Ants
Why the Bottom Flat Gets the Ants
Garden ants live outdoors and forage indoors. In a period building split into flats, the lowest flat is the one with a door to the garden or the lightwell, windows at ground level and a kitchen closest to the soil. The flats upstairs rarely see garden ants at all. Why ants keep coming into the kitchen explains what draws them.
Lightwells and paved yards
A lightwell or small paved yard at the back of a terrace gets sun on some walls and holds warmth in the paving. Ants nest in the sand under the slabs, in cracks at the base of the wall and around the drain gully. From there, a gap under the back door or a crack in the render gives a direct path inside. Where ants nest around houses lists other likely spots.
Old walls
Ants sometimes follow gaps in old brickwork or behind skirting boards, which can make it look as if they are nesting in the wall. Can ants nest inside walls? explains when that happens and when it is just a route.
Whole terraced houses
In a terraced house the kitchen is usually at the back, nearest the garden, and many have a back addition. The joint between that addition and the main house, and the threshold of the back door, are where trails tend to start. If next door has ants too, it may be the same colony under paving that runs along both gardens.
Flying Ants From the Garden
On a few warm, humid days in summer, winged ants come out of nests in large numbers. If they pour out of the paving by the back door, the nest is right there. If they appear through the floor or a skirting, it may be under the flat. Why flying ants appear indoors explains. Insects going in and out of one hole for weeks are more likely a wasp nest.
Pharaoh Ants in Heated Blocks
If you live on an upper floor of a centrally heated block and find tiny, pale yellowish ants, they may be Pharaoh ants. These nest indoors in warm places and can move between flats along heating pipes. They are uncommon, and garden ants are far more likely. The difference matters: sprays can make Pharaoh ant colonies split and spread. Read Pharaoh ants vs garden ants before trying anything. Small insects in a basement kitchen at night may also be cockroaches.
What to Do Now
- Wipe the trail with warm soapy water rather than spraying it, so the ants can still be seen
- Keep sweet food, fruit and pet food sealed or in the fridge
- Follow the trail outside if you can and note where it goes under paving
- Tell us the floor you are on and the size and colour of the ants
Booking and after
When you book ant control, say whether it is a flat or a house, which floor, whether you have the garden, and where the ants come in. You will be told what to expect next. Ants may be seen for a while after the visit, depending on the size of the colony. If activity does not drop off, get back in touch.
Keeping Ants Out of a Garden Flat
Fill cracks around the back door threshold and at the base of the walls, brush sand back into paving joints, keep plant pots away from the house wall and deal with aphids on plants by the door. How to stop ants getting in has more, and Ant Control Barnet covers the large suburban gardens elsewhere in the borough. For the building as a whole, see Pest Control Childs Hill.
