More and more tenants and homeowners are looking for help because ants are suddenly swarming around the building. But it is not always a problem. Occasionally, the insects stray into foreign habitats. Species identification is necessary so that potential threats can be identified and solutions can be tackled.

When it is too cold or wet outside, ants come into the house

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. identify species
  3. Fight
  4. avoid resettlement
  5. Why in the house?
  6. Evidence of ant nests
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. the essentials in brief

    • There are many different types of ants that live in the house
    • Home remedies such as fresh herbs, essential oils or copper can drive away ants
    • Sweets and leftovers attract ants
    • Relocating ants is not difficult and is a non-toxic and non-violent alternative to combating them

    Identify species found in the house

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    It is extremely important that you identify the ant species before taking any control measures. This gives you important information about the way of life of the different species of ants. You can more easily assess whether the insects are really settling in walls, basements and niches, or whether they have just strayed into the house. Not all ants prefer human proximity.

    genus size particularities
    road ants Lasius small ants hardly make any demands on the habitat
    wood ants Formica approx. 10 mm long Omnivores, mostly build earth nests
    Ross or giant ants Camponotus large ants, up to 18 mm long colonize moist timber
    garden or knot ants Myrmica medium-sized ants, about 5 mm build underground nests or colonize dead wood

    Brown Ants

    The red garden ant is very common here

    The red garden ant has a reddish-brown color and is one of the most widespread species in Central Europe. It inhabits very different habitats and can be found in meadows, gardens, forests and scrubland. Here it nests in dead wood, under moss pads and stones or in the open field and feeds on honeydew. Other brown-colored species often come into question as ants in the house.

    Brown garden ant (Lasius brunneus)

    This species goes by many names and is also known as the brown carpenter ant. It is strikingly two-tone and has different shades of brown. While the head and abdomen are dark brown in color, the trunk, stalks and extremities appear brownish-brown or yellowish-brown and sometimes slightly reddish.

    Risk of confusion:

    • Red garden ant (Myrmica rubra)
    • Two-colored garden ant or red-backed house ant (Lasius emarginatus)

    The species is bound to trees. It inhabits rotten dead wood in sparse forests, old trees on orchards and in gardens or parks. Here it feeds on the honeydew of the aphids. Stored or built-in wood, which is located near deciduous trees, is also colonized. The ants find optimal living conditions in damp timber, plasterboard and thermal insulation panels. Therefore, Lasius brunneus is the most commonly reported pest ant in Germany.

    Black Ants

    This group includes species from different genera that are more difficult to identify. Therefore, not only the coloring but also the habitat should be examined more closely. The demands on the environmental conditions are quite different depending on the species.

    Black garden ant (Lasius niger)

    The black garden ant is rarely found in the living room

    The species is not a typical house ant. It builds its nests in moderately dry habitats, preferring cavities under rocks and in lawns to raise its warmth-demanding brood. When the weather is less than ideal, it seeks sheltered areas and can appear in crevices in walls. They can enter houses through insulation material if there is a direct connection between the insulation layer and the nest. Reports of nests under tin roof structures are rare.

    Typical of the species is dense body hair, which shines silver to varying degrees depending on the incidence of light. Fighting the dark brown to black colored ants is usually pointless. After a colony has been wiped out, the next colony settles in the favorable nesting opportunities of the predecessors.

    Black carpenter ant (Camponotus herculeanus)

    This black colored species has dark red legs and scales. Her body appears stocky because of her short extremities. The ant prefers shady and moist soils in forests. It is often found in spruce forests in mountainous areas, but can also be observed in open areas and in the lowlands. The insects colonize wood through external damage or through the roots.

    Here the ant builds its nests:

    • predominantly in the wood of healthy trees
    • prefers spruce, occasionally pine, rarely hardwood
    • Nests partially reach into the ground
    • only colonizes built-in wood with direct contact with the ground

    Glossy black carpenter ant (Lasius fuliginosus)

    The glossy black carpenter ant also gnaws on a roof beam

    This species is characterized by a deep black colored body, the coloring of which shines conspicuously in the light. Mouthparts and antennae are brownish in color. Carpenter ants prefer to build their nests in dead wood. It also settles in fence posts or roof beams of buildings, although modern houses are rarely damaged by this species.

