Signs of Ants

Are ants are taking over your home?

Ants are social insects that live in large colonies and work together to provide food and help the colony survive. Although they are relatively harmless, no one likes to find a horde of ants running across their dining room table or in the pantry and they can potentially bring in dirt or germs from other places.

In New Zealand, we have approximately half a dozen different species of ant which present a challenge for ant control at home. They range from the common large black garden ant to a small golden-brown Pharaoh ant. Some varieties have just one queen, while others have multiple. Nests can join together while others are entirely independent. Some prefer living near the beach or in a broken land, sand, homes or under pavers.

Ants can be difficult to control and it is important to try and find the ant nest rather than just getting rid of the individual ants.

Three common signs of ants

Live ants - the most common way of finding out you have ants is by actually seeing the little bugs themselves. If you only see one or two it may not be a problem, but if you see large numbers of live ants then you likely have an infestation somewhere either in your house or nearby.

The most likely place to see ants is in your kitchen - either on work surfaces or on the floor or in your pantry or cupboards. Other areas where food is prepared or has been left around may also attract them as will pet food.

You may also see ants congregating near an entrance to your property. This could be a door or window or a crack in the property.

Ant trails - as ants move around they leave chemical trails so that other ants in the colony can follow them later. Although it isn’t possible to see the trail itself, you may be able to work out where they are leaving them by watching the ants’ movements. If several ants all follow the same direction and path along the floor, the chances are there is an ant trail there..

Ant nests - nests are normally found outside and often look like small piles or dirt of soil where the ants have excavated. Some types of ants live in walls or dark spaces which can be harder to find.

If you have spotted an increasing number of ants in your home and you think it is becoming a problem, give us a call and we’ll come and sort it out for you. We offer solutions that are really effective and safe for your family and pets.

Before you call us it can be useful to note things like:

• What the ants look like and what colour they are
• Where most of the ants are being spotted
• Whether you can identify any entrance points they might be using
• Are there any signs of nests in your garden
• Whether you can follow a trail of ants back to a common point

All of these things help us identify the ants and the possible source of the problem which will enable us to give you a better result.