Ants can quickly become a nuisance when they appear in large numbers or in the home. It is particularly bad if it is an ant nest in your house. How it disappears again is in this article.

In a nutshell

  • Ant nests in the house are rare
  • they are harder to find and fight
  • only agents that are harmless to humans and pets should be used
  • Prevention is important and necessary

recognize an ant nest

An ant in the house does not mean that there is a whole ant nest in it. However, if there are several animals or even an ant trail, caution is advised. Follow the animals or the road to find out where they are going or where they came from. At the end is usually the food source, at the beginning is the nest or access to the dwelling.
A nest in the house is often difficult to recognize because it is not built of earth like in the garden. The following tips can help:

  • Check the soil of potted plants and overwintering tub plants
  • Inspect voids in masonry, ceiling or floor
  • particularly suspicious: many insects in one place or several ant streets converge

Inappropriate methods

Many recommendations for combating ant nests are difficult or impossible to implement indoors. Boiling water is said to be very effective, but it can hardly be used in a rented apartment. The situation is similar with traps that are supplemented with attractants such as sugar water. Although it is good for catching individual animals, you cannot get rid of the nest with it.
Other home remedies, such as baking soda, baking soda, or deer horn salt, while effective, are also cruel to the animals. They eat the stuff that fills their stomachs and makes them burst.

remove nest

The easiest way to get rid of an ant nest is when it's easily accessible. Depending on where the insects have settled, the nest can be removed with a dustpan. The vacuum cleaner reliably sucks up individual ants.
If the nest is inaccessible from the outside, only means of expulsion will help.

means of expulsion

Primarily strong-smelling herbs or spices that are placed around the ant nest in your house are suitable. Since they have to work over a longer period of time, it is best to choose something that you can smell well yourself. These herbs, spices or parts of plants are suitable:

  • lavender
  • mint
  • thyme
  • cloves
  • laurel
  • chili
  • cinammon
  • lemon peels
  • fern frond

Notice: Herbs can be used fresh, dried, or as an oil.

Vinegar is also disruptive to the insects' sense of smell. Wipe all corners that the animals frequently visit with vinegar. The same goes for the ant trails. You can also add vinegar to the cleaning water and use it to clean the entire apartment.

sticky traps

All ant species only travel on foot, the only exception being the nuptial flight. Adhesive strips on busy paths or on windows and doors therefore successfully stop the animals. You can buy sticky traps, but double-sided tape will also suffice. Yellow panels, on the other hand, are useless because the animals do not use colors as orientation.

Build your own sticky trap

funds from trade

All the remedies from the specialist trade are aimed at killing the insects. This is sometimes more, sometimes less effective. Bait cans attract the animals, which carry the poison inside to their ant nest indoors. Ultimately, all the animals in it should gradually die. However, this can take a long time.
Bug spray mainly kills ants that are looking for food, if there is a nest it is not very effective. All of these insect repellents must be used with caution, as they must be kept away from other occupants of the home.

Prevent

  • Close windows and doors with insect screens
  • Check insect screens regularly for damage
  • pay particular attention to tight fastening
  • plug holes near the ground inside and outside the home
  • check especially basements

Be careful in the kitchen

  • Kitchen and pantry are often infested by insects
  • Always store food tightly closed, in a cool and dry place
  • Fridge seal not always an obstacle
  • native ant species survive low temperatures without any problems
  • clean surfaces thoroughly after food preparation
  • remove all food residue
  • Clean used dishes promptly
Source: Katja Schulz from Washington, D.C., USA, Black Garden Ant tending Citrus Mealybug (15876781048), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0

Notice: Do not store waste for the compost or organic waste bin in the apartment, as this is particularly attractive to insects!

frequently asked Questions

Why do ants build a nest in the house?

Exactly where the animals build their nest depends on the prevailing environmental conditions and the ant species. The fact that it is a house is mostly a coincidence. Because they have found a loophole and a place that is good for nest building.

Can an ant nest be relocated?

This is rather difficult, even if there are corresponding recommendations. Since most of the nests in the house are hidden and not easily accessible, the ants do not leave them without necessity. Above all, it is difficult to get hold of the queen.

Can ants cause damage in the house?

The native species of ants are mostly harmless to homes and furnishings. At best, they damage plants and, of course, supplies. Care should be taken with the carpenter ant, which builds its nest in rotten wood.

When is an exterminator necessary?

Whenever the ant problem develops into a real plague and the nest is difficult to access because it is, for example, in the masonry or in a wooden beam.

Category:

Garden pests