How to Remove Ants
How can you get rid of ants in the house? They usually move inside looking for better conditions, moisture, food and shelter.
If you think you have an ant infestation, contact us today for a free quote.
Species of ant found in the UK
Lasius niger
- Also known as the common black ant
- 5–4.5 mm long, slim, colour black.
- Nests underground, commonly under stones, but also in rotten wood, and under roots.
- Colonies can reach in size up to around 5,000 workers
- A queen can live up to 15 years and it has been claimed that some have lived for 30 years
- Queens in the early stages of founding can have two to three other queens in the nest. They will tolerate each other until the first workers come, then it is most likely they will fight until one queen remains
Lasius flavus
- Also known as the yellow shadow ant or yellow la
- The queen is 7–9 mm long, males 3–4 mm and workers 2–4 mm
- Their colour varies from yellow to brown, with queen and males being slightly more darkly coloured
- The species lives primarily underground in meadows and very commonly, lawns
- Feeds on the honeydew from root aphids, which they breed in their nests
Lasius umbratus
- Also known as the yellow shadow ant or yellow lawn ant
- The queens of this species seek out a Lasius niger worker ant, to first kill in order to gain the worker ant’s scent and then to discreetly sneak inside a Lasius niger nest Once inside the Lasius umbratus queen finds the Lasius niger queen, and kills her. The worker ants will care for the new queen’s larvae and slowly the colony will be made up of only Lasius umbratus
How to tell if you have an ant infestation
When an ant infestation is present, none of your exposed leftovers are safe, ants will eventually find out the exposed food. Ants aren’t picky; they’ll eat whatever food is available, including food which belongs to your pets. If you have dogs or cats, you’ll likely find a trail of ants leading up to and inside their food bowl.
When there’s a infestation present, there will be plenty of scout ants wandering around your home. If you regularly spot individual ants in unconventional places, such as your bedroom or the bathroom, they are probably part of a much larger infestation.
Ants won’t often build their nests inside of your home, but infestations are usually accompanied by nests that are within close distance of the house, or even adjacent to exterior walls. Look for small mounds of dirt with plenty of ants milling around. They will seem minor and insignificant, but there are countless ants just underneath the surface.
How to Get Rid of Indoor Ants
Ants leave scent trails when they find food. You need to erase these trails using cloths soaked in disinfectant or bleach, water alone won’t solve the problem.
- A simple mixture of water and vinegar can also effectively erase the trail. Your aim here is to destroy the trail; you aren’t actually killing any ants.
- You can also use some home solutions to repel ants. For example, ants don’t like citrus smells. You can create a repellent by blending lemon juice, orange peels or cucumber rinds with warm water. Then dip a cloth into the solution and use it to wipe down your surfaces. You can use a similar solution to mop the floor.
- Spices and herbs are also known to repel ants. Effective options include garlic, mint, basil, cayenne or chilli pepper, cloves or black pepper.
- Caulk can also be used to seal up entry points. Use it to seal cracks around doors and windows
How to Get Rid of Outdoor Ants
If you only have ants in a certain area, like along your sidewalk, spot-treat the area with an outdoor insecticide. Liquid or granules work fine as a way to get rid of ants. For large-scale ant problems on how to get rid of ants, use a lawn and garden insect killer that contains bifenthrin as the active ingredient.
We offer a range of ant pest control treatments from one off visits to contracts for homes, businesses, equine and agricultural premises.
How much does ant pest control cost?
For a quote on ant pest control, do not hesitate to contact us via email at contact@eraserpest.com or call us on 07572 458216.
