Sargent Pest Solutions owner Jonathan Sargent identifies the ants actually showing up in Upstate kitchens, the pet-food pathway that turns a yard problem into a house problem, and why more ants right now is a normal fall pattern.
Ants are one of the most common calls Sargent Pest Solutions gets from Upstate homeowners, and owner Jonathan Sargent — a Master’s Degreed Entomologist — says the vast majority trace back to the same two or three species doing what ants naturally do best: recruiting reinforcements.
The “Sugar Ant” Isn’t One Ant
Jonathan explains that what most people call a sugar ant is actually one of two look-alike species — the Argentine ant or the odorous house ant.
“They look the exact same, they act very similar. Without a microscope you really can’t tell them apart, and from our end it’s not a reason to — we treat them the same way.” — Jonathan Sargent
What makes either species frustrating is how they operate as a group. Both are social insects, which means the moment a single worker finds something worth eating — crumbs, pet food, a bit of jelly left on the counter — she lays down a pheromone trail back to the colony.
“As soon as that one finds a food source on the counter, she turns around and starts laying down pheromones. I found another one, follow me. That’s why you’ll go see one ant one day, and before we know it, they’ve got a big trail of ants going in and out of the kitchen.” — Jonathan Sargent
The practical takeaway: a single ant today is genuinely a preview, not a one-off. Cleaning up the specific food source it found is worth doing immediately, before the trail gets established.
The Fire Ant and Pet Food Connection
Fire ant mounds near a foundation aren’t automatically an indoor problem — Jonathan is clear that most of the time, they stay outside where they belong. But there’s one specific pathway worth watching:
“If a fire ant mound is right next to your house or really close and one of those ants goes in, a lot of times we see it connect to dog food or cat food. If one of those ants gets in and finds Fido’s dog bowl and starts eating on that dog food, again, they will turn around and recruit their friends. So we want to be real careful about fire ants beside homes.” — Jonathan Sargent
The fix is straightforward: keep an eye on outdoor pet food bowls, and treat a nearby fire ant mound as a reason to be a little more vigilant about anything left out that could double as an entry point.
The Late-Fall Ant Push Is Normal
If ant activity seems to be picking up right now instead of winding down, that tracks with what Sargent Pest Solutions sees most years.
“It’s not that odd that there would be a late ant push this time of year. They’re fairly active throughout the whole summer, but for some reason, right before we really started getting into fall, we always had one late push of ants. We’re seeing it now. So don’t be surprised — if people are starting to get more ants inside or out, it’s pretty common.” — Jonathan Sargent
It’s a useful thing for homeowners to know going into fall: an uptick in ant activity right now isn’t a sign something’s wrong. It’s a normal, expected seasonal pattern — and one more reason it’s worth cleaning up food sources before the trail has a chance to establish.
Ready to talk to someone about it?
Sargent Pest Solutions serves homeowners across Greenville and the Upstate. Call (864) 915-5555 and we’ll help you figure out what’s actually going on.