Ants in Bakersfield: Pest Control Tips

This pest invades your home with an entire army, bringing thousands of troops that scatter throughout your house. If one scout finds a source of food or water in your home, a whole colony shows up, marching across your walls, countertops, and baseboards. Unlike other pests, ants attack in colonies. They strategically navigate the layout of your interior space, and simply getting rid of a dozen ants won't fix the issue.

Ants attack from their nest, which can be outside your property and completely hidden. Just exterminating ants inside your home won't resolve the problem, and you are likely to see them come back with greater force. This is what makes dealing with ant infestations difficult. Ants scatter around your property, they are small enough to pass through even the smallest cracks and drains, they attack in large numbers, they come back over time, can cause structural damage, and get easily attracted to your property.

Ants pose a serious threat to Bakersfield homeowners and businesses. Ants are pests like no others, which is why being informed about them and knowing what to do is key to protecting your property. This article will prepare you for ant infestations in Bakersfield, provide you with all you need to know about ants in Bakersfield, and supply you with practical tips that will help you protect your property.

Understanding Ants: Why They're Different from Other Pests

Ants are some of the most interesting insects on our planet. They live in large colonies, within which each ant is assigned a dedicated role: queen, worker, builder, or soldier. Each ant inside a colony plays its own vital role that matters to the survival of the entire colony. Unlike other insects, ants work together to find food, expand their nest, protect the queen, and ensure overall prosperity of their colonies.

Ants communicate using pheromones, which are chemical signals. They use these signals to mark food, danger, and where a colony should move next. Due to these pheromones, you often see ants moving in stubborn lines. Ants are quite intelligent and are excellent communicators, but this is exactly what makes them complicated pests to deal with.

How Ants Invade Your Bakersfield Home

Once a single ant finds a source of food in your Bakersfield home, it leaves a special scent trail which other ants can follow, and before you know it, a dozen more ants show up. They can squeeze through tiny cracks in the foundation, in your walls, in between the baseboards and trim of the property, door frames, and window frames. They can squeeze through even the tiniest entrances to get inside your property.

If one of the ants finds an ideal entrance, it signals for ants to follow the same path. If ants are threatened, they signal the threat to other ants. Even if you have killed a dozen ants that have gotten inside your Bakersfield home, a new dozen will soon arrive because the actual nest is probably located inside the walls, under concrete, or outdoors. Some colonies of ants even have multiple queens. Such colonies can attack your property continuously despite large casualties.

Health Risks Associated with Ant Infestations

While it may appear that ants do not bring any direct danger to your well-being, there are several health concerns when it comes to ant infestations. Ants tend to travel from the exterior of your property through trash, baseboards, floors, drains, and other unsanitary areas, but then crawl across your kitchen where you have food stored and prepare meals on a daily basis.

Ants spread bacteria and pathogens across their entire pathway, which can cause foodborne illnesses. While most common species in Bakersfield do not sting or bite, some species like fire ants can deliver hurtful stings that contain venom, cause skin irritation, scratching, or severe allergic reactions.

The majority of ants are harmless toward humans, but we highly recommend monitoring the areas where ants infest your property or what their pathway is to make sure your food is not contaminated. Make sure the food you do leave in the kitchen prep areas or outside the fridge is sealed. While ants may not hurt you, your food can become contaminated enough so that it is no longer safe for you to consume.

Why Ants Are So Hard to Eliminate

While ants are small, they are incredibly strong. They can carry and push objects that are 10 to 50 times their own weight. Ants are also very adaptive. They can nest in wood, walls, pavement cracks, insulation, and soil. Moreover, some species of ants can nest both outdoors and indoors.

What also may be surprising about ants is that some species of ant queens can live anywhere from 5 to over 15 years, while some other species can live 20 to 25 years. Ant queens can also lay from 800 to 1,500 eggs per day. Over the lifespan of an ant queen, it can lay up to a million eggs. This vast reproduction ensures the growth of the colony and allows it to consistently replace ants that have died during the search for food, allowing colonies of ants to consistently search for food sources.

Despite their small size, ants can travel up to 100 meters away from the nest in search of food. They are great at using landmarks and pheromones to either find their way back to the colony or to lead other ants to the source of food.

What makes ants specifically hard to eliminate is their ability to travel large distances and communicate. What makes ants distinct from insects is what makes them hard to eliminate. A nest could be located anywhere within 50 meters of your property. Elimination of ants that have already invaded your home is not enough. An ant pest control company or you have to eliminate common entry points or locate the nest.