    The workers build a so-called cardboard nest in the wood, which consists of chewed wood, sugar and other solids. This creates a blackish mass, which is filled into the self-gnawed cavities. The cardboard nest forms the growth basis for the fungus Cladosporium myrmecophilum. Its fine network of roots penetrates the thin walls and in this way strengthens the nest.

    Yellow Ants

    Yellow meadow ants mostly live in the ground

    Brightly colored ants such as yellow meadow ants or yellow thief ants live underground in the substrate of various landscapes. While the former feeds on the honeydew of root lice, the thief ant exploits related species. This mini ant steals prey, eggs, larvae and pupae from the host animals. Both species are not interested in human dwellings.

    Pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

    The worker bees of this tiny ant grow to about two millimeters in length and are amber in color with a dark abdominal tip. The chest and abdomen are connected by a stalk on which two conspicuous humps are formed. Male insects are black in color and slightly larger. The queen reaches a size of up to 4.5 millimeters and appears slightly darker than the workers. The species was introduced from Asia and has developed into a global cultural successor.

    Pharaoh ants live here:

    • in buildings with consistently high temperatures
    • heated greenhouses, canteen kitchens and bakeries
    • after introduction into private households

    The species is not only active in summer but all year round and does not survive the winter outdoors. It is an omnivore, preferring to feed on foods high in protein and sugar. Insects are a problem in hospitals because they are attracted to blood and pus and transmit diseases. Fighting is difficult because the nests are hidden. Feeding poisons with a long latency period promise the greatest success, because these are carried into the nest and fed to the brood and queen.

    Two to multicolored ants

    It is not always possible to clearly classify them as one or more colored species. If you don't find your style in this category, you should look at the solid colors. Different color casts and characteristics are also possible within one species.

    Brown-black carpenter ant (Camponotus ligniperdus)

    The brown-black carpenter ant sometimes gets lost inside

    This species is characterized by a glossy body. The head and most of the abdomen are black in color while the anterior abdominal segment, stalks and legs are reddish brown. The carpenter ant prefers significantly warmer locations than the related black carpenter ant. It inhabits dry and sunny deciduous and mixed forests. Occasionally it can be found on dry grasslands covered with bushes and on field edges.

    nesting:

    • preferably in soft deadwood
    • Tree trunks up to three meters high and close to the ground
    • pure earth nests are possible
    • does not colonize living wood

    Occasionally the species is considered a house ant. If it occurs in close proximity to human settlements, it can also occur inside buildings. It nests in built-up wood of houses, sheds or bridges and builds nests in fence posts.

    Bicolored garden ant (Lasius emarginatus)

    The species is regarded as a typical house and garden ant, with the warmth-loving ant often being confused with Larius brunneus. It is also known as the red-backed house ant because the breast is reddish-yellow to reddish-brown in color. The head and abdomen are dark brown in color and stand out clearly from the chest.

    The warmth-loving species occurs mainly in southern parts of Germany. They build their nests in cracks in rocks, under stones and in decaying dead wood. Since the ants prefer rock biotopes, settlement areas sealed with concrete and stones also appear extremely attractive. They can nest in house walls and crevices or in the beams if these nesting sites have already been damaged by insects and fungi.

    flying ants

    Winged ants are not a separate species. An ant colony has workers, queens, and males. While in some species only males are winged, there are few kindreds with winged queens. The formation of the wings has an evolutionary background. This enables the insects to reach mating partners outside of their colony.

    If you observe ants with wings crawling out of a niche, this does not yet indicate that they are actively breeding in the house. The males look for mates from other colonies to complete their nuptial flight.

    What really helps against ants?

