Lots of ants all all around property

So there are lots of ants (probably two types) all around the outside...and some jumpy things (like crickets) outside as well.

My father recommended having an exterminator come and put ant killer around the house.
Is that pricey?

Also, the tree in the front yard is now officially DEAD. :( That thing needs to be removed.
It's so sad :( I don't know exactly what killed it - but I'm thinking it's one of those ants (not sure if it was the beetle).

We have as well and I can't stand it! We had Suburban in to check the termite traps when we first moved in and the rep said to just use the granular ant pesticide. It worked for a while, but only a few weeks and the spray works for a while too, but they always come back. We have both the sweet ants in the house and the carpenter ants outside the house.

I am religious about cleaning up the counters and spraying kitchen cleaner every day but it really seems worse than I have ever seen it. We never had these problems when we lived in our co-op. FH was just saying last night that we should get the place fumigated once and for all.

We are also having an ant problem. I clean my counters & sink every day with bleach, and I have no food in exposed areas, and yet I still see them near my sink. I am afraid to do anything becuase of my dogs - they can get sick from some of the treatmenst. Unfortunately, the traps aren't working, so I think we are going to have to get the dogs to MILs and spray for a day or 2