Help! I’ve got ants and flying ants pouring out of my skirting board!

[UghAnts]

I’m due to go on holiday on Tuesday. I have a pet sitter arriving Monday. It’s in the living room where nobody eats meals and it’s nowhere near the kitchen or any external doors - WTF? The wall it’s on has a long ago boarded up fireplace behind it (30+ years) which I guess is involved. Husband is picking up powder on the way home but I’ve read it can be really difficult to treat. They’re coming out from under the skirting board faster than I can hoover them up. What the hell do I do?

Obviously the cat is having an absolutely lovely day with a house full of flying ants… happy flying ants day to all who celebrate and all that….weeps

Can you use duct tape or something to cover the gap until you can get poison to get rid of them?

Just sweep them up with a dustpan and brush and put them outside. Obviously you may have to do this a few times. But it will probably only be for today, with perhaps a few stragglers tomorrow.

The good news is they’re flying away. Peppermint oil is your friend. Pour onto cotton wool and wipe over all the surfaces. Any holes? Stuff peppermint oil sprinkled cotton wool or tissues into the holes.

Don't worry - it is a one day event. Block where they are coming through with tape, hoover the ones that are already out, get some ant powder and shake it around, wait for the horror to end.

Thanks for swift replies! I’ve scared myself stiff with reading horror stories of it taking weeks to get rid. I think my eldest might even have some peppermint essential oil in one of her kits - will investigate…

Yikes. I had them in my kitchen once, came home to them everywhere, all over the walls and everything. I hoovered them up and just kept going until I got them all. It took bloody hours.

You need tons of powder - put it alongside the skirting board - and also some of those little ant bait stations like this:

1 x Ant Stop! Bait Station Home Defence Ant Stopper (2 Baits) : Amazon.co.uk: Garden

Talcum powder works! As I've found out as I've had the same problem in the last couple of days. Sprinkle it very liberally around where they are getting in

I had this a few weeks ago. I hoovered a lot of them up, sprayed insecticide into the only cracks in the brick that I could find outside, and bought a load of glue traps. Don't bother with those, the ants and flying ants didn't!

It has taken a week or two to get rid of ours.

Sympathy. I had similar a few months ago. The ants’ access to outside was filled up when the patio was regrouted. They found a new exit into the kitchen. I killed what I saw and put down Ant Stop bait stations.

You need to buy a tube of silicone filler and seal the boards. Only way to stop it and takes no time at all to do

Keeping the dog away from the self-replenishing snack line was tough. Good luck with your cat.

I’ve literally no idea how they’ve got in unless it was down the long defunct chimney. It’s in the middle of a weird old house and this is the first I’ve seen of them - I’m assuming I didn’t miss them moving in single file weeks ago. Bleugh. Feel like I’m in The Mummy.

I watched flying ants flying from my lawn - it only lasted an hour or so and that was it - can you open door and leave them to fly off?
If you seal the gap they are all inside.

It does make houses that are raised off the ground seem more appealing. But then things move into the crawl space …

I’m more than happy to try that for the flying ones, but for every one with wings, there are 10 without 😳

when got in a couple of hours ago my whole front room was seething with the little flightless ones and within half an hour then came the ones with wings. I’ve nothing against ants, I just like them outdoors.

Flying ones will be gone by tomorrow (had the same thing last week).

we put down any traps and the rest were gone within 2 days

Peppermint oil doesn’t work. I spent weeks using natural options. In the end I put down ant powder which worked within hours.

You have my sympathy.
I've had an invasion pouring out of my kitchen cupboards for the past 3 days. I've sprayed, put ant powder down and still they come. I'm now trying white vinegar 🤞 buying bait boxes tomorrow

My mum had this once. She poured ant powder down the hole, closed the door, there were none left the next day bar the dead ones. Exactly the same, pouring out of the smallest hole in the skirting!

If you can see where they are getting, seal with vaseline. Works a treat and doesn't kill them

Only time I’ve ever had ants in my house, not in UK, drops of peppermint oil got rid of them never to return. Curry powder deters rodents, but then so does my dog.

We called pest control when they took over our house. He sprayed everywhere, we had to leave it for a few days and then we could clean and hoover up. There's millions outside but, at the moment, very few inside and it's been 8 years.

What are your floors made of? They have probably found their way up through a crack.

I had that once. I hooved as many up as possible and put one of those ant traps next to the hole.
Never had a problem again.