Pest Library
How to identify ants
Ants are one of the most common household pests across Ottawa and the GTA. Most species are a nuisance, but carpenter ants can cause real structural damage by tunnelling through damp or softened wood. Knowing which ant you are dealing with is the first step to getting rid of them for good.
What they look like
- ●Carpenter ants — large (6–13 mm), usually black, often seen at night; leave behind sawdust-like "frass" near wood.
- ●Pavement ants — small (2.5–4 mm), dark brown to black; nest under sidewalks, driveways and foundation slabs.
- ●Pharaoh ants — tiny (about 2 mm), pale yellow to light brown; common indoors year-round, especially near heat and moisture.
- ●All ants have a narrow "waist," bent (elbowed) antennae, and three distinct body segments — which distinguishes them from termites.
Signs of an infestation
- ●Steady trails of ants leading to food, water, or entry points around windows and baseboards.
- ●Small piles of sawdust (frass) beneath wooden beams, window frames, or door frames — a carpenter ant red flag.
- ●A faint rustling sound inside walls, or winged "swarmer" ants appearing indoors in spring.
- ●Hollow-sounding wood or visible galleries when wood is opened up.
Why professional treatment matters
Store-bought sprays kill the ants you see but rarely reach the nest, so the colony recovers within days. Carpenter ants in particular nest in hidden voids and can have satellite colonies throughout a structure. We locate the nest, treat the colony directly, and seal the entry points so they do not come back.
See our Ant Control service →Frequently Asked Questions
Are carpenter ants as damaging as termites?▾
They work more slowly than termites and do not eat the wood — they hollow it out to nest. Left untreated for years, however, carpenter ants can still cause significant structural damage, so early treatment is worthwhile.
Why do I keep seeing ants even after spraying?▾
Surface sprays only kill foraging workers, not the queen or the nest. Until the colony itself is treated, the ants keep coming back. Professional treatment targets the nest so the whole colony collapses.
When are ants most active in Ontario?▾
Ant activity ramps up from spring through late summer as temperatures rise. Carpenter ant swarmers typically appear indoors in spring, which is often the first sign of an established nest.
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