Ants are excellent communicators. They can communicate threats, inform other ants of where food sources are located, identify ideal nest spots, and request support. This makes it hard for a pest control team to fully eliminate ants infesting your property. They could signal to each other the threat and simply wait it out. Marking of the food sources allows ants to revisit your property even after a few days to fully extract the food.

Common Ant Species in Bakersfield and Kern County

Argentine Ants

One of the common species of ants you will see in Bakersfield and Kern County in general is Argentine ants. This invasive species of ants is highly attracted to sugary foods, which is why sometimes they are called sugar ants. What distinguishes them from other ant colonies is the fact that Argentine ant colonies often have multiple queens and nests, allowing them to cover larger areas and attack multiple properties or buildings at once.

Moreover, due to such structure, Argentine ants can displace native or other species of ants. For example, in Southern California, the Argentine ant has pushed out the native California harvester ant. This has contributed to the decline of the coast horned lizard population because these lizards prefer to eat the native harvester ants.

What makes Argentine ants very hard to eliminate is the fact that eliminating dozens of soldier ants and eliminating a queen is usually not enough. Likely the colony has multiple queens, so reinfestation is just a matter of time. One food source could lead to thousands of ants passing through the cracks of your property. One colony near your home could lead to serious infestations, with hundreds of ants surrounding your property in search of food.

Odorous House Ants

Another species of ants that is commonly found in Bakersfield is Odorous House Ants. This species is named after the rotten coconut smell that is emitted after an ant is crushed. Like Argentine ants, Odorous House Ants also form large colonies where multiple queens can be present.

What is also interesting about this species is that if they feel threatened, the colony may divide into separate sub-colonies. This makes this species of ants even harder to eliminate because if they do feel threatened, there won't be one source but multiple colonies around the property that are invading your home.

While this species also prefers sweets, it can feed off dead insects, grease, or other sources of food if there is no other choice. If you are experiencing Odorous House Ants, there is a chance that eliminating only one queen won't resolve the issue, and infestations will follow as other colonies are still alive. This species can nest both indoors and outdoors. This is also why if you do decide to try to eliminate Odorous House Ants, they may scatter around, relocate, and simply reinfest your home once they have quickly reproduced.

Pavement Ants

The third species that is highly present in Bakersfield is Pavement ants. This particular species is unique from the two previously mentioned. It likes to compete or rival with other ant colonies. The reason this species is called Pavement ants is because these ants like to nest underneath pavements, sidewalks, driveways, house foundations, and any other concrete installations.

They are very common to find where concrete is outdated or older because that is where these ants can find cracks large enough for them to start colonies. The Pavement ants slip through the cracks or tiny gaps. Pavement ants are quite territorial. If they do notice a colony within 100 to 500 feet, they typically start warfare. Pavement ants are very territorial.

This species typically has only one queen and one colony. The diet of these ants consists of greasy foods, meats, crumbs, pet food, and sweets. Due to a variety of foods that they can consume, kitchens are often selected by Pavement ants to invade. Moreover, this species of ants tends to feed during the night, so you won't even be aware of the issue until it is too late.

Due to Pavement ants often selecting concrete slabs or tiny openings in the foundations, it is very difficult to exterminate Pavement ants. Their colony can continuously reproduce while sending dozens of ants in search of food sources. If not treated at the source of the colony, Pavement ants can be a long-term issue that you have to continuously deal with.

While Pavement ants have stingers, they actually do not sting humans and are very harmless to touch. While the Pavement ants do not cause direct damage to the foundations or any opening around your home in which they can hide, they do create unpleasant dirt mounds.

Seasonal Activity of Ants in Bakersfield

These are some of the most common ants Bakersfield homeowners are likely to see. While these species are vastly different, what unites all these species is their increased activity from spring to fall. Homeowners in Bakersfield do see ant infestations more commonly from spring to fall seasons.

Why Ant Infestations Are Common in Bakersfield

Bakersfield's Climate and Ant Activity

Similarly to other pests, ants' activity and reproduction critically depend on the climate and weather conditions. Bakersfield's weather is what contributes to increased ant activity. Warm and dry conditions of Bakersfield almost year-round is what allows ants to be a common problem both homeowners and businesses face almost year-round.

During temperatures above 80 degrees, ants are highly reproductive and foraging. Their metabolism receives a boost, and they go faster through their life cycles. Being ectothermic, heat is favorable, and warmer climate conditions are ideal. Heat not only creates comfortable conditions for laying eggs but also forces ants to search for new water and food sources. This includes invading your home or business. This is why Bakersfield homeowners often report their kitchens being invaded by ants during summers.

