Ant
extermination

Killing the workers you see solves nothing: the colony produces more the next day. We trace them back to the nest and treat it where it is.

Get a quote Call (514) 641-8868
Service
Nest treatment
Follow-up
Perimeter barrier
Area
Montreal, Laval and the South Shore
Technician treating an ant colony along a foundation

The telltale
signs

  • Fine, pale sawdust at the base of a wall, under a window or near a beam.
  • A dry rustling inside the wall, especially in the evening.
  • Workers always following the same path, often along a joint or a wire.
  • Winged ants indoors in spring: a sign of a nest already established in the building.
Not sure?

Take a photo and attach it to the form. We’ll look at it with you and tell you what you’re dealing with.

Send a photo

How we work

  1. 01

    Identification

    Carpenter, pharaoh or black: the species completely changes the product and the method.

  2. 02

    Finding the nest

    We follow the trails to the source, in damp wood, a wall or a stump outside.

  3. 03

    Treating the colony

    Application at the source to reach the queen, not just the visible workers.

  4. 04

    Outdoor barrier

    Treatment around the building, right along the foundation.

Good to know

Ants in Montreal: what you should know

Carpenter, pharaoh or pavement ant

The carpenter ant is the big black ant found in Quebec homes: its workers are six to thirteen millimetres long. It nests in damp wood, near a leaking window, a roof or a balcony. The pharaoh ant, tiny and yellowish, lives inside heated buildings, often near kitchens and bathrooms. The pavement ant, small and dark brown, nests under slabs and comes in through cracks in the basement floor. Each one calls for a different approach: that’s why we always start by identifying it.

In spring, a sign not to ignore

Seeing carpenter ants in the house at the end of winter, even before the snow has melted outside, suggests the nest is inside the building. Winged ants coming out of a wall or floor in spring point the same way. A colony takes several years to become established and can number thousands of workers: its galleries gradually weaken wood already damaged by moisture. The earlier it is found, the less wood is affected.

What draws them to your home

Moisture is their best friend: clogged gutters, wood touching the ground, a poorly drained balcony or patio. Branches touching the roof act as a bridge. Fix leaks, keep firewood off the ground and away from walls, leave a strip without mulch along the foundation and seal where wires and pipes come in. Earwigs and woodlice look for the same moisture. For pharaoh ants, avoid sprays: they push the colony to split into several nests.

Before
our visit

  • Don’t spray anything before our visit: store-bought insecticides scatter the colony and make it harder to find.
  • Leave visible trails as they are — they lead us to the nest.
  • Clear the outside perimeter: firewood, mulch, pots leaning against the foundation.

Frequently
asked questions

Do carpenter ants eat wood?

No, they dig into it to nest. The structural damage is real but gradual: it isn’t an emergency, but it is a problem to deal with this season.

Why do I still see some after the treatment?

That’s normal in the first few days: the product drives them out of their galleries. Activity should drop sharply within one to two weeks.

What if they come back next year?

Call us again. A return doesn’t have the same cause depending on the season and on what we found: we look at the situation before talking about treatment again.

Tell us
what’s going on

A photo is worth ten lines of description. A technician will call you back to understand the situation and give you a price.

(514) 641-8868 Or email info@jessejamesextermination.com

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    Service area

    Ants and crawling insects: areas we serve

    Our office is in Montreal. From there, our exterminators cover the island, Laval, the North Shore and the South Shore.

    Laval

    Chomedey, Sainte-Dorothée, Vimont, Duvernay, Auteuil, Laval-des-Rapides, Pont-Viau, Saint-François.

    Montreal

    Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Villeray, Rosemont, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Saint-Laurent, Verdun, Rivière-des-Prairies, Anjou.

    North Shore

    Terrebonne, Mascouche, Repentigny, Blainville, Saint-Eustache.

    South Shore and Vaudreuil

    Longueuil, Brossard, Boucherville, Sainte-Julie, Vaudreuil-Dorion.

    Our other services

    Bed bugs Mice and rats Cockroaches Wasps and hornets Commercial contracts
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