The Plains Ant Control
Ants trailing across your kitchen counter? Sawdust piles near your baseboards? The Plains sits in the middle of Fauquier County horse country, surrounded by mature trees, old wood-frame homes, and the conditions ants love. Our tri-annual plan stops them at the source.
Family Owned
57 years of experience serving local homes with pets and kids.
Lower Risk Products
Our research team picked materials better for the planet & your home
No Contracts
We don't lock you in with paperwork. Stay because it works.
Ant Control Built for The Plains Homes
The Plains is a small town with a lot of ant pressure. Historic wood-frame homes, stone foundations, mature trees hanging over rooflines, and horse country barns on every side create the perfect setup for carpenter ants and odorous house ants. When spring arrives and temperatures climb, ants move out of the tree stumps, fence posts, and damp wood where they spent the winter and head straight for the closest structure.
Better Termite & Pest Control has been treating ant problems in Virginia homes since 1968. We use non-repellent products that ants carry back to the colony, killing the queen and stopping the problem at its root. Every plan includes tri-annual visits and unlimited free callbacks. If ants come back between visits, we come back too, at no extra cost. Call 703-683-2000 for a free quote.
Get a Free Quote
Choose the option that works best for you
Option 1: Call a Licensed Tech
Option 2: Submit Your Info to our Team
Why The Plains Has Year-Round Ant Problems
Three things make The Plains one of the more ant-active areas in Fauquier County.
Old wood everywhere. The Plains Historic District has about 140 properties, many built in the 1800s and early 1900s. Weatherboard siding, wood porches, aging crawl spaces, and stone foundations with gaps are common. Carpenter ants seek out damp or damaged wood for nesting. Older homes give them plenty of options. Even if your home is newer, the mature trees, fence posts, and outbuildings around it can house satellite colonies that send workers inside.
Horse country surroundings. The Plains sits in the heart of Virginia hunt country. Great Meadow, the 370-acre equestrian center, is right next door. Horse farms, barns, hay storage, and grain feed surround the town on all sides. Grain and organic debris attract odorous house ants. Barn wood and fence rails give carpenter ants nesting sites within easy reach of your home.
Moisture and edge habitat. The area gets about 43 inches of rain per year. Clay soils hold water in low spots after storms. Mature trees shade foundations and keep soil damp. Where your mowed lawn meets the tree line or hedge row, ants build nests in the leaf litter and rotting wood just feet from your foundation. The warm, humid summers keep ant colonies active from April through November.
Carpenter Ants in The Plains
Carpenter ants are the most damaging ant species in Fauquier County. They are large, black, and tunnel into damp or softened wood to build their nests. They do not eat wood like termites, but the tunneling weakens beams, joists, window frames, and porch supports over time.
In The Plains, carpenter ants are especially common because of the older construction. Weatherboard siding, wood trim, and crawl spaces with moisture issues give them easy nesting spots. They also build parent colonies in tree stumps, dead branches, and old fence posts, then send workers into your home looking for food and water. If you see large black ants inside, small piles of wood shavings near baseboards, or hear faint rustling in your walls, call 703-683-2000 for a free inspection.
How We Treat Ants in The Plains
Store-bought ant sprays kill the ants you see, but they are repellents. The colony just sends more workers on a different path. That is why the problem keeps coming back.
We use a different approach. Our products are non-repellent. Ants cannot detect the treatment. They walk through it and carry it back to the nest. Over the next 1 to 2 weeks, the product spreads through the colony and kills the queen. Once the queen is gone, the colony dies.
- Foundation perimeter treatment: We spray around the outside of your home, focusing on entry points, cracks, and where siding meets the foundation.
- Interior spot treatment: We treat active trails, kitchens, bathrooms, and any areas where ants are getting inside.
- Bait placements: We place gel bait near trails and entry points. Ants carry the bait back to the colony.
- Moisture assessment: We check for damp wood, leaky pipes, and drainage issues that attract carpenter ants.
Odorous House Ants and Other Species
Carpenter ants get the most attention, but odorous house ants are the ant you see most often in The Plains kitchens. They are small, dark brown, and form long trails to food and water. Crush one and it smells like rotten coconut. That is how you can tell them apart from other small ants.
Odorous house ants build colonies in wall voids, under floors, and inside insulation. A single colony can have multiple queens and tens of thousands of workers. When you spray them with a repellent, the colony splits and you end up with more colonies, not fewer. Our non-repellent treatments and bait placements work with the ants' behavior instead of against it. Workers carry the product back to every queen in the colony.
