ants in your pant-ries…

Ants may seem harmless as they scurry about your kitchen floor, supposedly minding their own business. But garden ants can cause far more damage than you think.

In the UK, ants are most active from April to October, with peak activity occurring during June, July, and August. This is when they start their desperate mission to find food and water - where better than in human homes where food is plenty and water is readily available.

The problem with this is that ants carry bacteria into our homes due to walking through drains, bins and faecal matter. This bacteria is then tracked through our kitchen and contaminating our food, potentially spreading Salmonella, Listeria and E-Coli.

Additionally, if an ant colony sets up their nest in your home it can result in costly repairs when having to eradicate the problem: ripping up floor tiles, skirting boards, kitchen units etc.

The best way to avoid an infestation is to keep up with regular hoovering, keep kitchen worktops clean of residue and left-over food. Wipe food preparation surfaces with antibacterial spray; ants leave an invisible pheromone trail as a navigation system for their colony to lead them to food and water sources. Most disinfectant sprays you already use at home can breakdown that signal.

However, if the problem persists it is advised to call a professional. If this is you, don’t wait before it becomes a bigger problem. Give us a call.