I had an infestation of carpenter ants this spring: a couple of dozen flying ants appeared in the front hall one day, and we'd see a few every day in the kitchen or in the front hall. We were a little concerned that we had an established colony in the house, as we'd seen ants the previous summer as well (our first in the house). I looked up DIY methods of dealing with these ants, but decided that the risk of damage from the ants if I wasn't successful wasn't worth it. As well, the symptoms I was seeing indicated that the ants were coming from a colony was in the house rather outside. I researched local pest control outfits and called a few for quotes. Dave Saunders at Paramount Pest Control stood out because of his competitive rates, his years in the business (27) and the many reviews praising his honesty, success rate, and professionalism.
Dave was true to his reviews. He quickly identified the location of the colony (in the wood around a light fixture outside the front door). He treated likely satellite nest locations on the exterior of the property (an old stump, a retaining wall, the garage, etc.) as well as the interior of the house. He even sprayed a yellow jacket nest he found up in a soffit. Every step of the way, he carefully explained what he was doing and why he was doing it. He described the behaviour of these ants (how satellite colonies work, where a queen is likely to nest, etc.). He had very useful advice on how to ant-proof your home: trimming back branches of a cedar which were touching a wall, re-caulking a few points around windows and other areas (this was on my to-do list for the summer anyway, but still good to know). His work is guaranteed: he said that I would likely see a few dead or dying ants for a week or two afterwards, but none after that. If I saw any after that point, he'd return free of charge. Honestly, though, I haven't seen a single ant since.
I don't write many of these reviews, but I do like to make sure that those who run gold standard businesses get the praise they deserve.