Ants swarming across a tiled floor
Ants

A Simple Guide to Controlling Ants in Your Northern Virginia Home

By Planet Friendly Pest Control·2 min read

You're trying to control ants in your home? Start here first.

In the United States, ants can survive in all fifty states and cause home damage. Each year, millions of dollars are spent to keep carpenter ants at bay.

But the real question is, how to control ants in your northern Virginia home?

For homeowners looking for the best, check out this simple guide to controlling aunts for pest-free living.

Read on to learn more.

01

Know What to Look For

A swarm of ants is often attracted to rotten or faulty wood and small cavities. They can cause damage such as:

It takes three to six years for a fully developed colony of ants to form. They belong to the same family as bees and wasps. Ant queens will lay thousands of eggs at a given time. What does ant eggs look like?

Ant eggs are white, grub-appearing larvae. Be on the lookout for ant eggs in areas in your home that may have rotting wood.

  • Contaminate food
  • Cause property damage
  • Build unsightly mounds
02

Keep Your House Tidy

One of the best ways to implement ant control is by keeping your house tidy. Be sure to clean your house regularly. Ants are attracted to sweet foods and can find spills from over two-hundred meters away.

Clean your home at least three times a week by:

Always rinse your recycled items like soda bottles and cans and store your items outside of your home. Keep your foods covered and stored!

Be sure to seal crevices and cracks around doors and windows by caulking the crevices to bar ants from entering. For existing ant issues, consider setting up and ant trap with ants feed as the bait. Place it at the source where the ants are most active.

Be sure to contact professional ant extermination services for additional support.

  • Vacuuming
  • Wiping down floors and counters
  • Washing dishes
03

Get Rid of Plants that Attract Ants

You can decrease the likelihood of ants entering your by clearing pests and plants outside of your home that may attract ants. Remove plants such as:

Try keeping a barrier or mulch and rock between your home and the grass. This will create a first-line defense and deter ants from entering your home. Don't forget to trim overhanging branches from bushes and trees.

Be sure to unclog gutters to prevent ants from forming a colony and remove wood that is decaying, wet, or rotted. Work with expert pest control services to locate the ant nest.

  • Ripe fruit from trees
  • Plants with aphids
04

Controlling Ants

There are certain things you should do when it comes to controlling ants. Be sure to do your research ahead of time. Be aware of high traffic areas in your home and show in pest application where children and pets may be.

What are you waiting for? Your pest free home awaits!

Want to see more posts like this one? Check out the rest of our blog to learn more!

AntsNorthern Virginia

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Planet Friendly Pest Control

Eco-conscious pest control for homes with pets across Southern Maryland & Northern Virginia — serving local homeowners since 2010.....

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    I want to sincerely thank Planet Friendly Pest Control and its owner, Gene Wright, for their immediate response and action to deal with a hive of Bald Face Hornets who, unbeknownst to me, had taken home in a fair size shrub at the back of my house. As I attempted to trim the shrub, I was swarmed by Hornets and stung 8 or 9 times before I could get to safety. I left my tractor and tools in a hurry and was afraid to retrieve them until the bee issue was addressed. Again, PFPC responded quickly and allowed me to get my tools and continue my recovery from the bee stings. I considered the price to be very fair for the treatment of the issue at hand and the sharing of knowledge to avoid further such mishaps. I will only call PFPC when in need of pest control.

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    Really appreciate Roger coming out to the house to not only treat for common insects that like to make their way into the house (regularly scheduled maintenance), but also exterminate a hornet nest we found on our deck this last week. Great service, arrives on schedule (and sends a text with arrival time when he’s on his way), and most importantly - no critters coming inside my house - or hornets potentially stinging us. Recommend Planet Friendly Pest Control to anyone looking for an exterminator.

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    Google review · Jun 2026

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  • Denise A.

    Google review · Apr 2026

    This is my third year using Planet Friendly to control ants in my home. I have yet to see an ant. What a relief. This is a real necessity where I live. Thank you.

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