How to Get Rid of Ants in Your House | NZ DIY Guide

A Tauranga Technician’s Step-by-Step Guide to Clearing Ants Yourself, Since Feb 2006

The short answer: do not spray them. Wipe away the trail, take away the food, and put ant bait where they are walking. Then leave the bait alone for one to two weeks so the ants carry it back to the nest. That deals with the queen, which is the only way the problem stops.

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I have been treating ants in Bay of Plenty homes since 2006. Most small ant problems can be fixed without calling anyone. Here is how I would do it in my own house, and how to tell when it is beyond a DIY job.

🛠️ Step By Step: How to Get Rid of Ants

1. Follow the Trail

Watch where the ants are coming from and going to. You are looking for the gap they use to get inside, such as a window frame, a pipe, a power point or a crack in the skirting.

2. Take Away What They Came for

Seal sugar, honey, jam and cereal in airtight containers. Wipe benches at night. Pick up the pet bowl after meals and rinse the recycling.

3. Wipe the Trail with Warm Soapy Water

Ants follow a scent trail left by the ones before them. Soapy water removes it.

4. Put Ant Bait on the Trail, Near Where They Come in

Use a bait made for ants and follow the label. Keep it out of reach of children and pets.

5. Leave the Bait Alone

You will see more ants for the first few days. That is the bait working. Do not kill them, do not clean around the bait, and top it up if they empty it.

6. Give It One to Two Weeks

The numbers should drop steadily. Once the trail has gone, seal the entry gap with silicone.

7. Tidy Up Outside

Cut back plants and branches that touch the house, and move pot plants, firewood and mulch away from the walls.

⚠️ Why You Should Not Spray Ants

Fly spray and surface spray kill the ants you can see, which is only a small part of the nest. The queen keeps laying. With some of our local ants, spraying makes things worse: the nest splits, and you end up with several nests where you had one. Spray also puts ants off the bait, so do not use both in the same area.

⚠️ If the Ants Ignore the Bait

Ants change what they want to eat through the year. Sometimes they are after sugar and sometimes protein or grease. If they walk past a sweet bait, try a protein-based ant bait. Also check that nothing nearby is more attractive, such as a sticky bench or an open rubbish bin.

🔍 Which Ant Have You Got?

You do not need to name the ant to bait it, but it helps to know what you are up against. These four cause most of the trouble in Tauranga homes.

Argentine ants are the hard ones. Their nests join up into large colonies that can cover several properties, so they keep coming back from next door. If you have wide trails all around the outside of the house, that is usually a job for professional treatment.

🏡 When to Call a Professional

• The ants are back after two weeks of baiting.
• They are in several rooms, or coming out of walls, power points or the ceiling.
• There are trails all around the outside of the house.
• You have a baby, a crawling toddler or pets and would rather not have bait around.

If that is you, have a look at our professional ant control service, or call for a free estimate.

❓ Not Sure It Is Ants?

Our free What’s My Pest picture guide shows the common Bay of Plenty pests, what you can do yourself, and when to call us.

📞 Need a Hand? Let’s Solve It.

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