A neat line of ants along a skirting board is a map to the nest, if you know how to read it. Here is how to follow the trail and what to do next.
Before cleaning, spend ten minutes watching the ants. Note where they come in, where they gather and whether they carry food away. A line running to a gap under a patio door means the nest is probably outside. A line coming from a radiator pipe or the back of a unit suggests a route through the wall or floor.
Mapperley is a hilltop suburb north-east of the centre, with Victorian villas in Mapperley Park and later inter-war and post-war housing. Large villas often have conservatories, patios and old stone or brick paths, and ants love the dry soil under paving. Post-war semis have concrete paths and borders along walls. In both, a kitchen door onto a patio is the usual entry route.
On warm summer days, ants can emerge as winged adults to mate and begin new colonies. If you see a cloud of flying ants, it is a sign that a nest is close, perhaps under the patio or in the wall.
Seal food. Sugar, honey, jam and pet food are the top attractions. Wipe worktops and floors, and rinse items before they go to recycling. Fill gaps round doors and pipes with sealant. If ants are coming through a particular crack, filling it forces them to find another way, so keep a watch for new routes.
Outside, brush out joints in paving to remove soil, and keep bins away from the door. Pet bowls left on a patio draw ants in as well.
If the line returns, or ants appear in several rooms, a technician can identify the species and treat the nest or the trail. We include a free pest prevention survey with treatment. How many visits are needed depends on the species, the size of the colony and how easily it can be reached.
In larger gardens, look at the lawn and borders too. Small mounds of soil along the edge of paving or in the lawn often mark a nest entrance. Seeing where the ants gather outdoors helps a technician target the treatment, and it also tells you whether the colony is a single nest or several linked ones.
Remember that sweet drinks left on a patio table also attract foragers who then find their way indoors.
Call 0115 937 5117 and we will arrange a visit that suits you.
They are the winged males and young queens of a colony, which leave the nest on warm days to mate. A big emergence suggests a nest close by, but they usually disperse within a day or two.
Visible ants are a small part of the colony. Spraying them may scatter the trail, and the nest keeps producing more. Treating the route and the nest gives longer-lasting results.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
