Find The Colony. Kill The Queen. End The Ant Problem For Good.
Spraying the ants you see only kills 5% of the colony. We track each trail back to the nest, target the queen with colony-eliminating bait, and seal the entry points so the next colony can't move in. No-cost inspection. Same-day appointments available.
✓ Colony elimination
✓ Indoor + outdoor
✓ Pet & kid safe
✓ Entry-point sealing
★★★★★ Rated 4.9 across 147 verified local reviews
Get Your No-Cost Ant Inspection
No obligation. Same-day appointments available. We come to you across Fresno & the Central Valley.
Years serving the Valley
Ant species we treat
Average local review
Return-if-they-return guarantee
6 Signs You Have An Ant Problem
Ant problems start small — a single scout, a faint trail in the kitchen — and escalate fast once a colony is established. If any of these sound familiar, call us before they spread.
Trails In Kitchens & Bathrooms
A steady line of ants moving back and forth between a food source and a hidden nest is the classic sign — follow the trail backward to find ground zero.
Sweet, Sugary, Or Greasy Food Drawn Down
Sugar ants and grease ants will swarm a single crumb within hours. Pet food bowls left out overnight are a common hot spot.
Sawdust-Like Frass Near Wood
Carpenter ants don't eat wood — they hollow it out for galleries. Look for tiny piles of wood shavings, dead ants, and insulation fragments below window sills, deck posts, and baseboards.
Winged Swarmers Indoors
Reproductive ants emerging inside the home in spring or summer means an established colony has matured. They look like termites but with bent antennae and pinched waists.
Mounds In The Yard Or Driveway Cracks
Loose-soil mounds along sidewalks, in lawns, or pushing up between pavers signal a colony already established outside — untreated, the next move is indoors.
Ants After Heat Or Rain
Central Valley summers and the rare wet day drive colonies indoors looking for water and shelter. A sudden ant problem after a weather swing is a textbook entry-point issue.
Seeing Trails? Don't Wait — Colonies Double In Weeks.
Most ant species can field a few thousand workers within 30–60 days. The earlier we treat, the less risk to your home's wood, wiring, and food storage.
Ant Control Is Already Part Of Your Service — At No Extra Cost
If you're on one of our on-going pest protection plans, ant treatment is built right in. Your tech handles trails, mounds, and entry points on the regular visit — or sooner if it can't wait. No add-on quotes, no separate appointment, no surprise invoice.
Our 4-Step Ant Elimination Process
There's a reason DIY sprays come back week after week — they target the wrong ants. Here's the playbook that actually ends the problem.
Identify The Species
Carpenter ants, Argentine ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants each respond to different treatments. We start with a no-cost inspection to identify the species and locate the colony before applying anything.
Track Trails To The Nest
Spraying foragers only kills the visible 5% — the queen and 95% of the colony stay safe underground. We follow trails back to nests, satellite colonies, and reproductive zones so the whole problem gets treated.
Bait, Treat & Eliminate Colony
Slow-acting bait carried back by workers feeds the queen and brood. Combined with perimeter treatment around the foundation and entry-point dusts, the entire colony collapses within 7–14 days.
Seal Entry Points
We finish by identifying and sealing the cracks, weep holes, utility penetrations, and gaps around plumbing where ants got in. No re-entry, no replacement colony moving into the empty territory.
Why Homeowners Switch To Total Pest Control For Ants
Most ant calls we get are from homeowners who've already tried sprays, traps, or another company's quarterly treatment. Here's what's different about how we handle ants.
Species-Specific Treatment
Carpenter ants get a different protocol than sugar ants. Generic spray-everything is why so many homeowners are on their third pest company — our techs identify before they treat.
Colony Tracking, Not Surface Spraying
We follow trails to satellite colonies, find swarmers' exit points, and locate the queen's zone. Surface kills are temporary; colony elimination is permanent.
Pet & Kid Safe Products
Everything we apply indoors is EPA-registered for residential use around dogs, cats, and children. No drying-time wait, no leaving the house during service.
Entry-Point Sealing
We don't just kill what's inside — we identify and seal the cracks, utility gaps, and weep holes ants used to get in. That's the difference between treatment and prevention.
Detailed Service Report
Every visit, you get a written report: species identified, areas treated, products applied, and recommended follow-ups. No mystery, no guesswork.
Return-If-They-Return Guarantee
If ants come back between scheduled visits, we come back at no charge. We don't close the ticket until the problem is solved.
