Initial or 1x Service – Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ant (CA) services should only be done during the season in which they are active, typically during the months of April – Early October. CA are not active during the winter.

1. Park onsite and confirm the street address to make sure that you are servicing the correct building(s).
2. Clock in and review all documents (field sheet, tech notes, and service agreement) from the bid. Also, make sure to review the Location Notes and Order Instructions pertaining to today’s service.
3. Greet the client, introduce yourself, and address any concerns/immediate problems that they may have first. Once that is done, continue through the following steps to complete their service.
4. Web mopping:
   Using your web mop pole, circle the whole house brushing off any spider webs and old wasp/hornet nests. Pay special attention to lights, entryways, and high peaks of the eves. Also, make sure you get the backside of the facia where it is hard to see. If the house is especially tall, use the larger extension pole stored on top of your truck. Be sure to take mental note of any areas of particularly high pest activity. You will take this into account when servicing and you may also want to put it in your notes at the end of the service.
5. While web mopping, double check that all vegetation and storage is away from the home. A clear and uninhibited perimeter treatment is a crucial component of a successful Carpenter Ant service.
6. Non-repellant perimeter treatment:
   Using your backpack sprayer apply a perimeter treatment around the footprint of the home using Termidor SC. This is the foundation and an area extending out from it on the surrounding ground. Consult your label for these parameters. Make sure to include all connected items like posts, fences, overhead wires, and anywhere else the CA are entering or could enter the building, as the label allows. The goal is to complete a perimeter application in which the CA must cross the material to access the structure. We rely on these ants carrying the material back to the nest within the structure to gain control.
7. Termidor SC can also be used in the eaves to help control spiders as an added benefit of the initial service. You may service around in the eaves, behind downspouts, around windows and doors, and around exterior lights where pests may harbor or enter the building. Pay special attention to the areas that had shown particularly high activity when you were web mopping.
8. Interior baiting is also a good strategy when there is a high level of CA activity inside. This can help reduce the interior activity and provide quicker relief for the client. Maxforce Fleet gel bait is a good option and is formulated specifically for CA. Apply only in the areas where CA are being seen per the label’s directions.
9. Return to your vehicle when done and secure all equipment and make it is safe to travel.
10. Reconvene with the client and report all your findings, including the measures you took to address them. Also, make sure to set expectations for the improvement in activity that they can anticipate. Typically, it will take a full 3-4 weeks for complete control and the client may see dead and dying CA inside during this time. If the client is not home and you need to communicate with them, please call or send them a text. Make sure to leave a door hanger so the client can confirm that you were onsite.
11. Enter all required information on the material applied into PestPac Mobile. Also, enter notes on the service provided today as well as any client concerns, observations you made, or necessary environmental changes (see PS.102 Entering material information and notes into PestPac Mobile). You are the first tech to be servicing at this account, be sure that you update the location instructions with any pertinent information that other techs should know. Remember: Clients have access to your notes so they should always be professional and appropriate.
12. If it was a particularly pleasant interaction be sure to send a review invite via the Podium app (see PS.150 Sending a review invite using Podium Mobile).
13. Check off the account on your service route log.