There are some 8000 thousand ant species around and on occasion ants can become an annoyance in the home. Most often they are a bother in the spring of the year when soils outdoors begin to warm again. Right now with our soils next to the home being warmer yet, we can have ants from outside colonies foraging for food. This time of year we are normally bothered by ants from colonies in the soil within the footprint of our home. Ants could be brown, black, red or shades of these colors and vary in size from extremely tiny to quite obvious.
One has a common name of pavement ant. This is an ant that enjoys warmth and can be found nesting next to or under paved surfaces outdoors. This is a common ant found with homes built on a slab that has the heating and cooling system below the slab. The ground remains warm near the duct work and can allow the ants to remain active. As any ant colony would, foraging for food is pretty typical. In cold weather when the soil is frozen, foraging is going to take place in the home. Extension gets those calls where all of a sudden ants are found by the hundreds (it only seems to be the thousands) swarming over the kitchen counters or trailing across open space headed for the dry pet food station.
Ants are routinely sending out scout ants in the hunt for a food source. This time of year with all the goodies being baked and brought home from office parties and left on the counter, we create a great buffet. Once that scout ant finds something good to eat, the message gets back to the colony and march begins.
To prevent ants from discovering your treats, keep them in tight sealing containers. If you find the dry pet food being eaten, remove the source by feeding the pets and not leaving leftovers. Once the ants cannot find or continue to feed, they look elsewhere for another source of food.
You really cannot use any sprays around the kitchen counters and pet food stations, so sanitation is your best approach. If you know the ants are coming in from the outside, a foundation spray outdoors could be used. Ant baits can be used and usually provide control without having to use additional sprays. Since the ants follow a predetermined trail from the nest to the food source, washing that area with soap and water will greatly reduce the infestation as they get confused as the route to take.
About the author: Richard Hentschel’s expertise extends across several subject areas with specialties in lawn care, fruit tree production, woody ornamentals, and home and community gardening. During his 45-year career in horticulture and agriculture, Hentschel became a well-known and respected expert for commercial and homeowner audiences, industry organizations, and media. He retired from University of Illinois Extension in April 2022 with nearly 30 years of service as a Horticulture Specialist and Educator in northern Illinois.