
Black ants / Garden ants — The most common species in UK homes and businesses. They contaminate food and are a persistent nuisance, particularly in kitchens and food storage areas. Colonies can number in the thousands and nest under paving, in wall cavities, and beneath floorboards.
Pharaoh ants — A smaller tropical species found in heated buildings. Pharaoh ants are a serious health risk in hospitals and food premises as they can carry and spread pathogens. They're notoriously difficult to control — splitting colonies when disturbed, making DIY treatment counterproductive.
We identify the species and nesting sites before applying a targeted treatment plan. For Pharaoh ants in particular, professional treatment with the correct product and application method is essential — incorrect treatment causes the colony to split and spread.
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It depends on the method and the size of the colony. Some treatments clear visible activity within a day or two. Gel baiting is designed to be carried back to the nest by foragers, so it takes a little longer, but tends to produce a more complete result because it reaches the colony directly. We'll tell you what to expect before we leave, including how long to give it before requesting a follow-up.
In domestic settings, they are mostly harmless, though they will contaminate any food they reach. In commercial kitchens and food businesses, it's a hygiene and compliance issue that needs dealing with quickly
We start by identifying the species, because behaviour and treatment approach vary between, say, black garden ants and pharaoh ants. Then we locate where the colony is most likely originating from, which often means looking beyond what's visible inside. Treatment is targeted at the nest itself, not just the critters you see in your home. We'll also identify and resolve any entry points or conditions that are drawing them to the property.
If you've caught it early and you're seeing a handful of ants with no established trail, then with good hygiene, sealing small gaps, and wiping surfaces with a strong cleaner, you can stop them in their tracks. But once activity is regular, coming from the same point, and particularly if it's indoors, DIY methods rarely get on top of it.
Most treatments kill the ants you can see, not the colony behind them. Ants navigate by pheromone trail; once a food source is found, that chemical signal guides workers back to the same spot ad nauseam. Unless the trail is broken and the colony is treated at its source, new workers will keep coming. That's why DIY products so rarely fix the problem for good.
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