Ants can comfortably survive in temperatures even under 70 degrees, with their activity and reproduction rates significantly reducing when temperatures drop below 55 degrees. However, in Bakersfield, the temperatures only drop below 50 degrees during the months of November, December, January, and February. This means that ants can comfortably survive and reproduce during 8 months of the year.

While extremely hot and dry environments, which Bakersfield residents experience during the summers, can negatively impact ants, causing stress, slowed reproductive rates, and reduced thermoregulation, their nests are designed to have improved ventilation. Ants dig out tunnels and pockets that remain cool even during the most extreme days.

Moreover, ants often expand their nests to build cooler tunnels. In some cases, they even leave their nests behind to find cooler environments or shade. This is how ants in Bakersfield are able to survive even the most extreme temperatures that are often in the months of August and September. The climate of Bakersfield highly contributes to the survival of ant colonies and their reproduction.

Water Scarcity Drives Ants Indoors

Moisture is critical for ant colonies' survival. Lack of hydration can lead to slow reproduction and eventual death of the entire colony. Water sources are essential for egg development, feeding larvae, temperature regulation within the nest, and survival of queens. In fact, ants rely on moisture to soften up the soil for easier excavation and to maintain inside humidity.

While excess water can be dangerous to the entire colony, like heavy rainfalls, ants have this problem covered by digging out draining tunnels that release excess water and moisture. Moreover, during dry and hot conditions, ants can prioritize water collection over food, especially considering the climate in Bakersfield.

Ants have small bodies and are cold-blooded. Therefore, they can lose moisture quickly, especially in extreme heat. Bakersfield regularly experiences long stretches of high temperatures, which accelerates ant dehydration. If ants encounter drought or dehydration, they tend to shift their behavior. Instead of worker ants searching for food, they begin to aggressively search for water sources, which often leads to ants invading homes in search of sources of water.

When temperatures reach well over 85 degrees in Bakersfield summers, soil, plants, and other sources of food dry up. Ants move closer to buildings. These can be commercial or residential buildings, as ants are in search of reliable water sources. Once a reliable source of water is found, ants tend to leave a pheromone trail behind for an entire colony to hydrate.

Ants usually look for leaky pipes, faucets, any gaps in HVAC systems, refrigerator drip pans, standing water in sinks, pet bowls, and any trapped humidity. This is why homeowners in Bakersfield often wake up in the morning to a whole trail of ants next to their sink that still has some standing water.

However, ant infestations are not only common in Bakersfield due to indoor water sources but also outdoor sources. Ants are also attracted to irrigation systems and drip systems, which are often turned on during hot, dry climate in Bakersfield, especially in summer.

Another surprising source of water that ants in Bakersfield enjoy is outside AC units that release water, particularly during summers when AC units work almost with no rest, releasing puddles of water outside your home.

Due to Bakersfield's hot and sunny climate, pools are quite popular amongst Bakersfield homeowners. Many homeowners choose to install pools in their backyards. Moreover, the city of Bakersfield operates four pools open for the public seasonally and one pool year-round. Similarly to irrigation systems, ants are attracted to pools, one of the common water sources for ants in Bakersfield. They attract ants and encourage them to then spread to other buildings within reach. Drought and hot climate simply push ants toward your property.

Easy Access Points in Bakersfield Homes

Ants are tiny. Argentine species, one of the most common species of ants in Bakersfield, can be as small as 2 to 3 mm. This allows ants to access almost any building or indoor space. They are small enough to pass through foundation cracks, window and door frames, through utility lines like HVAC, plumbing or electrical, siding, or any other cracks or gaps that may be around your property.

Once a single ant finds an access point, it signals to the rest of the colony where entry access is. Once ants do get inside of your property, they can travel through the walls, baseboards, and flooring. From there, they can access any corner of your property.

What also does not help is the fact that ants often nest close to a property. They choose to nest next to concrete slabs, concrete foundations, outdoor patios, driveways, and sidewalks. The distance between a nest and nearby property is often less than 35 feet. The distance between the ant nest and your property is very short. This almost ensures the chances of your property being eventually invaded by ants.

What contributes to ant infestations through foundation cracks and gaps is the fact that Bakersfield has a significant amount of expansive clay soil, which contracts and expands based on moisture levels. This soil expands when moisture levels are high and shrinks when the climate is dry. This soil type often leads to issues with buildings' foundations, creating tiny cracks and gaps which offer a way for ants to get into your property. While these cracks may appear tiny, they are wide open for entire ant colonies to pass through and invade your property.

