Ants
Ants Under Totteridge Terraces and Paving
Black garden ants nest in soil under paving slabs, where the stone warms the ground. A large terrace, a long paved path or the stone round a pool gives them plenty of places to nest. Where ants nest around houses explains why they choose these spots.
Terraces by the house
A terrace laid against the back of the house often has joints running right up to the wall and the threshold of the doors. Ants nest in the sand under the slabs and follow the wall to gaps under the terrace doors or round the frames. Once one finds food in the kitchen, others follow its scent trail.
Pool surrounds and outdoor kitchens
Paving round a pool stays warm all summer, and drinks, ice creams and food eaten outdoors leave sugar on the stone. An outdoor kitchen or barbecue area adds grease and crumbs. Ants build up round these areas and then move into the pool house or the main house.
Paths and garden rooms
Long paved paths from the house to the pool house, the garage or a garden room give ants a warm route between buildings. Summerhouses and garden rooms built on a slab can have ants nesting under the edge and coming up through gaps at the skirting. Can ants nest inside walls? explains what it means if ants seem to come out of the wall itself.
Flying Ant Days
On warm, humid days in summer, winged ants leave the nest to mate. On a property with a lot of paving, they can come up from many joints at once and swarm round the terrace doors. It is short-lived and does not mean the ants are nesting indoors. Why flying ants appear indoors explains what is happening.
Finding Where They Come From
- Follow the trail back from the kitchen to where the ants come in
- Look for small piles of fine soil at the joints of the terrace or pool paving
- Check the door threshold and the base of window frames facing the terrace
- Note whether ants are also in the pool house or garden room
How to find an ant nest has more tips. Pharaoh ants, which are tiny and pale and live indoors in warm buildings, are rare in houses and much more of a problem in heated blocks. Pharaoh ants vs garden ants explains the difference.
What to Do Now
- Wipe worktops and floors to remove the scent trail and any sugar
- Keep sweet food sealed, including in the pool house
- Clear up drinks and food outdoors after meals on the terrace
- Avoid sprays that kill the ants you see but not the nest
Keeping Ants Off the Terrace
Refilling open paving joints with a proper jointing compound rather than loose sand, sweeping the terrace after meals and keeping bins away from the doors all help. Where a terrace has settled against the house, gaps at the threshold are worth sealing. When an ant problem needs professional treatment helps you judge whether to book.
Booking Ant Control
When you book ant control, tell us where the ants are coming in and whether you can see nests in the paving. You will be told what to expect afterwards; how long ant treatment takes depends on the property and the nest. If you are also finding other insects in the pool house, see spider control, and for wasps drawn to the same sweet food, see wasp nest removal in Totteridge. For ants across the borough, see Ant Control Barnet.
