How Can You Tell Where Ants Are Coming From in March?

You can work out where ants are coming from by answering five plain questions. They work as well in an older March terrace near the railway as in a newer estate house, and they stop you guessing.

1. Where Do You See Them First?

Not the busiest place, the first. A single ant on a window sill and a hundred on the worktop are two different clues. The first sighting is often nearest to the way in.

2. Which Way Are They Heading?

Watch a section of the trail for five minutes. A steady line in both directions tells you the trail is established. Follow it back, away from the food.

3. What Is the Weather Doing?

Ant activity rises with warmth. A few weeks of warm, settled days can bring a colony into full foraging. A sudden warm and humid afternoon is the time winged ants appear, and these are usually the mating flight rather than a new infestation. If you are seeing ants in the cold, ask question 5.

4. What Is Next to the Entrance?

In an older terrace the answer is often a damp patch, a worn threshold or a patch of crumbling pointing. In a newer March house it may be a pipe entry, a patio door or an expansion joint. Outside, look for soil at the base of the wall, paving joints and gaps beneath the back step.

• Is there a warm or damp spot?
• Is there loose soil or sand?
• Is there a crack you could slide a card into?

5. Is It the Right Time of Year?

Black garden ants are mainly active from spring to autumn. Ants in the depth of winter are a clue to a heated nest in the structure, so mention it when you call.

What the Answers Give You

With the answers, you should have a rough map: where they start, where they enter, and whether the colony is likely to be indoors or out. What you will not have is the colony itself, since that sits underground or inside a cavity. Resist the urge to spray the trail. It kills the foragers and leaves the nest.

If you have the answers and still want the problem dealt with, ant control in March is £240 fixed, with no call-out fee. The cost guide shows what the price covers. If you are not sure the pest is ants, a pest inspection and survey is £120.

Call 01223 902388 or WhatsApp us your answers and a photograph.Older Terraces and Newer Estates

March has both older terraces and newer estate housing, and that affects how long the trail is. In a terrace the nest is often a few paces away in the yard. On an estate with larger gardens, the line may stretch across a lawn before it reaches the wall. Follow it patiently and count your steps to the nest area.