Advice
Ants in the Kitchen: Causes and What Helps
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.
Read the guide →We cover Cockington and the TQ2 area, with a gentle approach for older and delicate properties. Describe what you have noticed and where, and we will tell you what is likely to be happening and what we would do about it.
Older cottages, thick walls and warm corners
Cottages with thick walls, uneven floors and old window frames give ants lots of cracks to use and sheltered spots to nest in. They may be living in a wall cavity, under a flagstone, behind a kitchen unit or in the soil of a border that touches the house. The first you see of them is usually the workers searching for food in the kitchen.
Thatched and older roofs add a warm, dry space that some insects like, though ants usually keep to the ground floor and garden. What we mostly find in Cockington is simple: a nest in a border or patio, a trail along the foundation, and a gap at a door or window that lets them walk straight in, which we can usually deal with quickly and tidily.
A light touch for delicate properties
In an older building we are careful about where and how we treat. We trace the trail, find the nest if we can and place a targeted treatment on the route rather than spraying freely around timber, thatch or soft furnishings. The workers carry it back with them, which deals with the colony and not just the ants you can see on the surface in Cockington kitchens.
We will also talk through how the ants are entering and what you can do. That might be filling a small gap, moving a pet bowl or keeping honey and jam in a cupboard with a tight lid. If the nest turns out to be somewhere hard to reach, we will say so and suggest what comes next, so you are never left guessing about it.
Ants and green space: what is normal
Seeing some ants in a garden is perfectly normal, and we do not suggest treating every nest. It becomes a matter for us when they are indoors, in food areas or tunnelling beneath steps and paving. Around Cockington, a quick note about when and where you see them helps a lot. We also cover Torquay, Paignton and Maidencombe if you are a short way off.
Frequently asked questions
Are ants in a thatched cottage in Cockington a risk to the roof?
Garden ants do not damage thatch, and they mostly stay at ground level. The real concern is trails indoors and nests in walls or under floors. If you are unsure what you are seeing, tell us and we can take a look.
What are the winged ants gathering on my windows in the evening?
These are the breeding males and queens of ants leaving a mature nest on a warm day. They usually disperse within a day or so. It does suggest a colony nearby, so check the garden and the edges of the house.
Can you treat ants without harming the garden wildlife next to the parkland?
We use targeted treatments placed at the nest or along the trail, not broad spraying, which keeps it away from the wider garden. We will explain the plan first and tell you how long to keep pets and children clear.