It's not very pleasant when there are ants crawling on the ground. If an ant trail has already formed, the concerns increase. It is important that the landlord is informed at an early stage and that first remedial measures are carried out. Careless actions can aggravate the situation.

Ants are reluctant to be seen in the home

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Act instead of wait
  3. how to fight
  4. Causes of Ants
  5. ant species
  6. tenancy law
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. the essentials in brief

    • If you have ants in your home, act quickly
    • Feeding traps kill ants reliably, if you prefer it more ecologically, you can deny them access with scent barriers or powder barriers
    • Baking soda must be sprinkled directly onto the ants to kill them

    Duties: Act instead of wait

    If you discover a few ants in your home, they may be insects that have got lost or are specifically looking for new food sources and places to nest. In any case, you should catch the ants with a glass and see what species they are. Take precautionary measures so that the people do not follow suit.

    Outsmart scout ants

    Individual ants or ants that appear in small groups that move around in the kitchen can be considered as so-called scouts. They are looking for food and nesting places. If the insects have found leftovers and crumbs, they eat them and set off on their way back. This is marked by releasing pheromones so that they can find the place again. Once in the colony, the ants regurgitate some of the food to stimulate the other insects. You embark on the journey and follow the scent trail.

    First preventive measures:

    • Collect ants so they cannot leave scent trails
    • Clean the kitchen, seal the food airtight and clean the feeding bowls
    • Fill open food in the refrigerator in sealable containers with rubber seals
    • Seal joints and gaps on the facade with silicone
    • Attach adhesive strips in front of possible entry points on windows and doors

    What helps against ants in the apartment?

    Poisonous feed traps are a good option for killing an ant colony - if absolutely necessary

    If an ant trail has already formed, you can disrupt activities with odorous, oily or dusty substances. Natural home remedies are gentle and have a comparatively short effect. Therefore, they must be renewed regularly. Since not all ant species are equally deterred by such agents, you should combine several methods if necessary. If you have discovered a nest in the apartment, an effective means of killing the queen and brood is recommended.

    scent barriers

    Strongly scented herbs, oils and liquids confuse the ants, causing them to seek other routes. These methods can be helpful if an ant trail has formed from the outside nest into your home. You cannot get rid of entire colonies that live in nests in the partition walls in this way.

    Help against ant trails:

    • lay out fresh leaves and stems of lavender, juniper and tansy
    • Place lemon peel and cloves in front of the entrances
    • Dust heavily with cinnamon powder
    • Fill small bowls with vinegar and hand them out on the streets

    digression

    Ant oil is not just ant oil

    In her diploma thesis “Ants as Medicines”, Jasna Klacar writes about an Arab doctor who, centuries ago, recommended ant eggs to combat hair growth. This method is now experiencing a revival. In the trade, numerous products are touted as ant oil, but its effectiveness and production raise questions. However, this product should not be confused with ant oil, which is used to deter insects. Such remedies do not consist of ant eggs but of various essential oils such as lavandin and neem.

    barriers

    Ants avoid dusty surfaces. On the one hand, the smallest particles can get into the trachea and block them. On the other hand, dust grains soiled the feelers that the insects use to smell, hear, and communicate. These functions can no longer be guaranteed if the sensors are covered with dust. Therefore, ants clean themselves regularly, which you can use to combat them.

    baking powder

    Baking soda must be sprinkled directly onto the ants to have the desired effect

    The leavening agent has certain properties that can kill the ants. However, the insects do not burst after eating the dusty particles. Baking soda is very alkaline and ensures that the pH value in the organism changes. Certain enzymes are no longer able to survive and the ant dies. Precise application is necessary for the baking powder to develop this effect:

    • Sprinkle baking soda directly on the ants
    • dust as much as possible
    • Repeat daily and treat newly emerging ants

    The insects groom themselves to rid their antennae of dust. In doing so, they pick up the particles. Their breathing can be severely affected and they die after a short time.

    diatomaceous earth or kieselguhr

    The powdery substance is obtained from the shells of fossil diatoms, the so-called diatoms. The powder has a low deterrent effect on ants. They avoid crawling over a barrier of diatomaceous earth powder. If the insects are dusted directly with the agent, the outer wax layer is destroyed by mechanical abrasion. Diatomaceous earth has a high absorption capacity and also draws liquid from the insect body, causing it to dry out.

    Use diatomaceous earth:

    • Sprinkle powder in all entry points, cracks and crevices
    • apply with a brush in inaccessible cracks
    • sprinkle behind footers and kitchen moldings

    If you wipe the floor and clean niches with a damp cloth, the powder will become saturated with water. As soon as it dries, it forms a firm crust and thus permanently closes the crevices. The actual effect is lost as a result, but ants then no longer have access to the apartment.

