Ants rarely start in the kitchen. In a village house surrounded by farmland, the nest is often under the patio or in the garden bed, and the kitchen is just a food stop.
Worker ants forage for sugar, fat and protein. When one finds a source, it marks the way home with scent, and others follow in a line. That is why you see them come in the same way every time, often along a wall, a skirting board or a pipe. The line gives you the strongest clue to the nest, because it leads back to it, and the nest is where the real work needs to be done.
East Stoke is a small village close to Newark near the A46, surrounded by farmland. Houses in such a setting often have gardens that meet open fields, with plenty of bare soil, dry banks and warm stone for nests. In summer, black garden ants dig into lawns and under paving, then send workers through gaps in the walls or under back doors to reach sugary food in the kitchen.
Sit and watch for a short while. Note which direction the ants travel and where they appear or disappear. Follow the line outside if you can. Look at the base of the wall, under slabs and at the edge of a lawn for small mounds of fine soil. A nest may also be inside a wall cavity or behind a unit if the trail seems to start inside.
Because most of the ants are in the nest, controlling the colony is the way to end the problem. Professional treatment may use bait, which workers carry home, or targeted applications at the nest or along entry points. Results depend on the species, the weather and how accessible the nest is. Heavy rain can wash away outdoor treatments, so timing matters.
Look at the building too. Small cracks around door frames, and gaps under the threshold or around pipes, give ants an easy route and are worth sealing once the colony has been dealt with.
Farmland brings its own twist. Ants farm aphids for honeydew, so a garden with roses, beans or fruit trees can support a large colony close to the house. If the trail seems to start from a window frame or a plant by the wall, look for aphids on the plant. Dealing with the plants will not remove the colony, but it explains why the ants are so determined to be nearby.
To arrange a visit, call 0115 937 5117. A free pest prevention survey and free advice come with all treatments.
Dry weather makes food and water scarcer outdoors, so ants look for it inside. Sweet food, spills and damp spots then attract them to the kitchen.
Garden ants rarely damage buildings, but they contaminate food and can undermine paving. Some species nest in wall cavities, so persistent indoor trails should be checked.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
