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 Ivybridge and the PL21 area, from newer estates to older terraced streets. Tell us what you are seeing, indoors or out, and we will explain what it usually means and how we would put it right for you.
Different homes, different ant problems
Newer estates tend to have small lawns, block paving and fitted patios, and the sand under paving slabs is a favourite nesting spot for black garden ants. The nest sits just below the surface, often only a metre or two from the back door, and the workers walk straight in through the smallest gap beside a threshold, a pipe or a patio door in Ivybridge homes.
In Ivybridge, older terraces bring a different set of weaknesses, such as worn pointing, gaps around windows and air bricks, and shared walls where ants can travel from one house to the next. With moorland and open green space close by, there are plenty of active colonies in the area, so a home can be visited again by ants without anyone doing anything wrong at all.
Finding the nest and treating it
We start by watching the trail, because ants usually lead us where we need to go. We look under and around paving, along fence lines, at the base of walls and in any damp or warm spots. A targeted treatment is then placed where foragers will pick it up and take it back, which reaches the queen and the rest of the colony below ground.
Inside the house we try to keep things light touch, especially where there are children or pets. We seal or recommend sealing the gaps we find, and advise on storage, bins and pet bowls. If your Ivybridge neighbours have the same trouble we will say so, as it can mean a follow-up visit is worth planning, and we would rather be honest about that from the start.
Looking after your home through the summer
Sweep up crumbs, wipe sticky jars and keep sweet items in sealed tubs. Outside, keep an eye on the edges of paving and the foot of the garden wall, where small piles of fine soil can show a new nest early. Call us if the pile grows. We also cover Plymouth, Totnes and Salcombe, so if you are on the Ivybridge side of the border, we can still get to you.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there little piles of soil between the paving slabs on my Ivybridge patio?
Those piles are usually dug out by black garden ants as they build a nest in the sand beneath the slabs. A few piles are normal, but if you see a lot of activity or ants heading indoors, it is worth having the nest treated before it grows.
Do ants on a new-build estate mean something is wrong with the house?
Not at all. Ants simply find small gaps around doors, pipes and patios, whatever the age or type of the house. Sealing those gaps and treating a nest outside is the usual answer, and it does not point to any defect in the build or the garden.
Is it worth treating ants if my neighbours also have them?
It can still help, because treating your own nest cuts the numbers that reach your house. Neighbouring colonies may send new workers over, so we will advise on sealing entry points and, if needed, plan a follow-up visit if the trail keeps coming back.