If you’ve noticed more ants in your house, shed or basement this summer, you’re not alone.

Heavy rain makes for the soggy conditions that are ideal for the insects, and a near-record level of precipitation in Massachusetts in July has resulted in ant infestations across this region. This, coupled with high humidity, has generated a massive amount of business for pest control companies, which have reported a spike in calls from people wanting to eliminate the little crawlers.

“They’ve been bombarding homes and businesses,” said Jared DeBettencourt, a vice president of Minuteman Pest Control in Northampton. “They’re always attracted to areas of moisture.”

He explained ants nest in the ground, but torrential rainfall will flood them out of their homes and force them inside nearby structures, where they often find comfort in damp conditions created by the rain and humidity.

“They prefer moist wood, a moist environment,” said DeBettencourt, whose father started the company in 1976.

PestWorld.org, the National Pest Management Association’s official consumer education website, warned in March that its entomology team expected a “pest-packed spring and summer” due to the erratic weather across the United States during the winter, as well as the warm and wet conditions that were on the horizon at the time.

“A cool start to spring followed by a warm and rainy summer could delay the start of peak pest season,” the website predicted for the Northeast. “However, warm and sunny days following rain in April and May will trigger termite swarms. Warm and wet conditions throughout the summer could lead to increased tick and mosquito activity. Wet summer conditions in the region could also drive ants indoors.”

Steve Rossetti, owner of Florence Pest Solutions, was in the pest control industry for about 28 years before branching out on his own three years. Reflecting on this year, he said there has definitely been an increase in calls regarding ant infestations this summer.

“Look for leaks in your home. Ants, they like moist, softened wood — it’s easier for them to burrow into to make a home,” he said. “A lot of people think they eat wood, but they don’t, they burrow.”

Rossetti recommends hiring a professional to apply an exterior treatment that kills ants and essentially puts a protective barrier around a building. He also suggests keeping your home clear of vegetation, because ants can walk off a plant and into a house. Also, he said, the spot of a house that is touched by a plant is often kept damp.

DeBettencourt mentioned that keeping dehumidifiers in basements can help combat moisture there.

He said rain creates a catch-22 because applications cannot be sprayed even though ants are actively being drawn inside.

“On a dry day, we’re playing catchup,” he said.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-930-4120.

]]>