When ants slip into your home, you can usually spot them walking around. However, these pests sometimes take a sneakier approach. While many ant species build nests outside, some choose to construct nests in your walls. Check out a few reasons why ants like to hide in your walls.
Protection
Your walls are hard to access, which provides ants with the perfect hiding spot. Wall voids give them a dark, quiet, and secluded place to work. They can slip into wall voids and escape potential threats. Ants can also head indoors to avoid unpleasant weather conditions including heavy rainfall and high temperatures.
Close to Food
Worker ants are sent out to find food for the colony. If they can find something to eat in your home, they may decide to settle down close to it. When ants build nests in your walls, it keeps them in proximity to a food source. They can easily slip in and out of walls, grab their food, and head back to the nest.
Close to Water
Food isn’t the only thing that can attract ants. These pests will also construct nests close to water. They will take advantage of a plumbing leak or even condensation on pipes. If moisture is present somewhere else in your house, ants will happily travel to it and back to their nest. Keeping your home as dry as possible can help to prevent infestations.
Good Nesting Material
Some ants, like carpenter ants, prefer to build nests in damp or rotting wood. If there is water damage in your home, these pests won’t have trouble finding it. Carpenter ants construct nests by tunneling through wood. Acrobat ants are also known to nest in wood. They prefer to find wood that has been damaged by other pests or moisture. They are often spotted in door and window frames.
Signs That Ants Are in Your Walls
The quicker you identify an ant problem, the easier it will be to kick these pests out of your home. Check out a few ways to tell if ants have invaded your walls.
- Unexplained Noises: If you notice a scratching or gnawing sound, ants could be responsible. These pests make noise when they tunnel through wood and move around in your walls.
- Hollow Wood: As ants build nests, they weaken the wood and cause structural changes. If you tap on a wall and are met with a hollow sound, ants could be hiding in there.
- Small Holes: When ants construct nests, they often create small holes. If you suspect an ant problem, check to see if there are holes on your walls.
- Wood Shavings: During the construction of nests, ants have to remove the debris. If you notice sawdust or wood shavings on your floors and walls, it’s possible ants have moved in.
- Spotting Ants: Seeing pests in your house is always the most obvious sign of an infestation. Look for ants hanging out on your wall or entering or exiting from a hole. Ant trails in your house could also mean a nest is nearby.
It’s not fun when ants stop by your house, but it’s even worse when they settle down in your walls. If you’re dealing with an ant problem, we’re here to help! For a more environmentally and family-friendly solution, check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products.