipe up sweet spills and rinse soda cans before the recycle bin
Keep pet food bowls picked up at night
Note where the trail enters and tell the tech

Fire ants in the yard

Fire ant mounds pop up in lawns, along driveways and in new sod, especially after a good rain. They sting, and kids and pets find them first. Yard treatment for fire ants is different from indoor ant work, so mention mounds in the yard when you call. If the lawn has other problems too, lawn and ornamental pest control might be part of the same visit.

Questions people ask

Why do the ants come back every time it rains?

Heavy rain floods outdoor nests, and the colony moves to higher, drier ground. Sometimes that's your kitchen.

Are these carpenter ants?

Probably not if they're tiny. Carpenter ants are much bigger. If you see large ants and coarse sawdust, mention it on the call.

Will one visit get rid of them?

Large colonies with satellite nests often take more than one round. Ask the provider what their plan includes.