It can be very annoying when black garden ants come into your home. These tiny bugs show up out of nowhere, swarm your kitchen, and make a mess. There are more than 12,000 species of ants, but the common black garden ant (Lasius niger) is one of the most common ones that get into homes.
If you find black ant trails in your home out of the blue, it’s likely that a colony nearby found food inside. Getting rid of these unwanted guests will take some work, but it’s possible with the right tools. This article has all the information you need to find black garden ants, keep them away, and get rid of them quickly.
How to Identify Black Garden Ants
Black garden ants are small, measuring only 2-3 mm in length They have dark brown to black bodies and long antennae with bent angles Their heads are triangular and their waists have only one node or segment.
Workers forage for food while the larger queen stays in the nest laying eggs Queens can live over 15 years and produce thousands of eggs. Colonies typically contain thousands of ants who work together to find food and expand nests
These ants don’t have stingers and their bites aren’t painful to humans. However, they can contaminate your home by trailing through areas with bacteria and pathogens before crawling on counters and surfaces.
What Attracts Black Garden Ants Indoors?
Ants enter structures in search of food and water. They are especially attracted to sugary foods like syrup and sweets. Greasy, oily, or protein-rich foods also appeal to them, along with crumbs, garbage, and condensation from pipes or leaks.
The kitchen and bathroom are hotspots because they have food and water. Ants can get in through cracks in the foundation, baseboards, windows, doors, pipes, vents, and windows. Quickly wipe up spills and sweep the floors to get rid of crumbs will help keep kitchens clean. Do not leave food out overnight and make sure that bowls are sealed.
Signs of an Indoor Black Garden Ant Infestation
Small black ants trailing along walls, countertops, or baseboards
Debris or soil deposits near entry points like windows or doors
Ants gathering around food sources or trash cans
A musty odor coming from voids in walls where nests are built
Wings left behind from swarmers around the home
Slow internet or electronics issues from ants chewing through wires
Effective Ways to Get Rid of Black Garden Ants
Remove Food Sources and Entry Points
Seal any cracks and openings with caulk or weather stripping to prevent access. Fix leaky pipes, clean up spills immediately, and store food in ant-proof containers. Removing water and food takes away what the ants need to survive.
Use Ant Baits
A slow-acting insecticide is mixed with tasty liquids like sugar water or grease to make baits. Hunter ants bring back the bait to share, which kills the colony. Put baits along paths or in places where you can see ants. Replenish baits until ant activity stops.
Follow Trails to Find the Colony
Watch where ants are trailing to try and find how they’re getting inside. Often, indoor ants come from a nest right outside the home. Treatment works best if you can locate and destroy colonies. Pouring boiling water or spraying insecticides into nests will eliminate ants at the source.
Apply Ant Killer Sprays
Spray insecticides directly on ants and along their trails to kill them on contact. Use sprays formulated specifically for ants that have residual effects to keep killing ants over time. Reapply sprays periodically for best control.
Spread Ant Powders
Sprinkle ant powder into cracks, crevices, and entry points. The ants will carry the abrasive powder back to the colony where it damages their exoskeletons and kills them. Diatomaceous earth and boric acid are natural options that work very well on ants.
Use Ant Traps
Sticky traps catch foraging ants so they can’t return with food. Traps won’t kill an entire colony, but they can help reduce numbers. Place traps along main ant trails and near food sources like pet bowls.
Call a Pest Control Professional
For serious infestations, pest control companies have commercial-grade insecticides and precision application tools to reach nests in walls and structural voids. They can also provide preventative services to keep ants away in the future.
Tips for Preventing Ants from Coming Back
Identify and remove indoor and outdoor food sources ants are attracted to
Caulk cracks and seal entryways after fixing the current ant problem
Keep kitchens clean by quickly wiping up spills, crumbs, and dirty dishes
Store food in ant-proof containers like plastic or glass with tight lids
Clean trash cans and take garbage out regularly to avoid odors that attract ants
Fix leaks from appliances, plumbing, roofs, or foundations since ants need water
Trim trees and bushes near the home to eliminate contact between branches and the structure
Apply a granule or spray repellent outdoors around the foundation as a deterrent
Dealing with household ants takes diligence. But by cutting off their access to food and water and using targeted treatments, you can get rid of black garden ants and prevent future infestations. Be observant for signs of ants and take action quickly at the first sight of an issue before it gets out of hand.
Black garden ants are generally not considered harmful to humans, though they can be a nuisance when they invade homes. While they can bite, their stingers are too small to cause significant harm.
How do I get rid of black ants in my house?
To eliminate black ants from your house, focus on disrupting their trails, eliminating food sources, and using baits or repellents.
