Ants

Ants follow trails to food. Kill the ones you see and the nest sends more. Bait the trail instead and the workers carry it home.

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Size
Tiny to small, by species
Signs
Trails to food and water
Season
Mostly spring and summer
Comes from
Outside or inside walls

How to tell

A trail

A line of ants means a scout found food and marked the way.

Pinched waist

Ants have a narrow waist and bent antennae; termites do not.

Wings in spring

Winged ants are mating swarms; check where they come from.

A black garden ant, Lasius niger, a common ant in and around homes.
A black garden ant, Lasius niger, a common ant in and around homes. Photo: Joss Carr, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist

Signs you have them

  • Trails along skirting boards, worktops and window frames.
  • Small piles of soil or debris near gaps.
  • Ants on sweet or greasy food left out.
  • Winged ants indoors in spring, from one spot.

The plan

  1. 1

    Clean the food away

    Wipe the trail with soapy water and seal food.

  2. 2

    Bait, don't spray

    Slow bait stations on the trail. Workers carry it to the nest.

  3. 3

    Find the way in

    Follow the trail back and seal the gap.

  4. 4

    Give it time

    Expect more ants for a few days while they take the bait.

Solutions for ants

Ants

Ant bait stations

Slow bait the workers carry back to the nest.

Regulated in many countries. Read the label before you buy or use it.

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Shoo does not sell these yet. They are standard products sold by other shops; follow the label on the one you buy.

Read next

Silverfish Spiders Fruit flies Sealing gaps The whole bug guide

What people worry about

Why do more ants come after I spray them?

Spraying kills the workers you see, and the nest sends more. Bait the trail instead so the workers carry it home.

I put bait down and there are more ants. Is that normal?

Yes, for a few days. They are taking the bait back to the nest. Leave it in place and keep the trail clear of food.

Is ant bait safe with a baby or a cat?

Enclosed bait stations placed out of reach are the usual choice. Follow the label, keep pet food away from the trail, and call a vet or poison line if one is chewed open.

Will peppermint or vinegar keep them away?

Smells can break a trail for a while, but they do not reach the nest. Use vinegar or soapy water to wipe the trail, then bait it.

Flying ants are pouring in. Is it an infestation?

Usually it is a short mating flight that ends within a day or two. Vacuum them up, find where they came out and seal it.

Questions people ask

Ants are pouring out of my skirting board. What do I do? A sudden stream from one spot usually means a nest has found food or the winged ants are leaving to mate. Read Ants walk right past the bait. What now? Ants ignore bait when it is the wrong food for them, in the wrong place, or up against something tastier like pet food. Read Is ant bait safe with a baby or pets in the house? Enclosed bait stations, used as the label says and placed where a crawling baby or a curious pet cannot get to them, are the usual choice in homes with babies and pets. Read Flying ants in the house: is it an infestation? Usually not. Read