ANTSY HOMEOWNERS BRACED FOR INVASION OF PICNIC-TIME PESTS.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

An unseasonably warm spring following a wet winter has brought out those infamous picnic pests - ANTS! - two months earlier than usual.

Pest companies in Santa Clarita report a surge in calls from residents plagued by ants indoors and outside.

``They're usually not here like this till July, but it's been so hot they're everywhere,'' said Susan Roy Marks, of No Bugs! Inc. pest control service in Valencia.

``It's really bad this year,'' said John Gloske, owner of Northridge-based Corky's Pest Control, which serves the neighboring valleys. ``There's a couple of reasons. It's been a hot spring, that's the worst part of it. And we had a lot of rain before that.''

Calls are coming in particularly from Santa Clarita and Simi Valley, where ants predate suburban housing tracts, having settled in the orchards and other agricultural areas that once covered the flat land, Gloske said.

``Not many years ago those places were orchards,'' he said. ``Ants were living on the citrus and sap for years. You put down a foundation and expect them to go away, but they won't. They've been there from Day One.''

Pest experts suggest discouraging ants in a variety of ways before resorting to chemical warfare.

``Inside the house, make sure there are no sweets out or open food,'' Gloske said. ``Keep the house as clean as possible and trim the plants back from the house - you want to eliminate where they live.''

And if you still spot a couple of scout ants on your kitchen counter, Gloske suggests wiping the area clean and spraying Lysol or some other disinfectant to destroy the scent trail the ants leave to attract their pals. Gloske suggests applying a ring of a sticky substance around the bases of fruit trees to keep ants out.

``This time of year ants are breeding fast. They have a lot more mouths to feed, so they're out looking for food,'' said Kathy Brunetti, an agricultural program superintendent for the state Department of Pest Regulation's test management programs.

Try to note where ants are coming into the house and seal it with duct tape, caulk or another method, Brunetti said. Use a garden hose to flood ants out in the yard if you find a spot where they're squeezing into the house, she added.

``If you're going to use chemicals, they really should be your last resort,'' Brunetti said. ``You really shouldn't be spraying your kitchen just in case ants might come in.''

The way Brunetti sees it, ants aren't a big deal if they're just outside. They eat other bugs and make compost.

But to the hundreds on the phone to pest control companies, ants are pests that can't wait to attack a picnic meal. The advice is to spray as needed and to limit the attractions. If you do the spraying, Brunetti cautions, be sure to read the label and follow directions.