Local ant information

Ant control in Washington

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Ants in Washington: what to know

Around Washington

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

Where the trail leads

Look for the rooms and outdoor areas where you regularly notice ants. Food, water, and small openings are useful things to mention when asking for help.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to know the ant species before getting in touch.

Local research

Ants in Washington: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which ants actually live in Washington, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

between 42°F and 93°F

Odorous house ant foraging temperature range

Mild PNW winters let this ant forage nearly year-round.

Washington State University Extension

four to five generations per year

Odorous house ant generations per year

Rapid reproduction explains the sudden spring surges in kitchens.

Washington State University Extension

Ant species recorded in Washington

Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) — Large black or bicolored ants (1/4 to 1/2 inch) that excavate moist or decayed wood for nests rather than eating it; indoor nests are usually satellites of an outdoor parent col…
Odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) — Small (1/16–1/8 inch) brown-black ant that smells like rotten coconut when crushed; found throughout North America with the widest range and greatest ecological tolerance of any…
Pavement ant (Tetramorium immigrans (T. caespitum)) — Small dark-brown ant (about 1/8 inch) with grooved head that nests under sidewalks, driveways and stones and piles soil at nest entrances; the most common pest ant in and around…
Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) — Desert seed-gathering ants (1/4–1/2 inch) that clear 4- to 35-foot bare circles around nests up to three feet deep; 22 species occur in the U.S., several in Arizona. They sting…

When ants are busiest in Washington

Populations begin growing in late winter and early spring; ants enter buildings for food and moisture or to escape flooding (Oregon State Solve Pest Problems).

WSU's EB1550E describes odorous house ants as multi-nest, multi-queen in urban settings. Harvester ants at Hanford were thought to have exhumed buried waste from 15 feet deep (Univ. of Arizona).

For context, nationally

more than 367 million acres — Acres infested by imported fire ants. USDA APHIS
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Puerto Rico — States and territories with imported fire ant infestations (APHIS). USDA APHIS

Sources: Odorous House Ant (Tapinoma sessile Say), EB1550E; USDA APHIS; Carpenter Ants; Pavement Ants; Harvester Ants (Backyard Gardener #16). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Washington cities

Auburn

Marine West Coast · suburban setting

Ant control in Washington

Ants in Washington: what to know

Around Washington

Where the trail leads

A useful next step

Ants in Washington: what the public record shows

Ant species recorded in Washington

When ants are busiest in Washington

For context, nationally

Explore Washington cities

Auburn

Bellevue

Bellingham

Everett

Federal Way

Kennewick

Kent

Kirkland

Olympia

Redmond

Renton

Richland

Seattle

Spokane

Spokane Valley

Tacoma

Vancouver

Yakima

Walla Walla

Ask about ant control in Washington