The essentials in 30 seconds
Ants come in for food, water and shelter, often after a change in the weather. They follow a scent trail from the nest to the food. To get rid of them: follow the trail to find where they get in, wipe it away with soapy water, put ant baits next to the trail and leave them alone, seal the entry point and keep food in sealed containers. Expect far fewer ants within about 5 to 10 days; clearing the whole colony can take several weeks.
- Baits beat sprays: workers carry the bait back to the nest and share it.
- Match the bait to the ant: some species want sugar, others want protein or grease.
- Flying ants on a warm summer day are a short mating flight and pass within a day or two.
Why you suddenly have ants in the house
- Food: crumbs, sugar, honey, fruit, pet food and grease.
- Water: sinks, dripping taps, plant pots, damp corners.
- Weather: heat, drought or heavy rain outside push colonies to look indoors.
- Easy access: gaps around pipes, cables, windows, doors and skirting boards.
- Nests close to the walls: plants, mulch and paving right against the house make the trip short.
A few single ants wandering around are scouts looking for food. A trail means they have found something worth coming back for.
How to find where they get in
Watch the trail and follow it away from the food. It usually leads to a gap at a window or door frame, a pipe or cable entry, a crack in the skirting board or a vent. Ants like to travel along wires and pipes, so check those first. Outside, look for the nest at the base of walls, under paving and in plant pots.
Which ant is it? Common house ants and what they want
| Ant | How to recognise it | Where it nests | Best bait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black garden ant | Small, dark brown to black; the commonest ant in British homes and gardens | Soil, under paving, at the foot of walls | Sweet gel or liquid bait |
| Argentine ant | Small, about 3 mm, dull brown; long, busy trails | Shallow soil; colonies link up into huge networks | Sweet liquid bait, especially borate-based |
| Odorous house ant | Small, about 3 mm, dark brown to black; gives off a strong smell when crushed | Soil outdoors; wall voids near water pipes or heaters | Sweet bait |
| Pharaoh ant | Tiny, about 1.5 mm, yellow to orange | Indoors, in warm, damp wall voids, under floors, by hot water pipes | Protein or greasy bait; professional help is common |
| Carpenter ant | Large, about 6 to 13 mm, usually dark; pushes out sawdust | Damp or damaged wood: window frames, hollow doors, roofs | Professional inspection; deal with the damp wood |
Quick bait test: put a dab of honey and a dab of peanut butter on two pieces of card next to the trail. After an hour, the one with more ants tells you whether to use a sweet bait or a protein bait.
How to get rid of ants in the house step by step
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01
Day 1: find the trail and the way in
Follow the line of ants back to the gap they use.
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02
Day 1: wipe the trail
Use a sponge and soapy water as soon as you see them: it removes the scent other ants follow.
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03
Day 1: remove other food
Clean worktops and floors, wipe sticky jars and keep pet food in sealed containers.
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04
Day 1: place baits
Put ant bait stations or gel next to the trail and the entry point, out of reach of children and pets. Outdoors, place stations along the foundation and at nest openings.
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05
Days 1 to 7: leave the baits alone
Workers carry the bait to the nest and share it with the queens. The poison is slow on purpose.
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06
Throughout: avoid sprays nearby
Insecticide sprays kill the workers before they get home and make ants avoid the bait.
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07
Day 7: check and top up
Replace empty baits. If ants ignore them, move them closer to the trail or switch between sweet and protein bait.
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08
Days 5 to 10: see results
Expect clearly fewer ants. A full clear-out can take several weeks.
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09
Once activity drops: seal the entry point
Close the gap with silicone or filler. In an emergency, a smear of petroleum jelly blocks a small gap for a while.
Flying ants and flying ant day
In the UK, the winged ants that appear in summer are almost always black garden ants on their mating flight. It usually happens in July or August, although swarms can appear from June to early September. There is no single flying ant day: different areas swarm on different days over a flying ant season of several weeks, on warm, humid, still days. The males die within a day or two; the mated queens chew off their wings and look for a place to start a new nest, which is why you find loose wings on pavements and windowsills afterwards.
