Finding the Nest Is the Key to Ant Control
Surface sprays and bait traps placed along ant trails can reduce the number of ants you see, but permanent ant control requires locating and treating the colony itself. Without finding the nest, any treatment is temporary.
How to Track Ants Back to the Nest
The most effective way to find an ant nest is to follow the foraging trail. Worker ants travel in relatively predictable paths between the nest and food sources, often following scent trails laid by previous workers.
- Place a small amount of honey or sugar water near the ant trail and wait. When foragers find it and begin to carry food back, follow the trail
- Ants trails often follow edges — along skirting boards, wall junctions, pipes and cables
- Follow the trail to where it exits the building — this is your starting point for the outdoor inspection
- Outside, ants typically trail along garden edges, fence lines, pavers and the base of walls
Common Ant Nest Locations in Sydney
- Under concrete and paving: Expansion cracks in driveways, paths and patios are favourite nesting sites. Look for fine soil or sand pushed up through cracks
- In garden beds: Disturb the soil near ant activity to reveal the nest chamber below
- Under rocks and pavers: Lift them and inspect for nest chambers and brood (white eggs and larvae)
- Inside wall cavities: Ghost ants and Argentine ants in particular nest inside walls. You’ll typically see trails entering through a gap or crack in the exterior wall
- In potted plants: The base of potted plants provides warm, moist, sheltered conditions that many ant species find attractive
- In the roof void: Some species, particularly carpenter ants, nest in the roof void in moist or damaged timber
How to Treat the Nest
If you can access the nest:
- Pour boiling water directly into the nest entrance — this is effective for garden nests in warm weather but may require multiple applications
- Apply a registered ant gel or dust product directly into the nest using a nozzle applicator
- Use a granular ant bait scattered around the nest — workers will carry it inside
If the nest is inaccessible (walls, under concrete):
- Non-repellent gel bait placed on foraging trails is the most effective option. Workers carry it back to the nest and share it with the queen and brood
- Non-repellent liquid sprays applied around the nest perimeter allow foraging workers to unknowingly carry the active ingredient inside
When Professional Treatment Is Needed
If you cannot locate the nest, or if the nest is inside a wall cavity, under a concrete slab, or in the subfloor, professional treatment is the most effective solution. Pest controllers use moisture meters and trained inspection to locate nests and apply targeted treatments without unnecessary disruption to the property.
Pestyologist provides professional ant nest location and treatment across Sydney. Contact us today.