Antex Pest Control Ltd.

04/16/2026

BUT WHY ARE THEY MOVING SO FAST?!
Because, like 99% of all species on earth, ants are ectotherms, or cold blooded. So, in the case of this species, commonly called 'thatching ants', there was direct sunlight on their nest (tree stump), which ramped up their metabolism to the max, increasing their movement speed. And of course, when its cold, they move slower, and if it gets cold enough, they enter a dormant state much like hibernation.
Thatching ants are carpenter ants, but they typically prefer rotted stumps or piles of wood debris to nest in, digging deep to expand the nest, and burying it in roughly 2 feet of debris for protection from predators, and to create an almost climate controlled interior, with intakes for fresh air, and practically an entire hvac system inside, to create the ideal environment. But they can infest homes just like regular black carpenter ants, its just much less common.

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04/16/2026

Carpenter ant season is in full sWING!
These winged ants are breeders, queens and drones (winged male ants) that develop inside the nest, and emerge to mate and start new colonies. Well, the queens might, but the drones will die shortly after successfully mating, which is exhaustive for them, and they are unable to find food for themselves, succumbing to exhaustion and starvation.
DID YOU KNOW that all carpenter ants inside a colony are female? Drones are the only males, and only exist during mating season!
Less than 5-10% of queens will successfully develop a colony, even less will have a colony that survives very long. Factors such as predators, environment, access to food sources, competition, and even disease, stack the odds against our brave queens!
So if you see winged ants flying around your home this spring, know that you are witnessing a life or death struggle to survive against the slimmest of odds, and an adaptation that has successfully beaten those odds to become the most populous insect on the planet.
But, if you see that same miraculous spectacle occurring INSIDE your home, give Antex a call, we are ant experts, and we are a local, family owned, proudly Canadian company, and we are here to help!
(Not written by AI)

12/19/2025

These are worker and soldier subterranean termites. These are the ones that consume the wood, and construct the tunnel networks. The ones with wings, not seen here, are breeders.
That pile of rubble? That is what remains of a 2x4 that was at the bottom of a load bearing frame. From the exterior, the wood looked fully intact, but with a light push, a screwdriver went through it like paper.
Termites do not consume all of the wood, they prefer the softer parts, and will tunnel through the wood in search if it, leaving the harder wood intact, and creating the appearance of structural integrity.
That rubble is a mix of f***s, sand, and left over hardwood, that used to form a complex mud tube network, which they use to travel between the colony and the food source. The breeders will also use this network to escape to the surface, where the will release by the thousands in a swarm, off to pair up and create new colonies. Each one of the termites in this video are about half the size of a grain of rice.

08/29/2025

Have you ever wondered what a carpenter ant infestation looks like INSIDE the walls of your home?
This homeowner had regularly seen carpenter ants outside of their home for years, but didn't think they were much of a problem. After all, ants are everywhere, its normal to see them.
Then they decided to do some renos, and upon removal of some exterior siding, saw ants walking around beneath the siding, as well as the telltale piles of sawdust left behind from their activity. Once we removed the plywood and pulled out the insulation, this is what we found.
Do you see a lot of carpenter ant activity around your home? What may seem innocuous, may actually be much worse. This homeowners simple reno turned into a much bigger, and more expensive, undertaking than planned, as many portions of the walls needed to be repaired and replaced.
If you are seeing ants inside your home, or a lot of external activity, call Antex pest control, we are ant experts, though we can't do much about uncles..

08/28/2025

These are subterranean termites, one of our common pests here on Vancouver Island.
Some facts about termites:
- colonies begin with mated pairs, a Queen and a King.
-The Queen can live on average 15-25 years, and as long as 50 years! The King will only survive 1-4 years, and is replaced regularly.
- The Queen will lay a quarter, to a half, of a billion eggs in her lifetime.
-eggs can stay dormant until enough are laid to produce a swarm.
- swarms occur roughly 2 years after a colony has been formed, when hundreds of thousands of winged termite Kings and Queens are released all at once.
- those termites will now pair up and mate, drop their wings, and go off to start a new colony.
- termites consume the cellulose in wood for food, and can even eat cardboard!
- while they prefer rotting damp wood, they will happily consume the wood in our homes.
- a colony can consist of 60,000 termites at any given time. Separated into 3 categories, workers, soldiers, and breeders.
- a colony can consume a foot of a single 2x4 in about 6 months.
- only breeders have wings.
- workers and soldiers need to stay in moist, dark, places, and construct mud tube networks that allow them to travel up the walls in our homes.
-the mud tubes are constructed out of the fine sand and soil below the foundation.
- they are called subterranean termites for good reason, as colonies can be as much as 20 feet underground.
- an infestation can remain unnoticed, even during thorough inspection, for years. Often the first signs of an infestation occur during a swarm, meaning the colony has been established and attacking your home for at least 2 years.
- often mistaken for ants, but termites only have 2 body segments, whereas ants have 3. Also, termite wings are twice the length of their body, and all 4 wings are equal length. Ants also have 4 wings, but the top 2 are significantly longer than the bottom pair.
If you suspect you might have subterranean termites, call Antex pest control today for an inspection and diagnosis, and save your home before real structural damage occurs!

08/13/2025

Pavement ants, Odorous ants, Pharoah ants, Cornfield ants, 'sugar ants', those are just some of the smaller, non wood boring ants, that live with us here, on Vancouver Island.
While these highly organized and efficient creatures don't damage structures in the way that Carpenter ants do, they can still infest within the walls, and often floors, of our homes. You will find them around kitchens and bathrooms, searching for food and water, but you'll likely see the first signs as evidenced by piles of sand that start to appear in your driveway, sidewalks, patios, and along the exterior, and interior, foundation walls of your home. The sand piles are produced as these ants excavate beneath these areas, to build their colonies, and also to feast on other insects, such as Sub-terranean termites, which are one of our top recyclers of wood pulp, but live anywhere from 18 inches to 20 feet underground!.
This excavating behavior can have damaging effects though. The removal of the sand and soil beneath foundations, sidewalks, and driveways, can cause shifting, sinking, and even cracking.
This video was taken immediately after a treatment had been applied to a structure that showed evidence of sand piles on both sides of the foundation wall, but not a lot of ants were ever showing, until a thorough inspection by an Antex technician revealed their main route and colony entrance. The ants appear in distress because of their reaction to the treatment, as they flood out of the exterior wall by the thousands.
If you see signs of these small ants in your home, or any other bug or rodent that's pestering you, call Antex pest control, and our team will be happy to help! Call 250-924-2687, or send a message to [email protected], or through our website www.antex.ca

03/13/2024

Carpenter ants are awake, and the damage they produce is often unseen, until it's too late. Here we see Antex owner Steve Stewart using the Actisol machine, which produces a v***r fog than can pe*****te into walls and ceilings, and other hard to access areas. This process quickly eliminates a colony at its source, without having to open up walls for access.
Call Antex today and we will be happy to visit and offer a free inquiry!

02/10/2024

Are pesky ants causing chaos at your place? As Ant Season creeps in with warmer weather and sunny skies, homeowners are buzzing with worries about ant invasions. Don't wait until the problem gets out of hand!

Antex Pest Control has your back with custom solutions to nip those concerns in the bud. Yep, you guessed it—ant extermination is our jam (but we handle other pests too!).

Count on our know-how and dedication to tackle those ant armies while keeping safety and the environment in check. Call today to book an inspection of your home or business 250-924-2687 or 250-713-4739.

10/07/2023

Amazing stuff.

274.7K likes, 4054 comments. “Myrmecia Pilosula Fights Spiders!”

10/06/2023