For many Australians, ants in the home are among the most common downsides of summer. As the weather begins to warm and the holiday season begins, these pesky intruders can infest even the most immaculate homes. You’ll find them in the bathroom, the laundry, or, most commonly, the kitchen, which has all the water and food sources they need. If you find ants in your home during summer, you’re not alone, and help is at hand.
Blue Chip Termite & Pest Control is a Brisbane-based, family-friendly pest control company that can help you reclaim your home from the ants with our premium-quality treatments. Here is our guide to why and how ants get into your home in the first place, and how to get rid of summer ants so you can enjoy your holidays and your home in peace.
Why Ant Infestations Spike in Summer
While insect infestations can happen any time of year, it seems like they’re more common in the warmer months. Are ants more active in summer?
According to Tanya Latty, Associate Professor from Sydney University’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, ants enter their colony-building phase in summer. New Queens emerge, and adult ants and their larvae require more food for the whole community. As cold-blooded insects, ants’ metabolisms also speed up in summer, causing them to eat more and reproduce more rapidly. Ants go in search of new food and nesting sites, and your home is a fertile source of both.
Ants can also enter your home for shelter after a period of heavy rain when their nests are flooded. Due to its subtropical climate, South East Queensland experiences its heaviest rainfall during the summer months.
Finally, more daylight hours leave more time for activities, both for the ants and you. A Brisbane summer is a potent combination of heat, rain and extra daylight, which makes ants more active in summer.
While there are more than 3000 species of ants in Australia, it’s frequently the smallest ones that infiltrate your home, including coastal brown ants and Argentine ants. Small ants can slip through tiny cracks and gaps and settle into your living space. Even with diligent cleaning and preparation, there’s no way to completely prevent ants in the home during summer.
Common Signs You Have an Ant Problem
An ant infestation occurs when a colony of ants moves into your home. Although ants are small, their presence is far from insignificant. Ants can trigger your or your family’s allergies, eat the plants in your garden and even cause structural damage to your home (species such as carpenter ants build their nests in wood). Fire ants are one of the world’s worst invasive species, and you’re legally required to report any sightings of them in Australia.
The most common signs you have an ant problem on your hands include:
Visible ants and ant trails
The most common indicator of an ant infestation is when you see them on-site and sometimes en masse with your own eyes. Sometimes, a few stray ants in your kitchen are an early warning sign of a nest in your house. Other times, you may see an entire army of ants marching around in your home. This means they’re using pheromones to create a food trail and lead other ants to the available food source.
Ant mounds outside
Ant mounds in your yard or garden may not seem like a problem because they’re outside. But they can indicate hundreds or thousands of ants lurking just beneath the ground, waiting for the opportunity to get into your home.
Ants around food or scraps
Ants are simple creatures. They’re looking for three things: food, water and a place to nest. Finding ants crawling around spills, food scraps, open food packages or in your dog’s bowl are all signs that they’ve thoroughly settled into your living space.
Noises in the walls
Ants like to build their nests in dark, hidden places, like inside walls and under floorboards. If you hear faint rustling or tapping, especially at night, it may indicate ants at work.
When To Call Professional Pest Control
There are several methods for killing or repelling ants, including borax, peppermint, and white vinegar. However, most home remedies are ineffective because they only eliminate visible worker ants, not the Queen or the colony. Treatments like bug spray kill visible ants on contact but don’t disturb the nest. The Queen continues to lay eggs, and more new ants arrive. If you’re wondering how to get rid of summer ants for good, professional pest control is the most effective approach.
While one or two ants in your home during summer aren’t typically cause for concern, you should definitely call pest control if you have a large or recurring infestation, notice structural damage or suffer an allergic reaction. Professional pest control can eradicate the entire ant colony rather than just the ones that show themselves.
Tips to Prevent Ants from Returning
If you’re tired of ants in your home during summer, here are some steps you can take after your pest control treatment to help prevent their return:
Keep the house clean
Eliminate what attracted ants to your home in the first place as best you can. Store food in airtight containers, clean up crumbs and spills immediately, empty bins when full and keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and dry. Make sure you regularly clean hard-to-reach areas, such as under furniture and appliances, and behind cabinets.
Seal your entry points
Ants can find their way in through tiny entry points that are easy to miss. Check for gaps around windows, doors and pipes and use materials like silicone or caulk to seal the cracks.
Look after your yard
Maintain a healthy front and backyard, and remove sources of food, water, and shelter for ants. Clean up food scraps and spilled drinks, fix leaky faucets, etc.
Kill stray ants
Eliminate solo ants in your home before they have the chance to build a trail and cause another outbreak.
Keep Your Home Free From Pests This Summer with Blue Chip
If you’ve noticed an ant problem, it’s time to take action. With Blue Chip Termite & Pest Control’s services, you can get rid of summer ants quickly and efficiently. Using only premium-grade chemicals, we provide a full-perimeter wall spray that includes all eaves and any garden areas surrounding the house. The ants will spread the chemical around their colony, reducing their population and even eradicating entire colonies. We have different sprays for different purposes and will use an indoor-appropriate spray inside the house, as well as dusting any wall cavities and roof voids.
With our summer pest control for your home, Blue Chip lets you reclaim your home from insects and other invaders so you can enjoy your holidays. We exterminate all kinds of pests that spread illness and damage your home, from spiders and ants to roaches and rats. We offer honest, reliable and personalised service that utilises the latest treatments and products on the market.
To get on top of your pest problems, request a quote online, call 1300 438 2583, or email office@getblue.com.au.