Why do the ants keep coming back after I clean?

Because cleaning removes the scent trail but not the colony, which is almost always outside. The colony sends more scouts, they find the same food source, and the trail re-forms within a day. Bait solves it by reaching the colony; wiping and spraying does not.

Should I get a one-time visit or the quarterly plan?

If it is a genuine one-off, take the one-time visit and we will say so. If ants show up every spring or spiders every autumn, the plan costs less than the repeat calls and includes free re-services in between. We would rather tell you that now than bill you four times.

Do I have brown recluse?

Probably not, though they do exist in Kentucky. Most spiders identified as recluses turn out to be wolf spiders or cellar spiders. Catch it in a jar if you can and we will identify it properly rather than guessing. If you have been bitten and are worried, that is a question for a doctor, not for us.

Are carpenter ants as bad as termites?

Not as bad, but not nothing. They excavate galleries in wood to nest rather than eating it, so the damage accumulates more slowly than termite damage. The more useful signal is what their presence implies: they want damp wood, so finding them usually means there is a moisture problem worth fixing regardless of the ants.

Will treatment get rid of every spider?

No, and anyone promising that is overselling. Treatment substantially reduces them by removing the insects they feed on and by clearing webs and harbourage. A house is not a sealed box, and the occasional spider walking in through an open door is not a treatment failure.

Ants & Spiders

Ant & Spider Control in Elizabethtown, KY

Two of the most common calls we get, and almost always two symptoms of the same thing — which is why they usually cost less to solve together on a plan than one visit at a time.

Join the launch list Price a quarterly plan

Usually covered by the quarterly plan
Bait-based ant treatment, not surface spray
Free re-services between visits

Why they're on the same page

Spiders are in your house because insects are in your house. They are predators, and a spider population is a reasonably reliable indicator of the food supply. Treat the underlying insect pressure and the spiders decline on their own; spray the spiders and leave the pressure and they come back.

Ants are the most common single call in this county and the most commonly mistreated. Odorous house ants and pavement ants nest outside, forage in, and follow a chemical trail to whatever they found. That is why wiping the counter works for a day: you remove the trail, the colony sends more scouts, and the trail re-forms.

Carpenter ants are the exception worth taking seriously. Large, black, and interested in damp wood — they excavate galleries rather than eating the wood, but the damage is real and their presence usually means there is a moisture problem somewhere that also needs fixing.

What you're seeing

A steady line of small ants along a counter edge, backsplash, or baseboard that comes back a day after you clean it
Ants concentrated around a specific moisture source — under the sink, near the dishwasher, around a leaking outdoor spigot
Large black ants indoors, especially with small piles of what looks like sawdust nearby — that is carpenter ant activity and worth a closer look
Webs in ceiling corners, around porch lights, along basement joists, and in the garage
More spiders in autumn as they move in ahead of cold weather

How they're treated

1
Bait the ants, don't spray them
Workers carry bait back to the colony, which reaches the queen and the brood you cannot see. Surface spray kills the ants on the counter and leaves the colony intact to send more. Bait looks slower for two or three days and then the trail stops entirely.
2
Treat the exterior entry point
A perimeter barrier at the point they are actually entering — usually a specific crack, weep hole, or utility penetration rather than the whole foundation uniformly.
3
Clear webs and reduce the food supply
Sweeping eaves, porches, and door frames removes existing webs, and treating the insect pressure removes the reason the spiders were there.
4
Identify anything that needs more than treatment
Carpenter ants mean moisture. Recurring ant trails in the same spot often mean a leak or a grading problem. We will tell you when the real fix is a repair rather than a chemical, even though that is not work we bill for.

What it costs

$150 to $400 for a one-time visit. But this is the service where we will most often tell you not to buy the one-time visit.

Ants and spiders are seasonal and recurring by nature. Four one-time calls across a year costs more than a year of quarterly service, and the quarterly plan includes unlimited free re-services on top — so the callback in July that would otherwise be a new invoice is simply covered. If you are seeing them once and never again, take the single visit. If this is an annual event, the plan is cheaper.

10% military discount applies, always.

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About brown recluse specifically

Brown recluse are present in Kentucky and they are the spider people most want to talk about. They are also identified far more often than they are actually found — the great majority of spiders brought to us as recluses are wolf spiders, cellar spiders, or something else harmless.

If you think you have one, catch it in a jar rather than crushing it and we will look at it properly. Guessing from a squashed spider or a photo of a bite is not something we are going to do, and neither should anyone else. Diagnosis of a bite is a matter for a doctor, not a pest control company.

Common questions

Why do the ants keep coming back after I clean?: Because cleaning removes the scent trail but not the colony, which is almost always outside. The colony sends more scouts, they find the same food source, and the trail re-forms within a day. Bait solves it by reaching the colony; wiping and spraying does not.
Should I get a one-time visit or the quarterly plan?: If it is a genuine one-off, take the one-time visit and we will say so. If ants show up every spring or spiders every autumn, the plan costs less than the repeat calls and includes free re-services in between. We would rather tell you that now than bill you four times.
Do I have brown recluse?: Probably not, though they do exist in Kentucky. Most spiders identified as recluses turn out to be wolf spiders or cellar spiders. Catch it in a jar if you can and we will identify it properly rather than guessing. If you have been bitten and are worried, that is a question for a doctor, not for us.
Are carpenter ants as bad as termites?: Not as bad, but not nothing. They excavate galleries in wood to nest rather than eating it, so the damage accumulates more slowly than termite damage. The more useful signal is what their presence implies: they want damp wood, so finding them usually means there is a moisture problem worth fixing regardless of the ants.
Will treatment get rid of every spider?: No, and anyone promising that is overselling. Treatment substantially reduces them by removing the insects they feed on and by clearing webs and harbourage. A house is not a sealed box, and the occasional spider walking in through an open door is not a treatment failure.