How Do Ants Get In The House? What Are They Doing In My House?

Ants are social insects, so when they enter your home, many more follow. If you’ve already found ants moving around the kitchen counter or if you’ve noticed a path of ants on the bathroom floor, believe me, there are many more hidden!

They always seem to find their way into our homes, no matter how clean we keep them. And once they’re in, it’s hard to get rid of them.

How Do Ants Get In The House? Ants are looking for two things when they invade our space: water and food. They’re attracted to any sources of moisture, so kitchens and bathrooms are prime targets. Once they’ve found a water source, they’ll start looking for food.

Ants will eat just about anything, but they’re especially fond of sweets. So if you have a problem with ants, be sure to check for leaky pipes and clean up any crumbs or spills right away. If you can keep their food and water sources under control, you’ll be on your way to getting rid of your ant problem.

But let me tell you a little bit more about what type of ants we can find in our homes. Keep reading!

Types Of Ants In House

The most common ants in the US that can get in the house include:

Carpenter ants
Pharaoh ants
Odorous house ants
Crazy ants
Argentine ants

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are one of the most common household pests. They’re large black ants that like to build their nests in wood, which is why they’re also called wood ants. If you have carpenter ants in your home, they’re probably coming in through cracks in the foundation or gaps around doors and windows.

When carpenter ants infest a home, they don’t eat the wood like termites. Instead, they tunnel through it, which can cause structural damage. Carpenter ants are also known to bite people, which can be painful. Also, this type of ant can often spread disease and trigger allergies.

Other ants can be mistaken for carpenter ants because they are both black and live in wood. The best way to tell if you have carpenter ants is to look for sawdust near their nests. Carpenter ants also leave behind small piles of dirt called frass.

Pharaoh ants

Pharaoh ants are small (2–3 mm) yellow or light brown ants notorious for their wide distribution and persistence in indoor environments. Pharaoh ants are a problem in many households, commercial kitchens, hospitals, and other places where food is prepared or stored. They can contaminate food and spread disease-causing bacteria.

The name “pharaoh ant” comes from Egyptians who brought them to the United States. Pharaoh ants like to build their nests in warm, moist places, so they’re often found in kitchens and bathrooms.

These ants are native to Africa but have been accidentally introduced to many other parts of the world through human activity. As a result, we can discover Pharaoh ants on every continent except Antarctica.

This specie of ants is tough to control because they can reproduce quickly and have a complex social structure. A single colony of pharaoh ants can contain millions of individuals. They are also very good at avoiding traps and pesticides.

The Pharaoh ant gets its name from its ability to establish huge colonies that often number millions of workers. However, Pharaoh ants are also challenging to control because they quickly develop new territories when disturbed.

This is due to their reproductive biology; when a Pharaoh ant colony is concerned, the workers will split off into smaller groups, each with its fertile queen.

Odorous house ants

Odorous house ants get their name from their smell like rotting coconuts when crushed. These tiny black ants are often found in kitchens, where they’re attracted to sweets. They forage day and night for food. In warm weather, these ants may travel up to 100 feet from their nest in search of food.

Colonies can number in the thousands and contain several hundred winged males and females (queens), many sterile workers, and a few soldiers. These ants typically nest outdoors in trees, under stones, or other protected locations.

We can find them also nesting in wall voids and attics. However, in cold weather, they often move their nests indoors, where they can be a nuisance.

Outdoors can nest in mulch beds, landscaping timbers, under stones, or in other protected locations. Indoors often nest behind baseboards, under floorboards, or in wall voids.

Odorous house ants are attracted to sweets and will also feed on greasy foods, meats, and pet food.

These ants are not known to bite or sting, but they can be a nuisance when they infest homes in large numbers.

Crazy ants

Crazy ants inherited this name because of their erratic movements. They’re small black or dark brown ants and have a very shiny exoskeleton. We find them in yards and gardens.

They are typically tiny in size, but they can grow up to be a few inches long. Their legs are long and thin, and they have a long, slender body. Crazy ants are also known for their large eyes and long antennae.

This specie of ant exist in tropical and subtropical climates all over the world. But we find them most commonly n Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. However, they cay also be found in more temperate climates, like the southern United States.

Crazy ants are known to build their nests in a variety of places. They often build them in soil, under rocks, or in trees. But they have also been known to build their nests indoors, in walls or ceilings.

Argentine ants

These ants attack nesting birds, killing the adults and stealing their chicks and eggs. They also displace native ants, which harms the local ecosystem. In addition, the Argentine ant is considered a major agricultural pest in many parts of the world, particularly in citrus groves.

The Argentine ant was first described by German entomologist Gustav Mayer in 1838. It is thought to have originated in the pampas region of Argentina, but it is now found in many parts of the world. In its native range, the Argentine ant is a major pest of agriculture, particularly citrus crops.

However, it has also been introduced to other parts of the world, where it is a severe agriculture pest and an ecological threat to native ants and other insects.

The Argentine ant is a small, light-brown ant with a uniform body shape. The head and thorax are fused into a single structure, and the abdomen is rounded. The antennae are short and have 12 segments. The legs are slender, and the claws are tiny.

The Argentine ant is a social insect that lives in large colonies. These colonies can number in the millions and can span vast areas. They live in a complex social structure, with a clear division of labor between the different castes.

