Ants!!!

[Bichon22]

Hi all. Have spotted two or three ants, two or three times, in our front room the past couple of weeks and today we came down in the morning to find a little pile of dark kind of grit at the bottom of a corner join in a skirting board, which has a crack in it. Cleaned it up. Went out for the day and returned this evening to find another. Anyone else had this? What did you do? What does it mean? Only two ants have emerged from the gap in skirting board since we got back a couple of hours ago. Are these normal ants or carpenter ants? Eugh! And thanks so much! Nb previously if ants have come in front door or somewhere I’ve put talc down and never see them again but I have never found a little pile of grit like dark sand before - so am worried!

Just put ant powder down, it's no biggie

I missed the carpenter ants bit. Ugh

Again, try ant powder in first instance

Hi BadFace thanks for msg. Doesn’t putting any powder down warn the ants and then they just move to somewhere else in your skirting board?

They are probably normal ants, it's that time of the year. I don't like ant powder, it's a bit messy, buy some ant bait stations and pop them near whey they are entering. Nippon ones are good and sold in Asda or Homebase. I've had tons of the little fuckers the past few years when the weather gets nice. The stations work a treat 👍

I’ve got them in my kitchen as of this morning! I don’t think I can do powder as I’ve got a dog. Took me ages to wipe and hoover them all up blurgh

Stayhomeclub and userxx thanks for your messages. Did you have the little tiny pile of grit like stuff?

A very common problem, I think we live on one big ant hill!
I have used Cinnamon along the holes where they were coming through and it was very effective and safe or pets and children. Apparently smearing Vaseline along the skirting board works as well.
I know it probably just sends then elsewhere but they’ll always be around.

The grit piles are where they are digging, you have a nest under there somewhere. I've seen ant nests down over two metres so don't try and get rid of it.
You can use an ant killer like Nippon or you can use cinnamon oil on a cotton bud to mark a line along the edge that they won't cross for a more organic result.
To stop the dirt you need to run a line of silicon/mastic all along the edge and block any little gaps and holes, leave no food or tempting stuff around, good luck

AntStop spray is very effective - you spray it round windows and round the bottom of the wall (outside) and it creates a barrier that the ants can't cross. And it lasts for 6 months without needing reapplication.

We had a real problem with ants in the kitchen at our last house, and used this stuff, and it completely solved the problem.

I go the whole hog, ant stations/ traps, powder outside along the ground under any doors, spray on the doorsteps.

No grit that I noticed but they were all over with no visible entry, just ants on the cupboards, up the walls, on the worktops. They are probably coming in via my back door as it’s an older style composite and it’s a bit drafty. There was definitely a reason the old owner left a ant spray in the shed!

Yep, the grit is the little fuckers digging in. I usually notice that first before the ants. I've got my ant bait stations ready!