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Say Goodbye to Ants for Good!
Family-friendly. Eco-friendly. Guaranteed results.
Expert Ant Control in the Bay Area
ATCO eliminates ants at the source — guaranteed.
Common Bay Area Ants
Know your enemy. We handle them all.
Carpenter Ants
Destroy wood structures
Fire Ants
Painful, aggressive stingers
Argentine Ants
Form massive super-colonies
Odorous Ants
Smell when crushed
Pharaoh Ants
Rapid indoor reproduction
Identify Your Pest
Carpenter Ant
Size: 1/4 – 3/4 inch
Color: Black, sometimes dark reddish-brown
Key Fact: Hollows out wood for nests; most active at night.
Argentine Ant
Size: About 1/16 inch
Color: Light to dark brown
Key Fact: Forms massive super-colonies with multiple queens.
Fire Ant
Size: 1/8 – 1/4 inch
Color: Reddish-brown to reddish-black
Key Fact: Aggressive stingers; builds dome-shaped soil mounds.
Odorous House Ant
Size: 1/16 – 1/8 inch
Color: Dark brown to black
Key Fact: Emits rotten coconut smell when crushed.
Pharaoh Ant
Size: About 1/16 inch
Color: Yellowish to light reddish-brown, almost translucent
Key Fact: Colonies split when threatened, making elimination difficult.
See It In Action
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Did You Know?
Ants can lift 50 times their own body weight — like a human hoisting a full-size SUV overhead.
Roughly 20 quadrillion ants live on Earth — about 2.5 million for every human.
Queen ants can live up to 30 years, laying eggs and expanding the colony for decades.
Each ant brain has ~250,000 neurons. Together, the colony functions as a single superorganism solving complex problems.
Ants have a personal stomach and a "social stomach" for sharing food with colony mates via mouth-to-mouth feeding (trophallaxis).
Colonies include farmers, soldiers, and nurses — each with a dedicated job keeping the nest running 24/7.
What You Can Do
Wipe counters, sweep floors, and clean crumbs immediately. Removing food traces breaks their scent-trail cycle.
Transfer sugar, cereals, and pet food into airtight containers. Even the smallest opening invites scout ants.
Follow ant trails to where they enter your home. Seal cracks around windows, doors, and pipes with caulk.
Vinegar, lemon juice, or peppermint oil along entry points can temporarily disrupt scent trails.
Dish soap and water destroys chemical scent trails. Wipe counters, windowsills, and baseboards regularly.
Vegetation touching your home acts as a bridge. Keep branches trimmed 12+ inches from exterior walls and rooflines.
What to Avoid
Spraying kills a tiny fraction. The colony adapts and reroutes scouts, making the problem harder to track.
A few ants are scouts. If they find food, they recruit thousands. A minor trail can become a full infestation in days.
Workers often die before reaching the nest, so bait never reaches the queen. The colony survives and keeps growing.
Pet food is a top ant attractant. Pick up bowls after feeding and store bags in sealed containers.
The Bottom Line: A pest control professional can evaluate your property to target the source for lasting results.
Prepare for Your Appointment
Wipe down kitchen countertops and dining surfaces so your technician can spot ant trails and entry points.
Transfer open pantry items into airtight containers to remove the food sources attracting ants.
Move fridge, stove, and dishwasher a few inches out so your technician can inspect and treat behind them.
Cut back branches, shrubs, or vines contacting your exterior — ants use these as bridges into your home.
Jot down locations of ant activity — baseboards, windows, plumbing — to help your technician target treatment.
Pick up pet food dishes and water bowls before the appointment. Pet food attracts ants and can interfere with treatment.
Your technician will guide you on arrival.