    If you want to get rid of ants, you should eliminate the causes of the infestation. It is not enough to distribute home remedies along the ant trails. Such measures provide a short-term remedy, but after a short time the insects are no longer impressed or look for alternative ways into the house. Put your focus on the nest.

    scare away

    If you want to drive ants away, you have to follow the ant trail to the end. Here is the nest. The ants that live inside do not like disturbance and will protect their brood if the nest is disturbed by intense odors. Therefore, herbs such as chervil, lavender or thyme are ideal for scaring away. Vinegar also contributes to the fact that the insects' sense of direction is disturbed. When the flavors have dissipated, the effect is gone. Therefore, you should put fresh herbs, vinegar or tea tree oil directly into the nests every day.

    tips

    Coins or building materials made of copper hardly bring any success in the fight against ants. Only biocides containing copper are effective, but they can severely damage water bodies and other living beings.

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    Attract

    Use different means to attract the insects. You can fill them with toxic substances. Bait is best used in spring, before the plants sprout and the leaves or roots are infested with lice. At this time, ants are already foraging and readily accept sweet liquids and attractants. Later in the year, the insects will continue to use the building as a nesting site once they have established themselves there. They then prefer to go outside in search of food.

    Suitable baits:

    • Liverwurst
    • tuna
    • sugar water
    • beer and liquor

    Ants can be successfully fought with poisonous traps

    Remove

    Sticky traps are only suitable for fighting to a limited extent because they cannot catch all ants. Naturally acting home remedies such as baking soda are also not suitable. For baking soda to work, you need to dust the ants heavily with the leavening agent. If the insects absorb the smallest particles by cleaning, they die. Baking soda causes a change in the pH value and does not lead to bursting, as is often assumed. For isolated ants in the house, this method is quite effective.

    relocate

    The flower pot trick is of little help for ants that have settled in the house. A clay pot filled with nesting material is accepted when the actual nest is in danger or has been disturbed. To do this, the pot must be placed directly over the nest so that the ants can carry their brood into the new home. This is difficult if ants have settled in the walls. Therefore, such resettlement attempts are only successful in species that have built a nest in the lawn.

    Poison

    When there is a massive ant infestation, only poison can effectively fight the plague and destroy all the ants. You should generally avoid sprays, as they spread the toxic ingredients in the room air. Better suited are stomach poisons, which are applied as a powder and eaten by the ants. Fipronil has proven to be an effective remedy. The biocide has a high latency period, so the queens living in the nest and the brood are also poisoned.

    Avoid reintroduction after successful control

    Individual ants do not yet pose a problem. If the insects have settled throughout the house, the damage caused by ants in the house can assume considerable proportions. Identifying nests is the first thing you should do. Possible damage must be repaired, because after eradication, a resettlement in the existing nesting sites is very likely.

    If you want to get rid of ants permanently and fight them effectively, you should replace damaged insulation and beams and renovate walls. This deprives the ants of an important basis for their livelihood and scent traces are eliminated. This is the only way to ensure that no new colonies migrate from outside.

    Why do ants come into the house?

    If you keep your kitchen free of sweet stains, you shouldn't have any problems with ants

    Ant species inhabit different habitats in nature. These include cavities under stones, holes in the ground or rotten wood. Many buildings are designed so that the building materials are similar to the natural nesting sites. It is therefore possible for ants to settle in cracks in the facade, under terrace slabs or in the built-in wood. When the insects follow ant trails in the house and apartment, they are looking for food. They get into the interior through leaking windows and doors or other gaps in the facade. Ants can appear in the house all year round.

    Favorite food:

    • Sweets
    • meat and cheese
    • fruit and bread

    digression

    The Ant Algorithm

    When an ant encounters a new food source, it will eat and crawl back to its burrow. On the way back, the insect ejects pheromones to mark the way. When it gets home, it regurgitates parts of the food to stimulate the housemates. They set off and follow the scent trail. They also put numerous scents on the way home so that it smells all the stronger.

    First, the ants look for the way to the food source based on the existing scent marks. Since these are still faintly scented, other ants also get to the food via other paths. The insects that found the shortest route return to the nest faster. The pheromone concentration is now highest on the shorter path, which is why the following insects prefer this path. An ant trail has emerged.

