An ant plague in the house or apartment can be prevented or fought. Find out here where the ants come from and what to do.
Ants (Formicidae) form highly complex, caste-based states with an efficient division of labour, not dissimilar to those of bees. This may be very interesting, but you certainly don't want these subtenants in your apartment or house. Luckily, there are effective ways to get rid of ants.
You have discovered an ant trail in your living area and are now wondering where it came from and why it had to hit you? Don't worry: We'll explain the causes and methods of combating them, as well as the landlord's obligations - this is how you get the ant plague under control.
Causes of ants in houses and apartments
Anyone who has an infestation of ants in their own four walls quickly sees themselves as the culprit. However, it is usually by no means poor hygiene or carelessness that attracts ants to your home. Rather, the small six-legged creatures from the order of the Hymenoptera can appear anywhere - for them there is hardly an obstacle insurmountable. They travel a lot in their search for food and so a specimen can end up in the apartment. If it survives there long enough and not only finds an interesting food source, but also finds its way back to the nest, the path can be followed by other members of the colony through a pheromone trail. In this way, ant trails are created, which get bigger and bigger depending on how often they are used - apparently there is something between the pincers at the end of the scent trail. Interesting food sources for ants include the following.
Which food sources are interesting for ants in houses and flats?
- Open Garbage Bags or Bins
- Food leftovers - from breadcrumbs to compost bins
- Open Pet Food
- Foodstuffs of all kinds that are stored in sealed containers
AnotherThe reason why ants establish themselves in your house is that they already nest outside in cracks and crevices in the building material - and one day they will find a way into the house. This can be recreated at any time by movements of the building fabric. Ants are only too happy to build their nest further into the warm, sheltered areas of the walls. And once access to the interior has been found, searching for food in the house is also an option. A nest has already established itself unnoticed in the apartment or house.
What are the causes of ants in houses and flats?
- Ants enter the home in search of food and use a pheromone trail to direct other members of the state to a food source
- Nests that are built into the building structure from the outside merge into the inner living area
Tip for ants in flower pots: Many people should already know that ants and aphids make a good team. It is therefore possible for ants to be brought into the house via potted plants. Therefore, always check them thoroughly before installing them on your premises. A very heavy aphid infestation is always a sign that ants might be involved.
Fighting ants in the house and apartment
If you don't want to have problems with ants in your house, you can take some effective preventive measures.
What measures are effective against ants in the house and apartment?
- Keep all food in an airtight container if possible. This also applies to the refrigerator, because its door will not keep a motivated ant away from inside.
- You should also lock up rubbish and take it out of the living room regularly. A special organic waste bin with an odor filter is ideal for organic waste.
- Do not leave pet food in bowls open longer than necessary.
- Regularly remove crumbs and leftover food from the kitchen floor and countertop area.
- Seal the joints and cracks of your house from the inside with silicone.
Effective control of ants with InsectoSec®
What to do if all preventive measures have failed or could not be implemented? Then we recommend our Plantura ant remedy with the active ingredient InsectoSec®. It is effective and definitely cheaper than any exterminator. Once the ants have been expelled, it can also be used against other crawling animals in the home and in the gardenbe: Silverfish and woodlice are hit in a targeted manner. InsectoSec® is the active ingredient used in our Plantura ant remedy. This remedy can be used indoors, does not stink or dust and, if used correctly, poses no danger to your pets. Find out everything about our Plantura ant remedy here.
If the ant infestation in your home is too advanced, consider calling in a pest control professional.
Tip: Find out more about ant control in our special article.
Ants in houses and flats: Does the landlord pay?
Ants and humans share the same habitat in many places. For this reason, the occasional appearance of ants in our living quarters or in rented hotel rooms is not considered by courts to be sufficient reason for a price or rent reduction. However, the appearance of entire ant streets, established nests, winged male ants or species classified as dangerous is rated as a clear nuisance. From a legal point of view, you can leave the fight against a real ant plague to the landlord - or rightly demand a rent reduction or a price reduction in the hotel or in the holiday apartment.
If you have now decided to fight your ant plague in your house or apartment with our Plantura ant repellent, you will find all the important information here.