Kensington Ant Control
Family-owned & local since 1968
Eliminate carpenter ants, kitchen ants, and every colony in between. Our non-repellent treatments don't just scatter ants. They wipe out the whole nest.
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From Your Kensington Neighbors
Trusted Ant Control in Kensington, MD — in Our Customers' Words
Hear what Northern Virginia and Maryland homeowners have to say about our service — in their own words. Real customers from real homes, sharing why they trust Better Termite with what matters most.
- Homes protected
- 100k+
- Google reviews
- 4.9★
- Years local
- 57+
Why Better Termite
Ant Control in Kensington you can trust — from $49/mo with no binding contracts.
Lower-Impact Products
Hand-picked, EPA-approved treatments selected by our research team — without 9 of the harshest products still used by most companies.
Local Ant Control Experts
Family-owned since 1968, with 300+ years of combined experience protecting Kensington homes. A licensed local tech answers the phone.
The Better Promise
Unlimited free re-services and no binding contracts — we keep coming back until your problem is gone. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
About Better Termite
Why Kensington Homeowners Keep Dealing With Ants
Old Homes, Damp Woods, and a Colony Next Door
Kensington sits right against Rock Creek Park, with the Ken-Gar Palisades and the Rock Creek stream valley wrapping the town's west and south sides. Those wooded corridors and creek banks stay damp and shaded, giving ant colonies perfect habitat steps from your foundation. The DC area gets over 40 inches of rain a year, and summer temperatures push into the 80s and 90s. For ants, this is prime real estate.
Then there's the housing stock. Kensington grew as a planned Victorian community after the railroad arrived. The Historic District is packed with Queen Anne, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Fieldstone foundations, settled framing, aging porches, and old caulk create exactly the gaps and soft, moist wood that ants love.
Better Termite & Pest Control has been eliminating ants across Montgomery County since 1968. We use non-repellent insecticides that ants carry back to their colonies, wiping out the entire population instead of just the ones marching across your counter. Our plans start at $49/month, include unlimited free callbacks, and don't lock you into a contract.
Local Knowledge
How Kensington's Environment Fuels Ant Problems
Rock Creek Park and the Stream Valleys
Rock Creek Park borders Kensington on its west and south sides. The 20-acre Ken-Gar Palisades sits along an especially wild stretch of Rock Creek. These wooded corridors and creek banks hold enormous ant populations. Homes along Beach Drive, Cedar Lane, and the streets of Ken-Gar and Rock Creek Hills see the heaviest carpenter ant pressure. Ants nest in damp wood in the woods, then move into nearby homes when they find soft wood around windows, porches, and siding. Heavy rain drives them out of the ground and toward the dry shelter of your walls.
The tree cover makes things worse. Streets across the Historic District, Parkwood, and Rock Creek Highlands are lined with mature oaks and hardwoods. Leaf litter and mulch beds around foundations give odorous house ants and carpenter ants ideal shelter. From there, they slip inside through the smallest gaps: cracks in fieldstone foundations, spaces around pipes and utility lines, gaps in old window frames, and crumbling mortar joints.
Century-Old Homes and Antique Row
Kensington's charm is its age, but old homes give ants an open door. Fieldstone foundations, additions, crawl spaces, and framing that has settled over 100 years leave countless entry points a carpenter ant can walk right through. The cafes and restaurants along Antique Row on Howard Avenue and the shops on Connecticut Avenue add a steady food supply. That food draws ants into the surrounding streets. Water, cover, and food together give ants a reason to stay in Kensington all year.
Ant Control
Carpenter Ant Control in Kensington
The Biggest Ant Threat to Your Home's Wood
Carpenter ants are Kensington's most destructive ant species. These large black ants don't eat wood. They hollow it out to build their nests. In the century-old homes of the Historic District, Ken-Gar, and Rock Creek Hills, that means damage to original wood framing, porch posts, window sills, and deck structures. Homes near Rock Creek Park and the Ken-Gar stream valley are at the highest risk. Carpenter ants prefer wood that moisture has softened, and those areas stay damp much of the year.
