Ants

Ants usually come indoors looking for food and water. Even tiny crumbs, sugary spills, or pet food can attract them. Once one ant finds a good food source, it leaves a scent trail for the rest of the colony to follow — and that’s when you start seeing lines of ants marching through the house. Nests are often outside in soil, under paving, or in walls, but the ants will travel indoors to feed, especially in warmer weather.

You might notice:

• Lines or trails of ants along floors, walls or worktops
• Ants appearing in kitchens, bathrooms or near pet bowls
• More ants showing up each day
• Activity increasing during warm weather

You don’t always see the nest itself — it could be hidden under patios, in lawns, or inside wall cavities.

It’s tempting to grab a spray or powder, and it might seem to work at first. But these usually only kill the ants you can see. The main nest — including the queen — is still there, which means the problem often comes back. In some cases, using the wrong product can even cause the colony to split and spread. That’s why proper treatment needs to target the whole colony, not just the foraging ants.

Every job is a bit different, but generally we will:

• Find Where They’re Coming From
We will check where ants are active, how they’re getting in, and where the nest is likely to be.

• Use Professional Ant Baits
Specialist baits are placed along active ant trails. The ants take this back to the nest, which helps eliminate the colony at its source.

• Treat Entry Points if Needed
Where appropriate, we may apply treatments around entry points and advise on sealing gaps to stop ants coming back in. We will also give you simple, practical advice to help make your home less attractive to ants in future.

We deal with ant problems in:

• Houses and flats
• Kitchens and living areas
• Shops, cafés and restaurants
• Offices and other workplaces

Whether it’s a small domestic issue or a problem affecting your business, we aim to sort it quickly and with as little disruption as possible.

After treatment, a few small changes can really help:

• Wipe up spills and crumbs quickly
• Store food in sealed containers
• Keep pet food areas clean
• Seal small cracks or gaps where ants may be getting in

We are always happy to point out likely entry spots while we’re there.

To help us get the best results from your ant treatment, please:

• Wipe down kitchen worktops and floors to remove food residues
• Store food in sealed containers where possible
• Avoid using supermarket ant sprays just before our visit (these can disrupt treatment)
• Make a note of where you’ve seen the most ant activity
• Clear small items away from skirting boards and affected areas

Don’t worry if you’re not sure where they’re coming from — that’s what we’re there to work out. After treatment, you may still see some ants for a short time. This is normal, as the treatment works by being taken back to the nest to deal with the colony.

• You may still see some ants for several days after treatment — this is normal
• Ants need to carry the treatment back to the nest, so activity can increase slightly before it drops off
• Avoid using shop-bought sprays or powders after our visit, as these can stop the treatment working properly
• Keep treated areas as undisturbed as possible
• Continue to keep food sealed and surfaces clean to reduce attraction

Most ant problems improve noticeably within 1–2 weeks, depending on the size and location of the nest. If ant activity continues beyond this, or suddenly returns later in the season, get in touch and we can advise on the next steps.

These are not a different species to the ones you see crawling around without wings and are usually common garden ants. Many of the queens and males from an existing ant colony develop wings to enable them to travel some distance to form new colonies of their own. This reduces the chances of inbreeding and increases their chances of spreading their population to new territories.

The precise moment must be dry, warm and not windy hence we appear to have a ‘flying ant day’ as the ant population in the UK take advantage of the weather.

The queens fly off to find unrelated males to mate with, likewise the males fly off in search of new queens to fertilise.

It is a short-lived event. Although it does seem to cause concern for a lot of people, they are harmless, but it is best to keep doors and windows closed if you have them flying near prevent them from entering your home with a view to making a new nest inside.