Ants in Your Home or Garden: When to Call a Pest Controller

Common Ant Species in the UK

The black garden ant is the species most commonly found in and around UK homes. These are the small dark ants that appear in kitchens, follow trails across worktops, and enter through tiny gaps in walls and flooring. They are attracted to sweet foods and can contaminate food surfaces and packaging.

The ghost ant is a smaller, pale-coloured species found more often in heated buildings such as offices and flats. It is less common than the garden ant but can be harder to control once established indoors.

The pharaoh ant is a tropical species that has established itself in centrally heated buildings across the UK, particularly hospitals, care homes, and large residential blocks. It is very small, yellowish in colour, and presents a hygiene risk in environments where vulnerable people are present. Pharaoh ant infestations require specialist treatment, as certain products cause colonies to split and spread further through a building.

Why Ants Appear Inside Properties

Ants enter buildings in search of food and water. Kitchens and food storage areas are the most common focus, but ants will also explore throughout a property. They leave scent trails that other ants from the same colony follow, which is why you often see ants moving in a line rather than at random.

Hot, dry summers push ants to search further for moisture, which can increase indoor activity. Nests are commonly found in garden soil, under paving slabs, in cavity walls, and in cracks in masonry or brickwork. In some cases, nests are established inside properties in wall voids or under flooring.

Are Ants Harmful?

Garden ants are not considered a significant health risk but they do contaminate food and food preparation surfaces. Flying ant days, which occur when new queens and males take to the air during warm, humid weather, are a seasonal nuisance rather than a pest problem in themselves.

Pharaoh ants are a more serious concern in high-risk environments because they can carry and spread bacteria, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus.

Can You Treat Ants Yourself?

For a small number of ants appearing occasionally, over-the-counter ant bait can reduce activity. Gel baits placed along ant trails can be carried back to the nest by worker ants and distributed to other colony members.

However, if ants are entering a property in significant numbers, if you are unable to locate or access the nest, or if you are dealing with pharaoh ants, professional treatment is likely to be more effective and more reliable.

Surface sprays from shops kill ants on contact but do not reach the nest. Without treating the source, the colony continues producing new workers and the problem returns quickly.

What Professional Ant Treatment Involves

A pest controller will identify the ant species, locate the nesting site or sites if possible, and apply an appropriate treatment. For garden ants entering a building, this typically involves applying an insecticide gel or powder around entry points and along foraging trails. Exterior treatment around the perimeter of the building can also be effective.

For pharaoh ants, treatment needs to be carefully planned to avoid causing the colony to scatter. Gel baits are the standard approach, placed in locations accessible to foraging workers. Treatment programmes for pharaoh ants typically extend over several weeks.

Sealing entry points is an important part of any ant treatment. Small gaps around pipework, beneath doors, and around window frames can be sealed to reduce the routes ants use to enter the building.