How to survive an ant invasion?

How to survive an ant invasion? Mr. Michel Grenier from Exterminateurs Associés tries to answer this question on his blog.

Although not very dangerous for health, the presence of ants can be harmful and very unpleasant. Very well organized, these insects mainly attack your kitchen in search of water and food. Generally, we observe a few ants without worrying about it and then, very quickly, they organize themselves in single file to bring back the foodstuffs and it is at this moment that we seek to act. Zoom on the reflexes to have for the extermination of ants.

1st step: Identify the ant species

Before reacting to an ant invasion, it is essential to identify the species we are facing. Indeed, there are several species of ants and each of them has its own characteristics. These have a direct impact on their habits, and therefore on the treatment to adopt to exterminate them. In short, let’s discover the main differences between the types of ants. We will focus on the three most common ant species.

The pavement ants

Pavement ants measure between 2.5 and 4mm in length and are usually dark brown in color. This type of ants lives in colonies; it is therefore often necessary to find the nest to get to the source of the problem. Although the colony generally lives outside the houses, fatty or sugary foods as well as humid places are elements that can attract the pavement ants inside your home.

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are 6 to 12 mm in length and live in an anthill. Outdoors, they are usually found near soft wood exposed to moisture. This can result in trees, galleries or even rotten wood where they will install their nests. Their motivation for entering homes is primarily to find food for the rest of the anthill. They will therefore also look for sugary and fatty foods.

Pharaoh ants

Finally, the third most common type of ant is pharaoh ants. The latter are smaller than their counterparts; they measure between 1.5 and 3 mm. Unlike other ant nests which have only one queen, this species can have several within the same colony due to their rapid reproduction. This type of ants are more dependent on humans than other species. The pharaoh ant particularly seeks sources of artificial heat that it can find in many places in your home. The pantry, a cardboard box or your bathroom cupboard are just a few examples.

For more information on the different types of ants and their characteristics, see our page on ant extermination .

Avoid the appearance of ants

Better to prevent than to cure, before trying to get rid of them, avoid making their installation possible. The ants who dare to venture into your home will first seek to estimate the potential of your cupboards! To prevent them from wanting to return, we must not facilitate access to food. In general, food products should be stored to be as inaccessible as possible. It is also important to rinse the dishes, used pots and close all bags containing sugar or flour. In short: limit all access to food or leftover food.

Ultimate solution: call an ant exterminator

If despite these efforts, insects have settled in your home, an ant extermination will be necessary. These pests usually enter through small places such as cracks in walls, holes or poorly insulated windows. Older dwellings have many entrances and it is difficult to identify them all. If the solutions put forward previously do not get rid of the ant colony, the ultimate solution is to call in a certified exterminator . Specialized companies ensure that the queen or queens are killed.