Look for these warning signs: small piles of sawdust near wood surfaces, faint rustling sounds inside walls, or large black ants in your home, especially winged ones in spring. Winged carpenter ants are often confused with termites. Not sure what you're seeing? Call us at 703-683-2000 and describe it to a licensed technician. Our guide to signs of carpenter ant damage and the breakdown of carpenter ants versus termites can also help you tell the difference.
How We Eliminate Carpenter Ant Colonies
We start with a full inspection to find the colony, checking areas with moisture damage where carpenter ants prefer to nest. Then we apply non-repellent insecticides to cracks and entry points. The ants walk through the treated area without knowing it and carry the material back to the colony. It spreads through contact, and the entire colony collapses within 2-4 weeks. You can read more in our carpenter ant library page.
Ant Control
Kitchen Ant Infestations in Kensington
Odorous House Ants: The Trails That Won't Stop
Those tiny black ants trailing across your kitchen counter? Odorous house ants. Crush one and you'll notice a rotten-coconut smell. That's how they got their name. They're drawn to moisture and food, which is why they show up around sinks, dishwashers, and pantries. In Kensington's older homes with aging plumbing, damp basements, and the occasional leak, these ants have plenty of water sources to work with.
Neighborhoods with heavy tree cover and mature landscaping see the worst infestations. The dense mulch beds and leaf litter around foundations in the Historic District, Parkwood, and Chevy Chase View give odorous house ants ideal nesting spots. From there, they forage inside through the smallest gaps: under doors, around window frames, and along pipes.
Why DIY Ant Sprays Make It Worse
Odorous house ants have multiple queens per colony. When you spray a repellent product, surviving ants scatter and set up new colonies elsewhere in your home. One colony becomes three. Our non-repellent approach does the opposite. Ants can't detect the treatment, so they keep walking through it and spreading it to the rest of the colony. We pair interior crack-and-crevice treatment with an exterior perimeter barrier, then return 3 times per year to keep the protection going. Still fighting tiny ants in your kitchen? That article explains why they keep coming back.
Carpenter ants forage outdoors before nesting inside the wood framing of Kensington homes
Our technicians create a protective barrier around your home's foundation
Winged carpenter ants swarm in spring and are often confused with termites
Ant trails along foundations are a common sign of infestation in Kensington neighborhoods
We inspect and treat every potential entry point during each visit
Odorous house ants nest in mulch beds and leaf litter near Kensington foundations
Ant Control
What to Expect During Your First Visit
Interior: Finding Where They're Getting In
Our licensed technician starts inside your home, following ant trails back to where they're getting in. In Kensington homes, that often means checking around pipes in kitchens and bathrooms, gaps in older window frames, and where the floor meets the walls. Many homes here have basements and crawl spaces below century-old framing. We inspect these areas for the moisture issues and soft wood that draw ants in.
Interior treatment focuses on cracks, crevices, and voids where ants travel. The non-repellent material is applied precisely to these pathways, so it works quietly while you go about your day.
Exterior: Sealing Off the Perimeter
Outside, we inspect your foundation, mulch beds, downspouts, and any areas where soil meets the structure. Many Kensington homes have fieldstone or brick foundations with aging mortar that ants slip through. We create a continuous barrier around the perimeter and point out conditions that attract ants, like wood touching soil, clogged gutters, or shrubs growing right up against the house. Fixing these helps keep ants from coming back. For more, see our tips on how to keep ants away.
What Your Kensington Neighbors Are Saying
1500+ 5 Star Reviews on Google "I've had nothing but great experiences for 3 years now. Their consistent, reliable service really stands out for me, and everyone is always kind and easy to talk to. I also like that they're a local, family-run business... Kamaal is fantastic — he really listens to my concerns and works with me to come up with the best plan for whatever pest issues I'm dealing with."