The Argentine ant is an aggressive species and will attack other ants, even if they are of the same species. This aggression has led to the displacement of many native ant species.

Does One Ant Mean Infestation?

No, one ant does not mean an infestation. Just like with any other pest, the appearance of one or a few ants is usually not cause for concern. It’s when you start seeing more and more ants that you need to take action.

This could be a sign they’ve found a way into your home and are starting to establish a nest.

Problems caused by ants

Take precautions when dealing with ant infestations. If left unchecked, an ant colony can grow to an enormous size. A single colony can contain hundreds of thousands of ants!

Looking for food, ants can go through different places, including garbage, and carry impurities on their paws, even fungi and bacteria. They can therefore transmit diseases.

These loaded fungi can cause allergies and ringworm. Ants can also carry some dangerous, infection-carrying bacteria. For these reasons it is not recommended to eat food that has had some contact with ants, generating the risk of contracting food poisoning or even some more serious diseases.

Also, ant bites can cause pain and trigger allergic reactions. Depending on the species and person, this reaction may require immediate medical intervention.

Will ants go away on their own?

No, ants will not go away on their own. If you’ve noticed a few ants in your house, it’s likely they’ve found a way in and are starting to establish a nest. To get rid of the ants, you’ll need to take action and eliminate their food and water sources. Once you’ve done that, you can use a variety of methods to get rid of the ants themselves.

How far can ants smell food?

Ants have such a keen sense of smell that, according to a study, the species Cataglyphis fortis can distinguish between different types of food from more than six feet away.

This sense is so developed that they can find their way back to the nest by following the scent of pheromones left by other ants on the trail. However, this ability to follow scents also makes them very attracted to the sweet, sugary, and fatty foods that we often have in our homes.

Are Little Black Ants Harmful?

The truth is, all ants have the potential to sting or bite if they feel threatened. Some species of ants, like fire ants, can be very aggressive and their stings can be quite painful. If you’re allergic to ant stings, you could have a serious reaction.

Other species of ants, like carpenter ants, actually cause damage to your home. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood, which can weaken the structure of your house.

So, while little black ants may not be as harmful as some other types of ants, it’s still important to get rid of them as soon as you can.

Where Do Ants Like To Live?

We can find ants all over the place. Ants live in the rainforest, while others in the desert. But the ones we know best are the ones who show up in our homes.

Some common places you might find ants living are:

Under rocks
In cracks in the sidewalk
In your backyard
In a park
On a farm

Wherever there is food and water, you will likely find ants! That’s why it’s important to keep your kitchen clean and free of crumbs if you don’t want ants taking up residence in your home.

Do Ants Lay Eggs In The House?

There is no definitive answer to this question as ants can lay eggs in a variety of different places. Some species of ants lay eggs inside a house, but it is also possible they will not.

House ants gather in small hidden nests in our homes like for example:

Inside cracks and behind tiles
Cracks in doors
Baseboards and floors
In roof timber
In linings

An interesting feature which distinguishes these ants from other ants is the fact that they have many queens.

While an anthill of leafhopper ants has a single colony, a pharaoh ant or house ant nest has an average of 10 queens for every 200 workers and all queens lay eggs.

This unique structure allows the anthill to be very resilient to damage. If a queen dies, there is no significant damage to the anthill; the colony remains active. In contrast, the death of a queen in other species of ants typically leads to the destruction of the entire anthill.

House ants can lay eggs during any season, but most heavily in the spring. A female can live for up to 6 years and produce about 10,000 offspring during her lifetime.

What To Do To Prevent Ant Infestation?

1. Close cracks, all the cracks you find, these are the favorite places inhabited by ants

Observe the paths and trails made by the ants. These paths are marked with an odor released by the ants so they all follow the same path and cooperate in the work of foraging for food.

When they find a food source, they return to the nest to warn the others, however, during their return, they mark the path to the food source, which allows other workers to follow along.

2. Discover the ants’ nest through the use of honey and sugar

You can use this feature to your advantage. Offer ants honey or sugar moistened in small portions on pieces of waterproof paper, they will come and show you where their hiding place is.

Now just find the right spot and close it with sealing compound, soap, or any other sealing material. Before closing, inject a little water and detergent in equal parts. The detergent acts on the ants’ body removing the protective layer that covers the body. It’s a work of patience, but it solves the problem.

3. Baby powder helps scare away ants

With time, the shelters become rare due to their effort and the ants move. Another place they like to hide in, and make nests is in the electrical wires of the house, appearing in outlets. There, just sprinkle a thin layer of baby powder and that’s it. They leave.

4. Apply the correct insecticides

Now if you are looking to control the nuisance ant infestation there are several specialized insecticides such as TERRO Ant Killer Liquid Baits, which is indicated for the control of ants indoor.

You can kill common household ants by using liquid ant bait stations. Put them near the areas where you have seen ants. The ants will eat the bait and then go back to the nest. They will then share the bait with the rest of the colony.

Where to Place Ant Bait Stations

You can also use dust or spray insecticide to kill ants. Again, be sure to follow the directions on the label.

You can find spray insecticide to kill ants like Raid Ant & Roach Killer at most hardware stores.

In case you need help to control this pest in your house you call an experienced pest control professional. They’ll be able to identify the type of ant you have and recommend the best course of treatment.

I hope you like this tips and find it helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!