Ants in the house

Beckyy

This is our first spring in this house and this last week we've noticed a few ants in our hallway and kitchen. Just tonight there's been a big increase. They mainly seem to be in our hallway, I think they're coming in under the skirting board by the front door.

I've also found some in one kitchen cupboard, goodness knows how they're getting in there as it's nowhere near hallway so must be a seperate entrance.

I'd really like them gone asap. Any tips on how we deal with them please?

We have a dog and two cats so I can't leave sugar etc. out to attract them to somewhere, and can't use ant killers on the floors.

Jonesya

Might be worth looking around outside, around the edges of the house for areas where they are nesting under paving or patios and dust under those areas with ant powder.

Also, have a look around door frames see if you can see where they are getting in, possibly through gaps in the sealant etc.

cbrown372

Spray round the bottom of the doors with WD40, it works, I've just done round my front door today as we noticed them today.

jellie

I had some a few years back on the kitchen worksurface. They were coming up through the back of the cupboard under the sink at the front of the house. I put ant powder down outside and also in the cupboard itself. Stopped them almost straight away.

This year I found the odd one or two under the radiator in the lounge at the back of the house. I put powder down against the wall outside and so far, this has stopped them.

Best thing is not to leave it too long before putting powder down, as more and more of them will come in and they'll find their way into your food cupboards.

I can't stand ants, they stress me out whenever I find even one of them in the house, so always have ant powder ready.

laurel7172

Baby powder forms an effective barrier (blocks/irritates their spiracles, apparently). No insecticide...and surely your dogs wouldn't eat it???

LittleMax

I have always found Dethlac really effective and a lot less messy than ant powder. Once dried it is harmless to pets.

Beckyy

Thanks for the replies!


We have an old wooden front door so they could well be getting in under that. I'll get myself over to B&Q today and get something to put down, will have a chck outside too for any obvious nest etc.

I'd love to be able to just put something like baby powder down to stop them but I've a feeling it won't work, especially for the kitchen as I'm not entirely sure where they're coming in from, so I'd rather get it over and done with and get rid of them.

Will let you know what I get and if it works.

cyclonebri1

As others have said treat around the exterior of doors and where any air bricks are or any water or waste pipes leave/enter the house, normally if you treat the outside you will move them on.

I realise you have pets but you can be very accurate when "puffing" into skirting gaps etc, wipe the area straight away and you should have no issues.;)

Ant555

Lots of great ideas so far but I would say that in my experience although all of the suggestions so far work perfectly well, sometimes it takes a while for the ants to disappear.

They always do though.

I have LOADS of ants in my front lawn but every year I make sure that I have a decent layer of spray (like Dethlax) all round the perimeter of the house and under doors/window frames.
Then after that has had a day to dry I add some of the powder carefully down any cracks in the paving stones within say half a meter of the house. I do this carefully as I don't like the look of all that white powder liberally thrown all around the walls that you sometimes see. Yes, the family take the mickey out of me for doing it thus however for me its a tried and tested method.

Some may say its like the old 'elephant powder' joke.
"why are you putting all that powder on the road"
"To keep the elephants away!"
"Elephants?, there are no elephants round here!"
"Yes, its good stuff isn't it!!!"

keithu

Get these:

www.lovethegarden.com/product-details/home-defence-ant-stop-bait-station

(sorry, can't post clickable links)

Pets cant get into them and ants will take the poison back to the nest, killing them at source.

pauletruth

are they garden ants or Pharaoh ants.