Altona's sandy bayside soil is easy digging for ants, and the colonies under the paths, the garden beds and the slab edges head for the kitchen tap and the dog bowl as soon as the weather dries out. Black ants and coastal browns are the usual suspects along the Esplanade and in Seaholme; Argentine ants run as one huge colony across the denser streets of Altona North and the townhouse developments and cannot be dealt with by spraying a single trail.
We identify the species first, because the baits differ, then place gel and granular baits that the workers carry back to the queens. Outside we treat the paving joints, garden borders, the slab or subfloor edge and the mulch against the house. Bigger jobs get a return check after a fortnight. We also point out the simple fixes, like keeping mulch a hand-width off the wall and fixing the dripping outdoor tap.