Advice
A Seasonal Pest Guide for Devon Homes
Pests follow the seasons, and knowing what to expect in each part of the year helps Devon householders spot problems early and act at the right time.
Read the guide →
Ants in the kitchen are usually following food and warmth, and a few careful habits can reduce them, though a persistent trail often needs professional treatment.
Most ants that reach a kitchen are workers sent out from a nest to look for food and water. When one finds a crumb, a sticky spill or a few drops of juice, it returns to the nest and leaves a scent trail that other workers follow. That is why you often see a neat line rather than one stray insect.
In Devon the usual visitor is the small black garden ant, which nests in lawns, paving and wall bases and wanders indoors when the weather turns very dry or very warm.
Ants are social insects, and a nest can hold a great many workers. Seeing a few in the kitchen is common in warm weather and does not mean your home is dirty, but it does show that something inside is worth their effort. Finding out what it is, and where they are getting in, is the quickest way to solve it.
Ants are easy to notice, but the pattern tells you more than the odd single insect. A steady line moving in both directions suggests an well-used trail to a food source, while a sudden crowd around one spot means they have found something particularly attractive.
Older stone and cob properties often have small gaps around pipes, door frames and floor edges that give ants an easy route in. Cottages beside the coast or on the edge of the moor tend to have plenty of nests close to the walls, and holiday lets can leave food residue behind between guests, which is exactly what scouts find.
Warm spells draw ants indoors, and so do heavy rain showers that flood their nests outside.
Kitchens are especially attractive because of crumbs under appliances, spilt drinks, fruit bowls and pet food. Houses with cracked render, loose pointing or gaps beneath patio doors give ants a clear path from the garden straight to the worktop.
Start with cleaning, because removing the food source and the scent trail does more than anything else. Wipe the trail with warm soapy water rather than just sweeping the ants away, so that following workers lose the route.
It is tempting to spray the visible line with a household insecticide, but that tends to kill only the workers you can see. The nest keeps producing more, and some sprays make a colony split and spread to new spots in the house.
Avoid scattering random powders or liquids around food areas, particularly if you have children or pets. If you are unsure whether something is safe in a kitchen, leave it alone and ask us.
If you want to deter ants while you clean, stick to simple things such as soapy water and tidy storage. A calm, steady approach works better than a flurry of products, and it keeps your food areas safe for the family.
Call us if ants keep returning after a thorough clean, if you can see activity in several rooms, or if you suspect a nest inside a wall, under a floor or in a cavity. A professional can follow the trail, identify the species and treat at the source, which is far more effective than chasing workers.
It is also worth getting advice if you run a food business or a holiday let, where a visible trail can quickly become a problem for guests or customers.
We will also check the outside of the property, because an outdoor nest by the wall can send workers indoors again and again. Treating that source properly usually brings the indoor trail to an end.
Prevention is mostly about tidiness and tight edges. Keep cleaning habits steady all year, because a single missed spill can restart a trail.
Outside, trim back plants touching the walls, keep compost and bins away from doors, and repair loose pointing or cracked paving close to the house. Checking gaps around doors and pipes before the warm months arrive gives ants fewer ways in.
The common garden ants found in Devon kitchens are not usually a danger, but they walk over bins, drains and soil before reaching your food, so they can spread dirt. It is sensible to throw away any open food they have been in and to clean the surfaces they have crossed.
Ants are far less active outdoors in cold weather, so winter sightings often point to a nest that has found warmth inside, such as near a boiler, a heated floor or a warm wall cavity. If ants appear indoors in winter, it is worth having someone look for the nest.
Cleaning removes the food and the scent trail, and for a few scouts that may be enough. If a nest is close by, the colony will keep sending workers, so ants may return. Persistent trails after good cleaning usually mean the nest itself needs finding and treating.
Garden ants do not eat wood or building materials, so they do not cause structural damage in the way some other insects can. They can disturb soil beneath paving and loosen sand under slabs, and a large indoor nest can be a nuisance, which is when treatment makes sense.
If you would like a professional to look at the problem, call us on 01392 590 140 or send an enquiry.
Pests follow the seasons, and knowing what to expect in each part of the year helps Devon householders spot problems early and act at the right time.
Read the guide →Call us, message us on WhatsApp or send an enquiry. We will agree the price with you before any work starts.