Ants in the house!

[AntsInTheirPants]

Has anyone had ants in their house? We've just discovered about 20 ants (not in a line) wandering around the back door. I'm thinking it's 1 of 3 things:

1. The DC are forever dropping food and spilling drinks so it could be crumbs etc. that's attracting them.

1. Both DC are still in nappies. We keep a crate outside the back door which we throw nappy bags into throughout the day before putting them in the wheelie bin at night. Could be the smell attracting them?

1. We just had the door and windows replaced today. The old door was wooden. Could it be that they've got a nest somewhere and the works have disrupted them?

Either way, I want rid of them as quickly as possible! Can anyone give me any tips on how to do this (aside from vinegar, baking powder or lemon juice). I've read that putting pepper, lavender or peppermint oil around the doors windows can repel them. Has anyone got a tried and tested method?

Get some bait traps from Amazon.

Yes, for several years running. Ours were by the skirting board of our living room, not an external wall (centre of semi detached house).

They got worse when the flying ants emerged and you'd be sitting down and then be covered by them.

First few years ant bait stations didn't work, nor did the liquid or powder, then when I put it where they were most prominent, it did.

Last year they came in the dining room, next to the conservatory. Baits didn't work, but diatomaceous earth did, scattered where they were.

I'd go for the stations first, then the diatomaceous earth. No essential oils work...we tried them all.

Dawn concentrated dish soap. I think it actually breaks down their bodies or suffocates them, I forget which. I lived in Texas for about 5 years and had to deal with south american red imported fire ants (google them, they're NASTY!!), but we discovered that dawn kills them, then read that vinegar gets rid of the chemical trails the scouts leave behind to lead others to whatever they found. We used to mop about once a week (they were annoyingly persistent) with a mixture of both dawn and apple cider vinegar, and eventually the numbers subsided, but didn't altogether vanish, as that particular species had a weird affinity for electrical outlets. No idea why. But between the dawn/vinegar mixture and everything else we tried (other than bait traps with some pretty gnarly chemicals in them), the dawn and vinegar mix was most effective, as well as safest in terms of chemicals being used.

Bonus: dawn dish soap also kills fleas rather effectively, too.

Best of luck, and I hope this helps!

I have heard talcum powder works very well. Good luck.

They hate the smell of disinfectant. Just follow sponge and follow their trail with it. Cheaper and more effective than Antrid.

Just put some bait stations out. It's not a big deal.

Yes get the bait stations. It will draw more out at first and they will be in lines. But they take the bait back to the mother ant before they die and give it to her and it it kills her too. Once they're gone spray bleach around areas they can get in like door frames and do this often. It's easy to get rid of them

Defo bait stations. We had some a few years ago after I accidentally left out a pear one evening. Came back to a trail across the floor that wouldnt go away. Put the bait down and they disappeared the next day never to return.

I had this problem, they were everywhere, even found them in the fridge, it was awful! Put one of these by the door where they were coming in and it solved the problem: Ant Stop Ant Killer Bait Station Ant Traps Outdoor and Indoor. Destroys Ants along with their Nests. Insect Control and Pre-baited Ant Station. (Pack of 1-2 Baits). https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C2XQD4QS?ref=cmmswrrapindpp_3PJXMK93A6JF6EZJ03SP

I get ants coming into my living room every year and I see them walking all over my carpet. I realised where they were coming in and I used talcum powder. The ants don't like it so avoid the area. I couldn't use any chemicals due to my young child. I'm hoping that he is old enough this year for something else to be used as I don't like talcum powder getting mixed into my carpet.

I put bait stations out. However, I didn't do that when my DC were toddlers - I wouldn't risk them picking it up and chewing them. I wouldn't put anything down they could reach. I just wiped them up and murdered them when I saw them. Now I use the bait things again.

Every year we get an invasion, last weekend we had loads in the kitchen and I followed them back half way across our house (it’s wide!). Out down bait traps on their path and they were literally gone the next day. Our whole house is seemingly surrounded by ants nests, they constantly dig the sand out of the drive way blocks and are always on the patio, I swear one day the whole house will collapse into a big hole where all their tunnels have come together.

Bait stations here too. This year, DDog is new so I've duct taped one to the bin and one to the floor under the sofa so she can't 'accidentally chew' them like she chews everything she shouldn't eg remote controls, skippers, Charmandwr's arm off, all my hair bands ... peat!

No big deal. Just get bait stations and they'll be gone. They are pretty transient once they've found a better source of food and they bugger off pretty quickly

We get sudden random invasions. Trace them to where they are coming in and block it off and spray all the ants with whatever cleaner comes to hand and tissue the fuckers up.

We had an invasion last week from our front door to the kitchen window sill( at least 40 metres) where there was a dead fly they seemed to be scoffing (eugh). A few moths ago it was a lemon DH had brought in from the garden. The dog food bowl and random bits of crisp and kibble and crumbs that usually inhabit the floor don't seem to attract them at all.

Yep, us too. Putting the bait stations down today.

Same here they are driving me crazy!! Put some bait stations down about a week ago. Took about 2 days to work. Then 2 days after that they were back again. They're still here now... but not as many. Not sure if it's because bait stations have ran out of bait or if these ants are clever! Whenever I watch the ants they seem to just walk around the bait stations and don't go in them. 😩

There is probably a nest nearby and they have found a gap somewhere that allows them into your house. The best solution is to work out how they're getting in and block it off.

Peppermint oil works like a charm. There's no need to hurt them.

Bait station been down for about 90 minutes. Covered in the fuckers so hopefully they are taking it back to the nest asap

Ant stop granules. You just sprinkle where you see ants wandering around and in a few days they are gone. It’s not a chemical as it is made from a soil bacterium that only affects ants so is perfectly safe for pets, children.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll give them a go and keep my fingers crossed!

We have a big infestation in our conservatory! Ant powder and bait stations work a bit but they keep then relocating to a different bit (they are in the skirting boards). It's an ongoing problem for us. Years ago one of the nests was for just flying ants!! Which was horrendous but very short lived.

Years ago one of the nests was for just flying ants!!
That’s impossible. Flying ants are adolescent females and males mating. Once they’ve mated, the females fly off to establish a new nest as a new Queen and the males lose their wings and die. Having sex is their sole purpose in life.

Flying ants always come from an established nest. They are raised from eggs by a Queen.

It is most likely that your conservatory is an ant colony with multiple nests and queens. So if one nest dies out, another nest simply expands and repopulates.