Ants walking in a neat line are following a scent trail. Follow it back to find the entry point, and sometimes the nest itself, before the colony settles in.
It usually begins with a single ant on the worktop. If that scout finds food, such as a spill of jam, a sugar bowl or an unwashed pet dish, it lays a scent trail on its way back to the nest. Others follow it, reinforcing the trail with each journey, and within a short time you have a column. This is why a quick wipe often seems to work for an hour and then the line reappears.
Watnall is a village with open countryside around it, and that means gardens with lawns, borders, compost heaps, old brickwork and paving, all good places for a nest. In hot, dry weather ants head indoors for moisture and food, especially if the weather is dry and the soil outside is baking. A kitchen with a back door onto a patio is an obvious route.
Killing the ants you can see leaves the nest unharmed. The colony may include thousands of workers and one or more queens, and it will keep sending out foragers. A surface spray removes the trail temporarily and may push ants to take a different route. The more effective approach is a slow-acting bait that workers carry back, so that the nest is affected, rather than only the ones in view.
Different species behave differently. The common black garden ant is mostly a nuisance, while some less usual species need more careful handling, so a clear identification is a sensible first step before choosing how to treat.
Many garden ants nest under paving slabs or at the base of walls. If the trail leads to a crack beside the patio, you have probably found where they live. Sometimes, though, the nest is inside the wall cavity or beneath the floor, in which case the trail goes into a gap and disappears. Where the colony sits, and what species it is, affects how long treatment takes.
Keeping worktops clear of crumbs, rinsing sticky jars and emptying the bin often will help, but if the ants keep returning, it is time to have the cause identified.
We will trace the activity, identify the species and treat the nest or entry points. You will get free advice and no call-out charge, and we can fit in with your day. Call 0115 937 5117.
Wiping removes the ants you see but not the nest, which sends out more workers. Unless the scent trail is cleaned and the food source removed, new foragers follow the same route.
Often, yes. In hot, dry spells ants look for water and food indoors, and winged ants may leave nests in warm conditions. Activity in kitchens commonly rises in summer, though it depends on the species.
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.