    Ants are not primary wood destroyers

    The insects are not considered to be wood destroyers in the narrower sense, because they cannot use the fibers as food. Some species that specialize in deadwood only use this as a nesting substrate and colonize cavities and passages created by wood-decomposing fungi and insect pests. If they settle in built-in wood, then they also prefer to use ailing and previously damaged wooden components. The different degrees of hardness of the wood are used effectively. Early wood parts can be easily cleared out, while the late wood remains as walls between the chambers.

    Stray Ants

    Ants can get into the house through flower pots

    Occasionally it happens that ants build nests in the flowerpot on the house. The colony can be transported into the house unnoticed if the bucket is brought into the basement for the winter. Therefore, you should check the substrate thoroughly.If ants have settled, you can fight them effectively with water. The passages are flushed through in the immersion bath so that the ants and their brood flee.

    When ants settle in the wood

    A direct destruction of wooden materials by ants is still possible, although the ants do not primarily target buildings and intact wood. The building materials for the insects often offer completely innovative nesting opportunities with optimal conditions for rearing the brood. Thermal composite systems that are soaked through by splashing water are an ideal nesting substrate. They ensure a perfect climate, which is similar to the conditions in deadwood.

    Ants are influenced by advanced developments. They move with the times and use new nesting opportunities in insulated facades.

    Evidence of ant nests

    The search for clues provides quick information about whether an ant nest in the house and apartment is likely. Ants don't appear without a reason. They need optimal living conditions close to home and must first find their way inside. These clues increase the likelihood that an ant colony has settled in the house. Despite the affirmation of these aspects, it can happen that individual ants only get lost in the kitchen and bathroom.

    Where ant nests are likely to be

    • facade insulation: Base area with ground contact and overgrown by dense vegetation
    • half-timbered house: surrounded by a densely planted vegetable garden
    • partitions: in damp bathrooms and cool bedrooms, wooden beams already damaged by fungi and insects

    tips

    The Deutsche Antschutzwarte e.V. has numerous regional associations in which volunteer ant experts provide their help.

    Check house and apartment

    If you regularly come across small piles of flour from sawdust, mortar or insulation material when cleaning, an insect infestation is likely. This assumption is supported when you find remains of insect bodies in the heaps. Dead ants on the ground, on the other hand, do not necessarily indicate a pest infestation.

    If the building is partially or entirely constructed of wooden beams, it provides potential nesting sites for ants. These nest sites are even more attractive the wetter they are. Therefore, ant nests are often found near sources of moisture such as the bathroom, kitchen or conservatory, where the building structure has a higher level of moisture in the wood.

    Check environment

    In order for ants to find their way into your house, they must already find good living conditions in the area. An adjacent forest, dense vegetation directly on the house facade or a garden can be used as evidence. There must be a direct connection between house and garden that is attractive to ants.

    frequently asked Questions

    Where do ants come from in the house?

    Ants in the house do not always mean a resettlement of a colony

    If you suddenly find ants in the house, this can have various causes. Ant colonies often migrate from the outside and settle in prefabricated nesting sites. This is the case when an old tree is felled nearby or a shed is torn down. You can find these places via scent trails of old ant trails or be lured by sweet scents.

    A new colony foundation by a queen directly in the house is rather improbable. It may well be that ants accumulate in the house after rain. Often these are terrestrial species that nest directly next to the house. If the nest is flooded, the insects try to save their brood to dry land.

    How can I avoid ants in the house?

    If ants become a nuisance in the house and garden every year, simple tips will help. To prevent the ants from gaining access to the building, all entry points should be closed. This includes not only visible gaps under windows and doors but also underground cracks in the facade. Here, earth-dwelling ants can easily get into the insulation. Strips provided with contact poisons can be applied where sealing is not possible.

    Is pest control by exterminators worth it?

    If you decide to use a pest controller, you should be informed about the procedure. A professional exterminator has species knowledge and will identify the species before taking any action. Based on this information, he can assess whether the ants could actually have settled in the house. Specialists check the rooms for possible traces and seal entry points. Randomly applied gels or long-term agents usually do not promise success.

    What do ants eat in the house?

    Ants have a wide range of foods. Many species feed on honeydew, while other ants are omnivores. Inside the house, they target foods high in sugar and protein. They eat fruit, meat and cheese or breadcrumbs.

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Animals in the garden