What also has to be noted is that almost 27.6% of homes were built before 2009 in Bakersfield. This makes a high number of homes vulnerable to foundation cracks, gaps in siding, and other ideal entry points for ants. Bakersfield homes aren't new. As they age, they open up more and more cracks and gaps that can be used by ants to access your indoors. With these older homes comes a risk of ants accessing your property through poorly sealed or left opened holes from older HVAC, plumbing, gas, and electrical lines. Your Bakersfield home may have quite a few holes which offer ants access points to your walls, baseboards, and flooring.

Due to the severe summer heat Bakersfield homes face, we as a pest control company often see caulk and weather strips that simply dried out, shrank, or cracked. We recommend checking the weather strips around your windows, doors, and sliding door glass. It is not uncommon for weather strips to simply become ineffective due to UV rays or extreme summer heat.

Practical Tips to Protect Your Bakersfield Home from Ants

Never Pests Pest Control would like to share a few of our personal favorite tips on how to protect your property from ant infestations and increased activity. These are the tips that we share with our clients when we perform ant control services. These are preventative measures. If the issue does worsen or becomes consistent, we highly recommend seeking professional pest control services. These tips can be applied to both commercial and residential properties.

Eliminate Moisture and Water Sources

We recommend eliminating any moisture, extraneous uses of water, or standing water around your property. During summers, ants tend to search for sources of water even more than for sources of food. If you have any leaky pipes or faucets, look into fixing those. Dripping water is a perfect source of water for ants to enjoy continuously.

If you notice any standing water around your sinks or bathtub, wipe it. Make sure to wipe it. The only reason ants would get in your bathroom is because of moisture or standing water. 99% of the time, it's the water that collects around sinks.

Avoid turning on irrigation too often or for long periods of time. 5 to 15 minutes a day is generally enough to maintain a healthy landscape, even in the dry and hot Bakersfield climate. Avoid using irrigation for extended periods of time. This creates puddles around your house and extraneous water sources for ants to get attracted to.

We also recommend looking into pointing away your lawn sprinklers from the foundation of your home. This tip is often very overlooked. Lawn sprinklers that are pointed toward your home's foundation are likely to moisture the area around the foundation, creating a comfortable setting for ants to create their nest. Argentine and Pavement ants often create nests under or around foundations of Bakersfield homes.

High moisture also opens a door to any cracks or imperfections pests like ants can use to nest or get inside your property. Lawn sprinklers widen existing hairline cracks and increase soil movement in clay-rich ground that is highly present in the Bakersfield area. An irrigation system that points right toward your home's exterior invites ants to invade your property.

We highly suggest adjusting your irrigation system away from your home's exterior to avoid ant nesting right under your home or for it to open direct passages into your home. The irrigation system creates perfect entry points over time that ants will definitely take advantage of. This tip doesn't just save you from ants but from other bugs and pests as well. Improper irrigation can open up visible access points for pests to just get in and out.

Seal Entry Points and Cracks

Unlike other pests, ants don't actually force their way inside your Bakersfield home. They exploit existing gaps and cracks. Ants use both exterior and interior gaps to get inside your property, from gaps around the foundation of your property, hairline cracks in concrete slabs, in patios or driveways, to stucco cracks, siding, in gas lines, or even windows and doors.

If you notice a foundation crack, gaps around windows, or doors, we recommend using a silicone or polyurethane exterior caulk to seal those types of gaps. Both silicone sealant and polyurethane exterior caulk can be found in your local home improvement store. These sealants are not hard to use, and by following instructions and taking safety measures, you would be able to seal those cracks and gaps all by yourself. These sealants stay flexible, which is critical in Bakersfield where heat and soil movement cause cracking.

Before you make a purchase, we still recommend checking with the home improvement sales representative on the best sealant type considering the size of the gap or crack located.

If you find gaps around sinks, cabinets, or large gaps around gas pipes, electrical wires, or plumbing lines, we recommend looking into an expanding foam sealant. Expanding foam sealant can also be found in your local home improvement store. However, make sure you are purchasing a low expansion foam. This type of expansion foam will allow you to avoid warping frames of doors and windows. Foam fills hidden voids ants love to use as highways inside walls.

Check weather stripping and door sweeps. Those do need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years. We recommend checking those regularly, as we often find that Bakersfield homeowners forget to replace old worn-out ones. Ants commonly enter through floor-level gaps, especially near kitchens and garages.

