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 →A quick wipe-down clears the trail for a day or two, but unless the nest is dealt with the ants carry on coming. We aim to deal with the source.
Ants and the Sid valley setting
Sidford sits in the River Sid valley, with gardens, verges and green space close to most homes. That suits ants well. Black garden ants like dry, sunny soil beside walls, under paving slabs and along the edges of driveways, and from there it is a short walk to a back door or an airbrick.
Mixed housing matters too. Older properties can have gaps around pipes, loose pointing and cavities, while newer homes may have small gaps where services enter or around door thresholds. Ants only need a crack of a couple of millimetres, so we check both inside and out.
Tracing the nest rather than chasing the ants
Ants leave scent trails, so watching which way they travel is the quickest route to the nest. We look along skirting boards, under sinks, around doors and out into the garden. Nests are often under a patio, in a lawn edge, in a compost area or inside a wall cavity.
Once we know where it is in Sidford, treatment is targeted at the nest and at the routes the ants use. We prefer this to spraying round the whole house, which tends to scatter the colony rather than finish it. We will tell you honestly if more than one visit is likely to be needed.
Keeping ants out afterwards
Prevention is mostly small jobs. Keep sweet food, honey, pet bowls and crumbs tidy, wipe sticky surfaces, store food in sealed containers and fix obvious gaps. In Sidford we are close to Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary, so if you are not sure whether we cover your road in EX10, just ask. We can also seal entry points we find during the visit and explain what to watch for when the weather turns warm.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find where the ants in my Sidford house are coming from?
Watch a single ant trail for a few minutes and note where it enters, often a door frame, skirting board or pipe gap. Following it back outside usually points to a nest under paving or beside a wall. If you cannot find it, we can trace it for you.
Will ant powder from the shop solve the problem?
Shop products can thin out the ants you can see, but they often miss the nest, so the trail returns. Used badly they can also push a colony to split and spread. A targeted treatment at the nest is usually the more reliable way forward.
Do ants in the kitchen mean my house is dirty?
No. Ants are drawn by tiny amounts of sugar, grease or pet food, and even very clean kitchens get them. A nest outside the wall is usually the real cause. Tidy habits help keep them away, but they are not a sign you have done anything wrong.