PreventionLow risk
How Do I Stop Ants Entering My House?
Quick answer
Stop ants by removing what attracts them and closing the routes they use. Keep food sealed and benches clean, fix leaks, trim plants away from walls, and seal gaps around windows, doors, pipes and skirting boards. Where ants persist, baits placed along their trails can reduce the colony, rather than just the ants you can see.
Why this happens
Ants rarely need large openings; a hairline crack in sealant or a gap around a pipe is enough. Vegetation touching walls gives them bridges past ground-level barriers.
Because the colony is usually outside, prevention works best as a combination of exclusion and reducing the attraction inside.
What you can do
- Trim shrubs, vines and branches so they do not touch the house.
- Seal gaps around window and door frames, pipes and cables.
- Keep a clear strip between garden beds and the house.
- Store food, pet food and rubbish securely.
- Use baits along trails and follow the label.
What not to do
- Do not rely on repeated surface sprays; they often only kill foragers.
- Do not use outdoor products inside unless the label permits.
If you use an insecticide or bait, read the label first and follow it exactly, including directions for children, pets and food areas. Australian law requires products to be used only as the label directs.
When professional help may be needed
Professional treatments around the perimeter and at nest sites can help where large colonies, such as coastal brown ants, surround a property.
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