How To Get Rid Of Argentine Ants

Argentine ants are one of the most difficult ant species to eliminate without professional help because of their massive colony sizes, multiple queens, and rapid reproduction. However, a home or business owner can take effective steps to significantly reduce or eliminate Argentine ant activity with a strategic, thorough approach:

Identify and Locate the Infestation

Before starting treatment, determine where these ants are most active and where they’re entering.

Inspect indoors: Check kitchens, bathrooms, and utility areas for trails leading to food, moisture, or cracks.
Inspect outdoors: Look for trails along foundations, sidewalks, under mulch, and near vegetation or irrigation lines.
Note patterns: Argentine ants form distinct foraging trails that often lead to wall voids, foundations, or mulch beds.

Eliminate Food and Water Sources

Argentine ants are attracted to sweet foods, proteins, and moisture.

Clean up spills and crumbs immediately.
Store all food in airtight containers.
Fix plumbing leaks and reduce excess moisture around sinks, drains, or outdoor irrigation systems.
Trim vegetation that touches the home, as ants often use these as bridges.
Reduce mulch depth to under two inches and avoid heavy organic mulch near the foundation.

Use Targeted Ant Baits (Not Sprays)

Baiting is the most effective DIY strategy against Argentine ants, as sprays often scatter colonies and make the infestation worse.

Choose the right bait: Use a combination of sugar-based (foragers) and protein-based (colony growth) baits.
Place baits along trails and near entry points, not directly on them.
Be patient: Allow the ants to feed and carry the bait back to the colony. It may take 7–14 days to see results.
Replace bait stations as needed until activity subsides completely.

Seal Entry Points

After reducing ant activity, prevent future invasions by sealing access points.

Caulk cracks and gaps around windows, doors, and foundations.
Install door sweeps and weather stripping.
Seal utility penetrations (pipes, cables, wires) with silicone or foam sealant.

Apply Outdoor Perimeter Treatments (Optional but Helpful)

If baiting alone isn’t sufficient, apply a non-repellent insecticide around the building’s exterior perimeter.

Choose products with fipronil, imidacloprid, or thiamethoxam as active ingredients.
Apply around foundations, entry points, and landscape edges.
Avoid using repellents like pyrethrins or permethrin near ant bait, as repellents can deter ants from feeding.

Maintain Ongoing Prevention

Keep vegetation trimmed and away from the structure.
Regularly inspect bait stations and replace as needed.
Limit moisture accumulation from gutters, sprinklers, and AC condensate lines.
Continue to monitor for new trails, especially during warm months (spring–fall).

If infestations persist or spread rapidly, it’s likely that the colony extends far beyond your property. Argentine ant supercolonies can span entire neighborhoods, making complete control challenging without professional-grade baiting and perimeter treatments. In these cases, hiring our pest control professionals ensures colony-level elimination with targeted, low-toxicity treatments that homeowners can’t access commercially.

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Argentine Ants

While homeowners and business owners can take important steps on their own, Argentine ants are among the most difficult species to eliminate without professional intervention. Their colonies can number in the millions, with multiple queens spread across interconnected nests. Because of this unique structure, treating only the visible ants or using over-the-counter products rarely eliminates the true source of the infestation. Here’s why our professional pest control is the most effective and long-lasting solution:

Access to Advanced, Non-Repellent Treatments

We use commercial-grade, non-repellent insecticides and baits that aren’t available to the public.

These products allow ants to unknowingly spread the treatment throughout the colony, including to hidden queens.
Unlike consumer sprays that scatter ant trails and split colonies (a behavior called “budding”), our professional formulations target the entire network, leading to total colony collapse rather than temporary suppression.

Expertise in Identifying Colony Networks

Argentine ants often establish multiple nests indoors and outdoors, including under foundations, behind walls, and in soil or mulch beds.

Our trained pest professionals can locate and map colony hotspots, determine whether satellite colonies are present, and select the most effective placement for baits and barriers.
This precision prevents wasted effort and ensures the treatment targets the root of the problem rather than just surface activity.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Approach

Our professionals combine chemical, environmental, and exclusion techniques to provide long-term relief.

This includes habitat modification (reducing moisture and food sources), strategic baiting programs, and perimeter sealing recommendations to stop re-entry.
The result is a sustainable management plan that protects the structure year-round rather than short-term control.

Ongoing Monitoring and Preventive Maintenance

Argentine ants can return seasonally, especially in humid or irrigated areas.

Our professional services include ongoing inspections and preventive treatments to ensure colonies don’t rebound.
Our technicians can adapt strategies as needed, adjusting bait formulations and application areas based on seasonal activity patterns.

Time, Cost, and Safety Benefits

DIY treatments can become costly and frustrating when results are inconsistent.

Our professionals streamline the process, saving time and minimizing chemical exposure through targeted application.
We also provide a re-treatment warranty and satisfaction guarantee, giving property owners peace of mind that re-infestations will be addressed promptly at no additional cost.

Argentine ants are resilient, cooperative pests that thrive in large, complex colonies. While baiting and prevention can help reduce small infestations, our professional pest control remains the only truly reliable way to eliminate them completely and prevent future outbreaks. With the right combination of expertise, tools, and long-term maintenance, we can restore your property to an ant-free state and keep it that way.