What to do:
- Close windows and doors while the swarm lasts.
- Vacuum up winged ants indoors and empty the vacuum outside.
- If winged ants emerge inside the house, from floors, walls or sockets and away from open windows, a nest may be inside the building: call a professional.
| Feature | Flying ant | Termite swarmer |
|---|---|---|
| Waist | Pinched, thin | Broad, straight |
| Wings | Hind wings smaller than front wings | Both pairs about the same size |
| Antennae | Elbowed | Straight |
| What to do | Usually nothing; it passes | See our termite guide and get an inspection |
Both lose their wings shortly after flying, so look at the waist and antennae to tell them apart.
What you see and what to do
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Small black or brown ants in a line in the kitchen | A garden colony foraging for sugar or grease | Baits, cleaning the trail and sealing the gap |
| Tiny pale or orange ants in warm rooms | A species that can nest indoors, such as pharaoh ants | Protein bait; call a professional if they persist |
| Winged ants on a summer day | Mating flight | Close windows and vacuum; they pass quickly |
| Winged ants indoors in winter or from a wall | A nest inside the building | Professional inspection |
| Large ants and sawdust near window frames | Carpenter ants in damp wood | Professional inspection and a damp check |
Common mistakes with ants
- Spraying the trail the day after laying baits.
- Wiping the baits away with the trail.
- Using a sweet bait for ants that want protein, or the other way round.
- Leaving pet food, fruit bowls and sticky bottles out while baiting.
- Giving up after two or three days: colony baits need time.
How to keep ants out
- Store sugar, honey, cereals and pet food in airtight containers.
- Wipe worktops and sweep after meals.
- Rinse recycling and keep bin lids closed.
- Fix dripping taps and damp spots.
- Seal gaps around pipes, cables and frames.
- Keep plants, mulch and grass back from the walls, and trim branches touching the walls or windows.
When to call pest control
- Ants keep appearing after several weeks of baiting.
- They come from inside walls, floors or electrical sockets.
- You suspect pharaoh ants or carpenter ants.
- You cannot find where they get in.
- You run a food business, where control needs to be documented.
Ask for a service that uses baits and spot treatments rather than spraying the whole perimeter every month.
Ants: frequently asked questions
Why do I suddenly have ants in the house?
Usually a change in the weather or the end of a food source outdoors sends them looking for food and water indoors.
How do I get rid of ants in the house quickly?
Wipe the trail with soapy water, remove crumbs and sweet spills, and put bait stations by the trail the same day. You should see far fewer ants within about a week.
What gets rid of ants for good?
Baits placed by the trail, a clean kitchen with no competing food and the entry point sealed once activity drops.
How long do ant baits take?
You should see fewer ants within about 5 to 10 days. Clearing the colony can take several weeks.
Should I kill the ants I see?
Wipe away the trail, but let ants near the baits feed: they carry the bait to the nest.
When is flying ant day?
There is a flying ant season rather than one day, usually in July or August in the UK, on warm, humid and still days. Different places swarm on different days.
How do I tell flying ants from termites?
Flying ants have a pinched waist, elbowed antennae and smaller hind wings. Termites have a broad waist, straight antennae and wings of equal size.
Do home remedies work?
Wiping trails with soapy water helps, but it does not reach the nest. Baits do.
Sources
Official and university guidance, checked on 26 October 2026.
- University of California IPM · Ants ↗Why ants come indoors, cleaning trails, sealing entry points, sweet and protein baits, species sizes, flying ants and termites compared, and how long baits take.
- Natural History Museum · When and why winged ants swarm ↗Black garden ants, timing and weather of the mating flight in the UK, and what happens to males and queens.
- US EPA · Dos and don'ts of pest control ↗Safe use of insecticides at home.
Ants keep coming back?
Note where the trail starts and ends and when they appear before calling pest control.