Ants in apartments

Would you believe that over 13 000 species of ants can be found on earth? Ants play an important role in our ecosystem by spreading the seeds of native plants and removing waste from the environment. However, we certainly don’t enjoy having to deal with them in our homes.

Ant colonies can vary in size from dozens to millions of ants. The colonies consist of workers soldiers, drones and queens, all these ants play an essential role in the colony which allows them to function as one.

Ants leave their colonies only in search of food and water. When you see ants in your home it is generally the worker ants while the rest remain in the colony. Ants are omnivorous, which means they will eat anything both dead or alive. Ants are opportunists and will go after your crumbs on the floor and kitchen counter, pantry food and picnic basket.

Eradicate Ants in your Apartment

Why Do Apartments Always Have Ants?

Apartments provide a smorgasbord of food options for ants to forage through but keep in mind that not all apartments are the same. For some, keeping a tidy living space is their priority while for others, it’s the last thing they get around to. Keeping your living spaces tidy helps to keep ants away but it doesn’t necessarily mean that cleaner homes never experience ants either.

If you have ants in your apartment it does not always mean that your home is not clean, ants can come from other areas in the apartment building looking for food and water. The instant any food package is opened the ants will use the opportunity to get into your pantry to access it. Cereal is an example of food that ants love as it is full of sugar. However if you store your opened pantry items in air-tight sealed containers, it will be less readily available for them.

Because ants require water for survival they are attracted to moisture. If your apartment building has leaking problems or has water surrounding it then you will definitely have ant colonies close by. Once ants have been attracted by leaks and water, they are there to stay. The only way to get rid of is to destroy the queen of the colony, by killing visible ants only will not eradicate them permanently.

How Do You Get Rid of Ants in An Apartment

Prevention is better than cure, here are a few tips on keeping ants at bay.

Keep fruit in the fridge and not on your kitchen counters.
Vacuuming and sweeping the floor areas to make sure there are no crumbs.
Wipe away all crumbs from counter areas.
Wipe down all surfaces often.
Clean up your bins often and wash afterwards.
Clean up trash or unsealed foods.
Store food items in air-tight containers.
Pet bowls should be kept clean when not being used.
All cracks and crevices in the apartment should be sealed.
All leaks in your apartment should be repaired.
Ask your neighbours if they notice any ants and report it to your apartment manager
Planting peppermint in pots inside/outside your apartment can be used as a natural deterrent

You will often start to see more ant activity in Spring. If you have noticed the star of an ant infestation its best to get in touch with Sydneys Best Pest Control