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 work across Dartmouth and the TQ6 postcode area for homeowners, letting managers and food businesses. If you are not sure whether it is ants or something else, describe what you have seen and we will help you work it out.
Steep streets, old walls and open windows
Dartmouth's older cottages and steep streets mean lots of stonework, retaining walls and small gardens, all of which suit nesting ants. They tuck into gaps in old pointing, under doorsteps and beneath paving, then come inside through tiny cracks that you would never notice from the street or the garden. In warm weather, windows and doors left open to the harbour air give them even more ways in.
Holiday lets have their own pattern. A property sits empty for a few days, then guests arrive with groceries, and a trail appears overnight. Waterfront eateries face the opposite problem, with food and sugar around all day long. In both cases the ants are usually following a settled route to a nest that we can find and treat, usually within a short distance of the building itself.
How we sort out ants in Dartmouth properties
We begin by asking where and when you notice them, then follow the line to its source. That may be an outside wall, a paved yard or a planter. Treatment is targeted and placed so foraging ants carry it to the nest, which is far more useful than spraying skirting boards, and it keeps the amount used in a kitchen down to a sensible minimum.
After treating, we point out the gaps and habits that helped them in: an open bin, a crumb-filled toaster, a sticky shelf, a crack beside a window frame. For lets and businesses we can suggest a simple routine between guests or shifts, so a small problem is spotted early rather than found by a customer or a guest on their very first morning there at all.
Keeping ants away between visits
Clean worktops and floors every day in the warm months, store sugar, honey and cereals in lidded containers, and clear pet bowls after meals. Check bin areas and outside tables too. If you manage several properties in Dartmouth, tell us which ones had ants last year. We also cover Brixham, Totnes and Salcombe, so wherever the property is, we can come and take a look.
Frequently asked questions
Can you treat ants in a Dartmouth holiday let between guest changeovers?
Usually yes. Ant treatments are targeted and do not need the property to be empty for long. We will explain what has been done, how long to keep pets and children away from treated spots, and what your cleaners should avoid wiping away afterwards.
Why are there ants in my old stone cottage even though it is clean?
Cleanliness helps, but ants nest outside and only need a crack to find a way in. Old stone and soft pointing give them plenty of those. Finding the nest and sealing the entry points does far more than extra cleaning ever will, and it means the problem stays solved for longer.
Do ants near a waterfront restaurant need urgent attention?
Food premises should deal with ants promptly, because they can spread germs across food areas and worktops. We keep treatments away from preparation surfaces and give advice on storage and cleaning so staff can stop them returning later on, even in a busy summer season.