Ant Control in Port Elizabeth
True Clean treats ant problems in Port Elizabeth, also known as Gqeberha. We look for where they're coming in, use bait where appropriate, and treat the areas that need it. Some infestations come right after one treatment. Others need a follow-up, particularly when the problem is spread through the house and outside.
The first thing clients usually say is, “I can't put anything down that is food.” A plate in the bedroom, kitchen or lounge, it doesn't matter where. They tell us there are ants everywhere within 15 minutes.
Written by Diederik Visser
Operations, marketing and pest control at True Clean. Seven years in pest control.
First-hand information recorded .
Where are the ants coming from?
Skirting-board gaps, window sills and cracks in the walls are some of the main places I see ants coming out. On ant inspections for True Clean in Port Elizabeth, I also check around the paving and foundations. Colonies can be outside against the walls, or inside the cavity walls themselves.
A leaking tap outside can give them moisture and a place to call home. And a tree touching the roof can give them another way in. You can't always tell where they're coming from just by looking at the ants on the kitchen counter.
The gap between the floor and the wall is a common place to see them emerging at the skirtings. But that is where you see them coming out, which isn't necessarily where the colony is. I follow that information around the house and outside, looking at the cracks, window areas and the ground against the building together.
How do you treat an ant infestation?
I start by asking the client where the main issues are. Sometimes the kitchen is the worst area. Sometimes it's all over. True Clean's ant treatment in Port Elizabeth starts with that information and a walk around, checking cupboards and entry points before deciding where bait and other treatment are needed.
Inside, I like to use bait because the ants can carry it back to the nest and share food with other ants. That's the idea: reach the colony, rather than only the ones you can see.
Where I'm not baiting, I may treat the skirtings or other areas the ants are crossing. Outside, I check the perimeter and nearby colonies, including nests right next to the house. The treatment depends on what we find.
People have often tried salt, pepper, shop-bought traps, sprays and baits before calling. If the core problem is still there, they can find themselves treating the same problem again.
Sometimes the activity is higher up too. Ants living in the wall can come out and move along the cornices, so the inspection isn't only at floor level. Where the trails are running helps me decide which areas need attention and where bait makes sense.
Outside, a nest right beside the foundations is a different part of the job from the ants already inside a kitchen cupboard. I check the nearby colonies as well as the building perimeter. Otherwise we can deal with what is happening indoors while overlooking the activity right against the house.
How long does it take to notice fewer ants?
In my experience, a big reduction usually starts after two to three days. Then usually about a week later, there's nothing. With True Clean ant jobs in Port Elizabeth, that's an observation of how many cases respond, rather than a promise that every infestation will be finished by a particular day.
We usually schedule a follow-up two weeks later. Some infestations need more than one treatment. A colony can be large enough to eat all the bait, and you only see that once they've taken it and you check the results.
We've had cases sorted out first time. We've had cases where we had to go out multiple times because the infestation was just so bad.
That is why I want to see how the infestation responds. A house with a large amount of activity throughout the rooms may need a different amount of follow-up work from one problem area in the kitchen. The bait being taken and the change in activity give us information we didn't have at the first visit.
What should I do after ant treatment?
For the first week, leave the treated areas around the skirtings unmopped, leave the bait alone and don't use aerosol insect sprays over the treatment. At True Clean in Port Elizabeth, I show clients where the bait is and what it looks like. The little droplets look like dewdrops, so they're easy to mistake for something to wipe away.
You can still mop the rest of the floor, keeping clear of the treated edges. We'll explain the cleaning instructions for the treatment used at your house.
What do I need to do about my cats and dogs?
The main thing I ask is that cats are caught and kept away from the area I'm spraying. Dogs need to be secured too, both to keep them away from the treatment and for my safety. Tell True Clean about your pets before an ant treatment in Port Elizabeth so we can plan around them.
Follow the instructions we give you about treated areas and when they can be used again. Those instructions depend on the products and the treatment. We'll explain when your pets can return to the treated areas.
What if the ants are under my paving?
Little sand heaps pushed up between the paving, and beside colony entry points, are signs I look for. True Clean quotes larger paving-related ant jobs in Port Elizabeth after looking at the extent of the problem. These can involve more work than a routine house treatment, particularly where access to the nests is difficult.
If paving is sinking, we need to assess what's happening rather than assume the ants explain all of it. We'll discuss what treatment the job needs before quoting.
Depending on what we find under or alongside the paving, the professional work may involve trenching or drilling and injection to reach the affected areas. That is something to assess and quote for, rather than assume is included in a normal house treatment. The access and extent of the colonies make a difference to the work.
Can an occasional ant still get inside?
Yes. An occasional ant getting in isn't the same as the house being ant-infested again. I've had clients report that the infestation is still there, and when I arrive I find one or two ants in the entire house. Those are sometimes places that were previously absolutely full of ants.
Ants will still get in here and there. It's a fact of life. Trees touching the roof and other routes into the building can play a part, even after the main infestation has been treated.
When are ants most active in Port Elizabeth?
I see ant problems through summer and into late autumn, with a particularly busy period from late October to late January. June and July can also get very busy on our True Clean callouts in Port Elizabeth. That's what we find locally; it doesn't mean every colony follows exactly the same seasonal pattern.
Questions we get asked
Can I stop ants coming back?
To be honest, I don't know of a prevention method that's going to keep every ant away. Sealing the cracks and holes, and leaving as few entry points into the house as possible, is a good start. Clearing overgrown areas in the yard can help too. But I wouldn't promise that they'll never get in again.
Should I have regular ant treatments?
Personally, I am heavily in favour of treating when there is a problem. You can have treatments regularly, but my preference is doing it when it is needed. Don't just spray for the heck of it.
For someone who wants routine visits, I'd usually say every four to five months. A separate summer plan could be a treatment at the beginning of October and another three months later. Those are options to discuss, rather than a guarantee that you won't see ants again.
Do ants outside always need treatment?
If you've got ants outside and they're not bothering you, leave them. When they become a problem, that's when I prefer to treat them. Ants getting into food throughout the house, or an extensive problem around the paving, are different from a few ants going about their business outside.
What can I do between treatments?
Keep food sealed, clean up crumbs and sort out leaks. Check for branches touching the roof and gaps where ants are getting in. After treatment, leave the bait alone and follow the cleaning instructions we give you.
How much does ant control cost?
The table separates inside-and-outside treatment, one-side-only treatment and their follow-ups. VAT is included. We usually schedule a follow-up two weeks later, although some jobs come right first time. The follow-up price is listed separately.
For business ant jobs, or extensive work around paving, we come out and quote because the amount of work can be quite different.
| House | Inside and outside | Follow-up | One side only | Its follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 bedroom | R1 610 | R1 035 | R1 150 | R748 |
| 4 bedroom | R1 840 | R1 380 | R1 495 | R805 |
| 5 bedroom | R2 013 | R1 610 | R1 725 | R920 |
| 6 bedroom | R2 128 | R1 840 | R1 955 | R1 035 |
Travel charges outside Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha are on the prices page.
Prices can change. We keep the site up to date as best we can, and the price we quote you before we start is the one you pay.
What else might help?
Where are you seeing the ants?
Tell us what you're seeing and where. A photo of the trail helps more than you'd think.
Or phone 061 905 0514 if you'd rather talk to a person.