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How to Find Ant Nests
Ants also live in wooded areas away from human settlements. They enjoy settling in rotten wood and around felled trees.
Black Garden Ants build their nests near human habitats for one reason: food. This hunger leads them into the home in search of crumbs and water. And they definitely aren’t scared of us!.
Search for ants around the garden, in between paving cracks and under rocks and stones. You may be able to spot dirt mounds at the entrance to their tunnels. Set bait traps near dirt mounds to reach the colony efficiently.
Ants can get into your home through even the smallest cracks because they are like mini all-terrain vehicles. Pay attention to door and window openings, We’re less likely to notice these seal faults in the warmer months, but they’re prime ways for ants to gain access into properties. Be sure to check for cracks in skirting boards too! Ants are attracted to standing bodies of water, so make sure boiler rooms, bathrooms and kitchens are leak-free.
Repair cracks in patio tiles out in the garden, and try to minimise mounds of rocks and stones. Black Garden Ants hate the sun and will do anything to stay close to the ground.
Ants’ main natural food source is Aphids. Aphids feed on sap from healthy foliage, so a lush and verdant garden can quickly attract ant colonies. These worker ants venture outside to gather food for the growing colony. The more well-fed they are; the stronger the colony.
Ants expand the nest by tunnelling deeper, expanding out into a lattice of hiding holes.
How to Identify Black Garden Ants
Most of us picture Lasius Niger, commonly known as the Black Garden Ant, when we think about ants. They are identifiable by their black or dark brown colouring, long antennae, distinctive pincers, and are covered in tiny hairs. Each ant is around 5 mm long. Black Garden Ants are very common across the world. They prefer temperate climates like the UKs.
They aren’t poisonous and their jaws aren’t strong enough to hurt people, so they aren’t a big threat on their own. Their strengths are in numbers!.
Colonies average 5-7,000 ants. A few Black Garden Worker Ants wandering around are just the tip of the iceberg.
Queen Black Garden Ants can live over 25 years in exceptional cases. The average Black Garden Worker Ant lives for around 4 years. This means ants can be surprisingly resilient. A single queen can easily multiply into 35,000 ants if left alone with a regular food source!
The SECRET to ELIMINATE LITTLE BLACK ANTS with EASE
FAQ
What does it mean if you have black ants in your house?
Inside the house, little black ant infestation is usually the result of improper food storage. How serious are little black ants? Although little black ants have a stinger, it is too small to be effective against most threats. When in need of heat or moisture, little black ants quickly move indoors.
Why do I have garden ants in my house?
Ants occasionally come inside in search of water, particularly during dry periods. In this case you may see them in bathrooms or other humid parts of the house. Heavy rains can also cause ant nests to flood and force them to relocate to nearby buildings, such as your house.
Are black garden ants harmful?
Black garden ants are generally not considered harmful to humans, though they can be a nuisance when they invade homes. While they can bite, their stingers are too small to cause significant harm.
How do I get rid of black ants in my house?
To eliminate black ants from your house, focus on disrupting their trails, eliminating food sources, and using baits or repellents.
What are black garden ants?
Black garden ants (Lasius niger) are small, dark ants commonly found in gardens and yards across Europe and parts of North America. Black ants often build their nests in the ground, under stones, or along the edges of pavement. They are known for living in large groups. Get to know more about this common backyard ant species and how to prevent infestations.
Are black garden ants dangerous?
Black Garden Ants (Lasius niger) are widespread and largely harmless, though they can be a nuisance if they enter homes. The Common House Ant, Common Black Ant, and Tramp Ant are all names for the formicine ant species known as the Black Garden Ant.
What are black house ants?
Don’t Worry, Do THIS… Black house ants are tiny black ants that are among the most common types of insects you can find in homes. Many types of ants can invade homes: carpenter, pharaoh, odorous, sugar, black, leaf cutter ants, and Argentine ants. Like all ants, black ant colonies have some serious collective intelligence.
How to prevent black garden ants from getting indoors?
But there are steps you can take to prevent black garden from getting indoors. Here’s how to get rid of black garden ants and protect your home: Seal entry points: Close up cracks and gaps around windows, doors, and foundations to stop ants from finding their way indoors.
How do you get rid of black garden ants?
Bait: Baits are very successful for the black garden ant since they tend to transport their food back to their nest from the source. Professional baits are available at your local food store. To cover a larger surface area, dust insecticides are applied to nest entrances with an active colony.
Why are there black ants in my house?
When any ants enter your home, it’s usually because they’ve discovered food. Black ants form trails between food sources and their colony. Occasionally, they’ll establish a colony in the walls of the building, but usually, it’s outside.