Common Fresno Ant Species We Eliminate
The Central Valley is home to a handful of ant species that show up in homes year-round. Identification matters — the wrong treatment on the right ant can split a colony into two and make things worse. Here's what we see most often.
Argentine Ants — small, brown, and the #1 invader in Fresno yards. Massive interconnected super-colonies.
Carpenter Ants — large, black or red-and-black, and the destructive ones. They hollow out wet or damaged wood.
Odorous House Ants — tiny, dark brown, smell like rotten coconut when crushed. The classic sugar-ant trail.
Pavement Ants — small mound-builders along driveways, sidewalks, and concrete slabs. Move indoors after rain.
Fire Ants — reddish-brown, aggressive, painful sting. Less common locally but established south of the Valley.
Not Sure What Ant You Have?
Snap a photo, call us, and we'll ID it on the phone in 30 seconds. Then we'll tell you whether it's a DIY situation or a colony job — honestly. No pressure to book.
📞 Call (559) 472-8200Real Stories From Fresno Homeowners
4.9 average across 147 verified reviews from real local customers.
We had carpenter ants in the bathroom wall and two other companies told us we just needed to spray and we'd be fine. Total Pest found the colony in the rim joist, treated it, and sealed where they were getting in. Six months later, nothing. Worth every penny.
— Jennifer R., NW Fresno
Sugar ants every spring for three years until we called these guys. They actually traced the trail back to where it was coming through the slab. Haven't seen one since. Tech was on time, kid-friendly, and showed me exactly what he was doing.
— Marcus T., Clovis
Fast, professional, and the guarantee actually means something. We had a small recurrence three weeks after the first treatment and they came right back out, no questions, no charge. That's why we're on the protection plan now.
— Priya K., Madera
Local Ant Control Across Fresno & The Central Valley
We're based in Fresno and serve the surrounding communities with same-week appointments and same-day service when available. Local techs, local trucks, local accountability.
Fresno · Clovis · Madera · Sanger · Selma · Reedley · Kingsburg · Parlier · Fowler · Kerman · Visalia · Exeter
📞 Call (559) 472-8200Ant Control FAQs
How long does it take to get rid of ants?
For most Argentine, odorous, and pavement ant infestations, you'll see the trails disappear within 7–14 days as workers carry bait back to the colony. Carpenter ants and larger satellite colonies can take 2–3 weeks for full elimination. We'll always tell you up front what to expect based on the species and the size of the colony.
Why do ants always come back after I spray?
Over-the-counter sprays only kill the visible foragers — about 5% of the colony. The queen, brood, and 95% of the workers stay safely underground or inside walls. Worse, repellent sprays can cause some species (like Argentines) to "bud" — the colony splits into multiple smaller colonies. We use non-repellent baits and dusts that workers carry back to the queen.
Are the products safe around my pets and kids?
Yes. Everything we apply indoors is EPA-registered for residential use around dogs, cats, and children. There's no drying-time wait, no one has to leave the house, and we give you written re-entry information for everything we use. If a job ever calls for something heavier-duty, we discuss it with you in advance.
Do you treat carpenter ants differently than other ants?
Yes — very differently. Carpenter ants nest in wet, decayed, or hollow wood (rim joists, window frames, deck posts) and have parent + satellite colonies. We use a foam treatment injected directly into galleries plus perimeter and bait stations. Generic ant sprays don't reach the parent colony.
What's the difference between a one-time visit and a protection plan?
A one-time visit eliminates the current problem and seals the entry points we find that day. A protection plan covers ant treatment year-round, includes quarterly preventive visits, and gives you free re-treatment between visits if anything comes back. Most homeowners with recurring ant problems save money on the plan after the first year.
Can you treat the outside without coming inside?
For active indoor trails, we recommend treating both. But yes — we offer exterior-only perimeter and yard treatments for prevention or for situations where indoor access is limited. The exterior treatment is the biggest factor in stopping the colony before it gets in.
Seeing winged insects and not sure if they are ants or termites? Termite swarmers are often mistaken for flying ants — and the difference matters for your home.
Flying termites vs. flying ants →Carpenter ants tunneling through your home?
Big black ants and little piles of sawdust usually mean a nest in or near the structure. We find it and stop the damage.
Carpenter Ant Control in Fresno →Ready To End The Ant Problem?
Get your no-cost inspection today. We'll identify the species, locate the colony, and give you an honest, no-pressure plan to eliminate them for good.
Or call us directly: (559) 472-8200