Where Croydon's Ants Get In
Patio doors and gardens around Selsdon and Shirley
Houses around Selsdon and Shirley tend to have proper gardens with patios close to the back door, and that's exactly where black garden ants build their nests — under a slab, along a path edge or beside a patio door frame. Once a trail is established it can run for weeks, worker ants following the same route to a food source each day.
Older windows and doors in the town centre
Away from the gardens, the town centre's older buildings have window and door frames that have moved slightly over the decades, leaving small gaps ants can use to get from an outside wall straight into a kitchen or communal bin area. Winged ants indoors on a warm afternoon are often the first sign a nest close by has matured.
Signs to Look For
- A steady trail of ants heading to and from a food source
- Small mounds of fine soil near patios, paving or skirting boards
- Ants appearing around windows, doors or kitchen units, especially in warm weather
- Winged ants indoors, which can signal a nest close by
Keeping Ants Out for Good
Sealing the entry point once a nest has been dealt with tends to stop the same trail reappearing next summer.