We also treat for pavement ants, acrobat ants, and other species common in Fauquier County. Each species responds to different bait and treatment methods, and our technicians know which approach works best for each one.
Areas We Treat in The Plains
We treat homes and properties across The Plains and the surrounding Fauquier County area:
- Main Street / Historic District: Older homes with weatherboard siding, stone foundations, and wood porches. Carpenter ants and odorous house ants are common in these structures.
- Fauquier Avenue & Loudoun Avenue: Larger homes with mature trees, outbuildings, and shaded foundations. Edge habitat between yards and wooded areas feeds ant activity.
- Pickett Street & Mosby Street: Mid-century homes with basements, older siding, and sheds that provide harborage for ant colonies.
- Horse Country Properties: Estates along Leeds Manor Road, Old Tavern Road, and surrounding rural roads. Barns, grain storage, and old fence rails attract ants to the property.
- Near Great Meadow: Properties close to the 370-acre equestrian center sit near ponds, hedgerows, and large stands of trees that support ant colonies year-round.
Why The Plains Families Choose Better Termite
Better Termite & Pest Control has served Virginia families since 1968. We are a third-generation family business. Our team has over 300 years of combined experience. Here is why homeowners in The Plains choose us:
- 57 years of local knowledge: We know the ant pressures from Fauquier County's historic homes, horse farms, and wooded edges.
- Talk to a real person: Call 703-683-2000 and talk to a licensed technician. No phone trees. No overseas call centers.
- Lower-impact products: Our research team removed 9 of the harshest chemicals common in our industry. We use products like Essentria, Alpine, and Borate-based solutions.
- No binding contracts: Cancel anytime with 30 days notice. We earn your business through results.
- Unlimited free callbacks: If ants return between visits, we come back and re-treat at no extra cost.
- Bundled savings: Add ant protection to your existing pest or termite plan for one monthly bill.
Carpenter ants are the most destructive ant species in The Plains, tunneling into damp or damaged wood
Older wood framing, porches, and fence posts in The Plains give carpenter ants ready-made nesting sites
Perimeter treatments create a barrier around your foundation to stop ants before they get inside
Winged swarmers in spring are a sign of a mature carpenter ant colony nearby or inside your home
A single ant colony can contain thousands of workers. Professional treatment targets the queen to stop the colony
We treat entry points, foundation gaps, and areas where ants trail into your home
Serving The Plains and all of Fauquier County since 1968
Our Process
78-Point Home Inspection
A licensed tech inspects your home top to bottom. We check foundation gaps, wood damage, pipe openings, and anywhere ants could enter or nest in your historic or rural property.
Targeted Treatment
We apply non-repellent products around your foundation, entry points, and ant trails. Non-repellent means ants walk through the treatment and carry it back to the colony, killing the queen.
Tri-Annual Protection
Three visits per year keep the barrier fresh around your home. Each visit targets the specific ants most active during that season.
Unlimited Free Callbacks
See ants between visits? Call us and we come back at no extra charge. We keep treating until the problem is gone.
What Your Neighbors Are Saying
1,100+ 5 Star Reviews on Google "Better Termite uses pet-friendly, but not spider-friendly products, and we are now creepy crawly-free! Over the years, they've also tackled ants, bees, and HORRIBLE paper wasps! Further, Cindy and Darren are awesome to work with, and really know their stuff!"
"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."
"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."
"We have used Better Termite since 1996 and we're very pleased with the results. The techs and the staff are flexible and prompt with appointments. Their price is reasonable."
"I signed up for a plan and have been truly happy with it. This company is highly professional and very responsive. When I saw fence damage from a carpenter bee, they came out quickly to address the issue right away!"
"Better Termite uses pet-friendly, but not spider-friendly products, and we are now creepy crawly-free! Over the years, they've also tackled ants, bees, and HORRIBLE paper wasps! Further, Cindy and Darren are awesome to work with, and really know their stuff!"
"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."
"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."
"We have used Better Termite since 1996 and we're very pleased with the results. The techs and the staff are flexible and prompt with appointments. Their price is reasonable."
"I signed up for a plan and have been truly happy with it. This company is highly professional and very responsive. When I saw fence damage from a carpenter bee, they came out quickly to address the issue right away!"
Serving The Plains & All of Fauquier County
We cover every property in the 20198 ZIP code and surrounding areas including Warrenton, Marshall, Haymarket, and Middleburg.