    Ants avoid walking over diatomaceous earth

    means of destruction

    Once it has been ascertained that there is an ant nest in your home, it should be removed as soon as possible. Fighting only the visible workers does not help. The queens live on and can sustain the colony. It is therefore important that you use toxic stomach poisons. These are picked up by the foraging ants and fed to the queen and brood in the nest.

    Tips to fight:

    • Attract workers with sugary bait
    • Mix bait with poison
    • Use long latency stomach poisons like fipronil

    Where do ants come from in the apartment?

    If you suddenly have ants in your apartment, you should examine the area more closely. When ants are driven out of their nest, they go in search of an alternative nesting site. Neighbor scaring methods, felled trees or demolished barns can be reasons why ants get lost in your home.

    The problem of building materials

    If you get visitors from a whole colony, it is likely that the roof beams, partition walls and facade insulation have been damaged. The ants colonize structures that offer them optimal living conditions. This can be pitted wooden beams, damp insulation material or partition walls near a source of moisture. The building material often resembles the natural nesting sites. Flavors of different foods make the environment attractive.

    Dense vegetation or near the forest

    There are ants everywhere. They inhabit not only forests but also open landscapes. Favorable connections between the home and the vegetation in gardens and beds increase the risk of ants getting lost in the kitchen and bathroom. If the house is in the middle of a natural garden, there are likely to be isolated ants in the apartment. The insects settle in different habitats above and below ground. Ants nest under stones and paving stones or in densely planted beds next to the house.

    Ants live everywhere and cannot be eradicated. They are an important part of a functioning ecosystem.

    Flower pot on the balcony

    Ants can get into the house through flower pots

    Earth-dwelling ants can settle in flower pots that are on balconies and terraces. In this way, the insects get into the house unnoticed when the bucket is brought to its winter quarters in autumn. You don't have to worry about these ants settling in your home. The species need soil because they prefer to build underground nests in the substrate. A long outdoor soak or changing the substrate can get rid of the ants.

    What types of ants are there?

    There are different types of ants that like the structures in the home. While large species such as wood ants only stray into human dwellings and do no harm, there are tiny ants that cause major damage. Identifying these species takes some practice. Coloring and size are important characteristics. But the place where they were found also provides information about the respective species. Most ants are active in summer, but can occur all year round in warm temperatures in the apartment.

    scientific name possible occurrence populated status
    Brown garden ant Lasius brunneus Attic, partition walls, half-timbered Lumber, plasterboard and thermal insulation panels widespread
    'Notched Carpenter' Camponotus fallax attic existing wood spaces in beams or fillers rather rare and scattered
    pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis heated rooms existing cavities imported from Asia
    Black carpenter ant Camponotus herculeanus damp partitions Wood in direct contact with the ground more common in mountainous areas
    Shiny black carpenter ant Lasius fuliginosus wooden beams old lumber regionally common
    Bicolored Garden Ant Lasius emarginatus Entablature, house walls, wall gaps warm cavities common in southern Germany
    Brown-black carpenter ant Camponotus ligniperdus wooden houses, sheds dry and warm timber widespread

    mini ants

    Very small ants with an amber color indicate the pharaoh ant. While the workers are between 1.5 and 2.5 millimeters in size, the queens reach a maximum body length of 4.5 millimeters. These are slightly darker than the workers. Only the males appear black. Two humps on the connecting stalk between the abdomen and the breast are conspicuous. This introduced species does not survive the freezing temperatures in winter, which is why it overwinters indoors.

    tips

    Freshly cranked pork liver seems to be an attractive bait for pharaoh ants.

    Brown and red ants

    The line between red and brown colored species is often narrow. The shades of color can also blend into one another or be pronounced to different degrees. The brown garden ant has a distinctive dual coloration. While the head and abdomen are dark brown in color, the chest and stalks stand out with reddish hues. The workers are between two and four millimeters long.

    The species can easily be confused with the two-colored garden ant because it also has a reddish breast and a dark brown body. Their workers are similar in size to those of the brown garden ant, but are slimmer in build.

    Black Ants

    At first glance, many ants appear black. But a closer look reveals fine color nuances and stitches. Some species can be easily identified by their hair, while other ants are conspicuously shiny. Often the sizes of workers that can be observed most often overlap.

