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 come out, follow the ants back to the nest and treat it directly. We also tell you plainly what let them in, so you can fix the weak spots as well.
Why old cottages let ants in
Older cottages often have thick stone or cob walls, uneven floors and gaps where pipes or cables pass through. Ants can nest in the soil against a wall, in a crumbling joint or under a flagstone, then use hairline routes to reach a kitchen. Small village gardens, with raised beds and paths, give them even more places to settle.
In Shaldon we look at the outside as carefully as the inside. A nest beside the front step or beneath a courtyard can be the real cause of a trail upstairs, and treating only the room where you saw ants will not solve it.
Holiday lets between guests
A holiday let in Shaldon spends part of the year empty and part of it full of guests with snacks, cereal and sweet drinks. That pattern suits ants, who find a crumb in a cupboard and bring the whole colony. Owners and managers often discover the problem when a guest mentions it, which is never ideal.
We can treat between stays and leave you with a short list of what to check at changeover, such as sealing open packets, wiping the hob and bin area, and checking window frames. A quick routine can stop a small problem becoming a complaint.
A word on the estuary and wildlife
Living beside an estuary does not make ants more likely, but damp ground, gardens and warm south-facing walls all suit them. Keep outside bins closed, clear fallen fruit and avoid leaving pet food on the step. We cover Shaldon and TQ14, and we also cover Teignmouth and Maidencombe, so call if you are close by with an ant problem.
Frequently asked questions
Can ants live in cob or stone cottage walls in Shaldon?
They can nest in soil beside walls and in crumbling mortar or gaps in old stonework. We trace the trail to see whether the nest is inside or outside, then treat what we can reach and suggest repairs.
I only rent my Shaldon cottage out in summer. When should I treat ants?
Before the first guests arrive is ideal, followed by a check at changeovers. Ants become active in warm weather, so catching a trail early is easier than dealing with a large colony in peak season.
Will treatment smell or leave marks in a small kitchen?
Our treatments are targeted and we place them along trails and at the nest, so there is no heavy smell. We will explain what to wipe and what to leave alone so we do not undo the work.