"We have been with Better Termite & Pest Control for 15 years & would highly recommend the company. We just renewed our service & Cindy at Better Termites was professional & helped answer all our questions regarding the renewal terms & schedule an extra service for our house."
"We've had a subscription service with this company for yrs, since moving into our current house, and realizing it was rather...spidery. But NO MORE! Over the years, they've tackled ants, bees, and HORRIBLE paper wasps! Further, Cindy and Darren are awesome to work with, and really know their stuff! I can't recommend this company enough."
"Better Termite has been keeping our house bug free for years with regular perimeter treatments. As a small, family owned business, they are able to personalize their approach based on your needs. It's clear that they prioritize customer service and communication. Highly recommend!"
"I highly recommend this company for your home pest control. Their technicians are thorough and have prevented any unwanted problems from happening on our property. During our last treatment, Jasmine took care of our outdoor spider webs without us even asking. That attention to detail speaks volumes."
"I've had nothing but great experiences for 3 years now. Their consistent, reliable service really stands out for me, and everyone is always kind and easy to talk to. I also like that they're a local, family-run business... Kamaal is fantastic — he really listens to my concerns and works with me to come up with the best plan for whatever pest issues I'm dealing with."
"We have been with Better Termite & Pest Control for 15 years & would highly recommend the company. We just renewed our service & Cindy at Better Termites was professional & helped answer all our questions regarding the renewal terms & schedule an extra service for our house."
"We've had a subscription service with this company for yrs, since moving into our current house, and realizing it was rather...spidery. But NO MORE! Over the years, they've tackled ants, bees, and HORRIBLE paper wasps! Further, Cindy and Darren are awesome to work with, and really know their stuff! I can't recommend this company enough."
"Better Termite has been keeping our house bug free for years with regular perimeter treatments. As a small, family owned business, they are able to personalize their approach based on your needs. It's clear that they prioritize customer service and communication. Highly recommend!"
"I highly recommend this company for your home pest control. Their technicians are thorough and have prevented any unwanted problems from happening on our property. During our last treatment, Jasmine took care of our outdoor spider webs without us even asking. That attention to detail speaks volumes."
How It Works
How Our Ant Control Works
78-Point Home Inspection
A licensed technician inspects your Kensington home top to bottom: basements, fieldstone foundations, porches, crawl spaces, and every entry point ants use to get inside.
Non-Repellent Colony Elimination
We apply non-repellent insecticides that ants carry back to their colony without knowing it. This wipes out the entire population at the source instead of just scattering them.
Exterior Perimeter Barrier
A protective barrier around your foundation stops new colonies from getting inside. We focus on mulch beds, porch footings, and the aging masonry common in Kensington's historic homes.
Triannual Maintenance Visits
Ant treatments last 90-120 days. Our 3 visits per year keep your protection going so you never have a gap in coverage.
Unlimited Free Callbacks
Spot ants between visits? Call us and we'll come back at no extra charge. It's built into your plan, not an add-on.
Your Local Office
Serving Kensington & Surrounding Montgomery County
From the Historic District and Ken-Gar to Rock Creek Hills and Parkwood. ZIP code 20895 and beyond.
Get in Touch
Call Us
703-683-2000Email Us
info@bettertermite.comVisit Our Alexandria (Headquarters) Office
2647 Duke StreetAlexandria, VA 22314
Office Hours
- Mon, Tue, Thu7:30 AM – 7 PM
- Wed, Fri7:30 AM – 8 PM
- Sat, Sun9 AM – 6 PM
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? A licensed local tech picks up at (703) 683-2000.
Our Free Callback Promise
See pests between scheduled visits? We come back and retreat at no extra cost — as many times as it takes. No binding contracts, cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
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Your Local Office
Kensington is served by our Alexandria, VA team.
Alexandria (Headquarters) Office →