If your doors and windows are not weather-stripped, we recommend installing those for every door and window around your home. Weather strips not only protect you from ants but infestations from other pests in Bakersfield. Weather strips are cheap and can be quickly installed. Check out your local home improvement store.

If you find that your foundation has a major gap or crack, stop and contact a local foundation repair contractor or a general contractor. This is not a DIY repair. We always suggest buying a silicone sealant that is moisture-proof. You never know when you may need it.

Remove Food Sources

One of the oldest tricks in the books is to eliminate any food sources that ants can easily access. Like many pests, ants follow a scent trail into your home, but unlike other pests, when a food source is found, not one but hundreds of ants show up. Ants are known to be highly attracted to sugary foods but also to oils, crumbs, pet food, and so much more.

We recommend removing or sealing any foods that may be easily accessible to ants. This may involve sealing pantry items in airtight containers, putting fruits in the fridge, or putting away your sweets and sealing them.

We recommend wiping your kitchen countertop with soap or water with vinegar on a daily basis. Avoid leaving your countertop unwiped even if it looks clean. Ants get attracted to countertop leftovers and stains pretty easily. Even the tiniest residue from a spill can invite ants to your home.

If you have an under-the-sink trash bag or trash can, we recommend looking into purchasing a trash can with a tight-fitting lid. We've seen homeowners with ant infestations despite storing their trash cans under the sinks or in isolated spots. Look into purchasing a trash can that has a lid and actually isolates any odor.

This next tip may be surprising. We don't see a whole lot of homeowners use it or know about it. When you do throw out trash, your trash cans are either located inside your garage or outside your home. Even leftovers in bottles and cans can invite ants to your home.

We recommend rinsing bottles and cans before throwing them out. Rinse with water. It takes just a few seconds. One may argue that it's trash, but when ants do use this source of food, the next target will be your home, which happens to be just a few steps away.

Are you looking for more tips on how to protect your Bakersfield home from pests? Check out the "Pest Prevention in Bakersfield: 5 Tips to Protect Your Home" article, where we share insightful tips and tricks that we’ve learned from years of providing pest control services!

Your Go-To Ant Control Services in Bakersfield

If you are looking for a pest control company in Bakersfield that offers ant control services, Never Pests Pest Control is here to protect your property! We are a locally owned and operated pest control company that is here to protect both residential and commercial properties from ants.

We use high-quality solutions, over 25 years of experience, our training, and licensing to ensure that your property not only is safe but also stays safe. Our pest control team is licensed, insured, and locally licensed to handle pests throughout California.

When you schedule an ant control inspection with Never Pests Pest Control, you can be confident that our team will provide you with the most transparent pricing that has no surprise fees or charges. We share the price, the job, and any complications. Every pricing is customized. We conduct a careful and thorough inspection which determines the price. We don't use standard cut pricing. We adjust our pricing considering your budget and customize it to your needs.

Choose Never Pests Pest Control for Ant Extermination

We believe that every Bakersfield home and business should have access to high-quality pest control services. Our team consists of locals who are dedicated to helping you protect your property from unwanted guests. Our pest team is genuinely invested in your safety, the safety of your family and property. We are here to provide pest control services that will provide safety not just on paper but actually protect you.

We love supporting the local community of Bakersfield. Our exterminators live here, thrive, and protect properties all around Kern County. That's right, we don't just service Bakersfield. We service the entire Kern County!

Beyond just providing ant control services, we offer pest control services for spiders , bed bugs, mosquitoes, rodents, and more! Never Pests Pest Control specializes in removing and exterminating all types of pests that may invade your property. Our expertise extends to a range of pests in Bakersfield, allowing us to be the go-to emergency pest control in Bakersfield that is here when you need it the most.

We serve both homeowners and offer commercial pest control services, supporting local businesses and families. We are equipped with the latest solutions and equipment that allow us to handle even the heaviest infestations and severe pest control cases. Never Pests Pest Control team consists only of professionals who respect you, respect your property, and are here to offer pest control services you will be satisfied with!

Contact Never Pests for Ant Removal in Bakersfield

If you are experiencing an increased number of ants in your home or a full infestation, contact Never Pests Pest Control to schedule a professional ant control inspection! Our ant exterminator team is ready to help you reclaim your property from these persistent pests. Don't let ants take over your Bakersfield home. Call Never Pests Pest Control today for reliable ant pest control in Bakersfield!