Ants are everywhere right now. And, as I ’m a household advice writer, my friends, family and even my colleagues really won’t let me forget it. If I had a penny for every time I’ve been asked what to do about ant infestations or why there are so many at the moment – well, let’s just say I’d have a lot of pennies.
What’s more concerning is not only are these ant trails becoming more common, it seems they are getting more brazen and creative with their invasions too. Our wonderful editor-in-chief Jane Bruton has even told me she spotted an army of ants storming her bathroom this week, with a tiny colony crawling around her sink. Once confined to a picnic or opportunistic ventures into our kitchen, these pesky pests are getting well and truly greedy.
So to put a stop to our annoyance I’ve been chatting with experts to uncover what is behind this seeming surge in ant infestations across the UK, and more importantly - what we can do to stop the invasion.
Why are ant infestations peaking this summer?
‘Ant activity often becomes more noticeable in warmer conditions because ants are naturally more active when temperatures rise,’ says Paul Blackhurst, head of the Technical Academy at Rentokil Pest Control. So with these sudden heatwaves we’ve been experiencing in recent weeks, it’s no wonder infestations and unusual spottings, yes including in our loos, are popping up all over the place.
Pest control experts at Cleankill say they’ve seen a ‘notable increase’ in ant infestation call-outs in recent years and pest firms across the UK say warmer temperatures are accelerating ant breeding cycles and increasing colony activity, so this boom in ant armies doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon. Experts are also predicting an early and larger-than-usual Flying Ant Day in 2026 due to unusually warm weather, so best prepare for that one too.
Like many other pests, climate change seems to be the cause for this surge in ant numbers – the warmer temperatures have extended their active season allowing them to thrive for longer periods. Urban sprawl also provides more suitable habitats for ants as they have fewer natural predators and easy access to food, a.k.a: our kitchens.
‘They’re looking for food, moisture, and suitable nesting conditions, and homes can provide all three, especially in kitchens, cupboards, bins, and areas where crumbs or sticky residues have been left behind,' suggests Niall Gallagher, technical manager at the British Pest Control Association.
How to keep ants out
Prevention and awareness is key when it comes to keeping ants out. You need to know what you’re looking for and the early signs a colony could be on its way. 'Within an ant colony, each member has a clearly defined job, be it tending eggs, defending the nest, or finding food,’ explains Paul. ‘Scout ants are worker ants tasked with leaving the nest and searching for food, so these are the ants people are most likely to notice in the home. They leave pheromone trails to guide themselves and their fellow workers back to food sources once found. So once you’ve seen one, more are almost bound to follow – it’s a sign of an established colony nearby.'
Niall agrees, saying, 'That’s why seeing one or two ants can quickly turn into seeing a whole line of them. The first ant is not usually the problem. It’s the signpost it leaves behind.’ Luckily for us though, Niall has handily laid out a several super simple habits for us to implement for deterring ants from entering the home in the first place:
Practical tips:
- Clean up crumbs, grease and sugary spills quickly.
- Store food in sealed containers, especially sweet foods.
- Rinse recycling and keep bins clean and covered.
- Don’t leave pet food out for long periods.
- Seal obvious gaps around doors, windows and pipework where possible.
What to do when they’re already inside
Resist the urge to squish
When I asked the experts for their top tips on what to do when ants are already in the home, they responded more so with what NOT to do – and I fear it’s a mistake most of us have probably already made.
‘The biggest mistake homeowners make is killing visible ants as soon as they spot them,’ warns Paul. ‘Eliminating foraging workers in some species may trigger a stress response known as “budding”, where the colony splits into multiple smaller nests.’ According to Paul, these smaller nests can lead to wider spread ant infestation around your home. Achieving exactly the opposite of what we want.
Clean with soapy water
Niall stresses the importance of following the trails to discover what it is they are chasing, ‘Once you’ve removed the food source, wipe down the trail thoroughly with warm soapy water,’ he recommends. ‘That helps disrupt the pheromone route they’re following.’ But he also stresses the need to be strategic with how you clean, saying, ‘Avoid spraying randomly, as this may not reach the source of the problem and can sometimes simply move the activity elsewhere.’
Deploy detergent…
If that’s not doing the trick, Paul recommends using a slightly stronger solution, that you probably already have in the cupboard. ‘Using a strong detergent to clean surfaces can remove the pheromone trails that ants rely on, preventing others from following the same route into your property.’
…Or use eco-friendly natural deterrents
If you’d rather avoid harsh chemicals, there are plenty of natural ways to make your home less appealing to ants. One of the easiest is distilled white vinegar – a cleaning cupboard staple at Good Housekeeping that ants reportedly can’t stand. Try wiping down kitchen surfaces with a mix of equal parts vinegar and water, especially around entry points and food prep areas.
Citrus scents can also help keep ants at bay, so leaving lemon peel near doorways, windows or cracks where ants are entering may help deter them – plus it has a slightly less chip-shop esc aroma than vinegar. Other commonly recommended natural repellents include cinnamon, pepper, salt, chalk and even curry powder.
Essential oils are another option worth trying. Peppermint and lavender are both thought to repel ants amongst many other pests, so you could use them in a diffuser or mix a few drops with water and spritz the solution around skirting boards, bins and other ant hotspots.
Call in the professionals
Both experts agree that if disrupting the pheromone trails doesn’t seem to have done the trick, you’re probably best off addressing the colony directly, and the most effective way to do this is to call in the pros. ‘A professional will identify the ant species, locate the likely nest or access points, and recommend the most appropriate control measures,’ suggests Niall. ‘Identification matters because not all ants behave in the same way, and the wrong approach can make some infestations harder to manage.’
The best point of call is to call a professional if activity persists or keeps returning. You can find a BPCA member pest professional at: bpca.org.uk/find.
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