    Typical wood-dwelling species:

    • Shiny black carpenter ant: deep black and shiny, workers 4-6 mm
    • Black carpenter ant: black with dark red legs, workers mostly 9-12 mm
    • 'Notched Carpenter': shiny black and slightly hairy, workers 6-8 mm
    • Brown-black carpenter ant: black-reddish brown, workers 6-14 mm

    Ants with wings

    Flying ants are not a species of their own. Almost every species has winged ants that have to increase their range for evolutionary reasons. Male insects usually develop wings, because this allows them to reach suitable mating partners from other colonies. This avoids inbreeding. Occasionally, queens also have wings so that they can found new colonies in more distant habitats.

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    tenancy law

    If you find isolated living or dead ants in the apartment, in most cases there is no reason to worry. In any case, immediate information of the tenant is necessary, regardless of whether it is a harmful or harmless species. This is the only way you can benefit from your tenant rights.

    basics

    The ant species native to Germany are not dangerous, but can be annoying. Since they occur in a wide variety of habitats, courts regard their occurrence as normal. Scattered ants in the home are considered an inconvenience and classified as a minor inconvenience. No distinction is made between the individual types. It is therefore important to examine the individual case carefully. If it is the pharaoh ant that has been brought in, it will quickly cause problems in the home.

    Special case pharaoh ant:

    • prefer animal protein and are attracted to blood and pus
    • survive in rooms with 18 degrees Celsius
    • transmit dangerous diseases

    assumption of costs

    In most cases, the landlord pays for the costs of fighting

    Since it cannot normally be assumed that the tenant will bring in ants, the landlord must bear the costs for one-off control measures. It is important that you do not resort to poison yourself in the event of an acute infestation, but inform the landlord. Careless actions can aggravate the situation or result in a greater health hazard than the ants would have expected.

    If the apartment is contaminated through the private use of insecticides, the person responsible must pay for it. If measures to combat vermin have to be carried out at regular intervals, the landlord can pass on the costs incurred to the tenant as ancillary costs.

    rent reduction

    A rent reduction can be considered if normal living is no longer possible due to the ant infestation. This is the case when there are ant nests in the housing area and numerous ants are crawling and flying. An impairment can also exist if it is an infestation by the dangerous pharaoh ant.

    Before you can request a rent reduction, the landlord must be informed. He must be given the opportunity to eliminate the ant plague. Further steps can only be taken if these measures are unsuccessful. The amount of the rent reduction depends on the individual case.

    tips

    If you notice an ant infestation, you should pay the rent expressly subject to a rent reduction. This allows you to later reduce the rent for the past.

    frequently asked Questions

    What do you do against ants in the apartment?

    You must first find out if they are stray or resident ants. Individual insects can be caught with a jar and released outside. If you observe an ant trail, you should seal the entrances to the apartment tightly and protect them with deterrent scents. If the ants have settled in the wall or attic, usually only stomach poisons help. However, it is important that you inform yourself about the respective species beforehand. Not all are harmful and must be fought.

    Why do flying ants crawl out of walls?

    Flying ants indicate a nest, which can be in cavities behind ledges and in the wall. When the insects come out and fly around the house, they are looking for a partner. However, mating does not take place in the same colony. Ants avoid inbreeding and mate outside to find mates from other peoples.

    How do ants smell?

    Insects perceive scents with their feelers. They have hair-like sensory organs called sensilla. They are easily permeable to fragrance molecules, so that they can penetrate to the inner olfactory cells. These cells are highly specialized.Some only react to certain substances such as alarm substances. If the tentacles are covered with dust, ants can no longer smell. Therefore, they clean themselves regularly and dusty substances such as baking soda are ingested in this way.

    Does the landlord have to pay for the fight against ants?

    That depends on the individual case. If you find one or more stray ants in your home, you don't need to fight them yet. Nevertheless, you should inform your landlord about this observation in order to be able to assert possible claims later. If you have put the insects outside and the infestation becomes acute after a few days, the landlord is obliged to combat them. However, it may be that the rental agreement lists regular vermin treatments under the additional costs.

    What species are found in the home?

    There are various ants that settle in houses. The pharaoh ant is an introduced species that can only survive in human habitation. Native species that settle in wooden beams, insulating material or cavities often belong to the genus of road ants. Occasionally, carpenter ants can also be observed building their nests near humans.

    Why do ants come into the apartment?

    The insects are either in search of food and are attracted by sweet smells, or they scout out new nesting sites. If there are beds directly on the base of the house, many earth-dwelling ants accidentally get into the living area. Whole colonies can be introduced via flower pots. However, these do not move into the apartment, as they prefer soil nests in the substrate.

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Animals in the garden