This article was originally published in the August 2020 issue of Pest Management Professional magazine.
Article
Ant Battles: Quick success
Why Action Pest Control trusts Termidor® SC and Alpine® WSG to eliminate ants
For as long as he can remember, Scott Robbins, technical director of Action Pest Control, has been using BASF products to eliminate and deter ants from properties. After 21 years at Action, which is located in Evansville, Ind., Robbins knows that quality products make the difference for his customers, so he puts his trust into BASF.
“BASF as a company is not just out to sell their products, they’re more into helping find solutions to grow your business,” Robbins says. “They’re working as a partner with us, not just bringing a product to us.”
Robbins likes the one-two punch of using Termidor SC termiticide/insecticide and Alpine WSG, a water-soluble granule insecticide, for perimeter ants at residential accounts. He uses Termidor SC termiticide/insecticide for exterior applications and Alpine WSG both outdoors and inside. “Alpine WSG is a cost-effective product that complements Termidor SC with its flexibility in target sites — both inside and out, and away from the foundation — and reapplication intervals when needed.”
Robbins says that nonrepellents are important for ant management, because it is not always possible to locate and treat nests directly. “You need good products like Termidor SC and Alpine WSG to fill those gaps in your toolkit,” he explains.
Prior to working as the technical director at Action Pest Control, Robbins was a tech in the field. He first saw the efficacy of using Termidor SC termiticide/insecticide to alleviate an infestation of odorous house ants (Tapinoma sessile) at a nursing home.
“A very large number of odorous house ants were trailing in from the landscaping,” Robbins recalls. “A single application of Termidor SC for the trailing ants to pass through was all I needed to gain the edge on them.”*
For other ant infestations, Robbins has relied on a combination of Termidor SC termiticide/insecticide and Alpine WSG to ensure that ants are a problem of the past.
“I’ve used the combination and followed up a week later. Then the manager will tell me the account hasn’t seen an ant since I was there previously,” Robbins says. “When I follow up myself physically, and see the activity has ceased just a week later, it shows that we’ve had a lot of success in a short time.”
* Note: This application may not be allowed in all states.
Always follow label directions and state regulations.