Ants are a common problem, but once they start showing up regularly — in your kitchen, across your skirting boards, under paving slabs — the real issue isn’t the ones you can see. It’s the colony. That’s the heart of it all. You kill the few walking across the worktop, and the next day, there’s another trail in a different corner. If you’ve been dealing with this, you’re not alone — and you’re right to want a proper fix.
Getting rid of an ant colony takes more than surface sprays or blocking a few entry points. These insects work together in huge numbers, often from hidden nests that are hard to find. They’re good at adapting. They move, split, rebuild. That’s why short-term solutions tend to fail. The key is targeting the colony itself — especially the queen — and breaking the whole cycle.
This guide will walk you through exactly how to do that. You’ll understand how colonies work, how to trace their movement, what really kills them off, and how to stop them coming back. Whether they’re outside in your garden or already making their way inside, these steps will help you sort it for good.
How Ant Colonies Work and Why They Keep Coming Back
Before you start laying traps or spraying anything, it helps to understand what you’re really dealing with. Most ant problems that seem small — a few trails here and there — are actually signs of something much bigger going on behind the scenes. You need to know how ant colonies operate if you want to stop them properly.
Why Killing Visible Ants Isn’t Enough
When you see ants walking across your floor, they’re just the surface layer. These are the worker ants — the ones sent out to find food, mark trails, and bring supplies back to the nest. They’re a small fraction of the total colony. You could kill every visible ant in your home and still have thousands left underground or inside your walls, completely untouched.
That’s why surface sprays and quick fixes often fail. You break the trail, but the colony sends more ants through a different route. If the queen’s still alive and laying eggs, the colony keeps growing. Killing what you can see might make you feel like you’re solving the problem — but it’s only delaying it.
How Ant Colonies Are Structured
A colony runs on a clear structure. At the centre is the queen, sometimes more than one. Her job is to lay eggs — constantly. Around her are the worker ants, who protect her, raise the larvae, and gather food. There might also be soldier ants, especially in larger or more aggressive species, who defend the nest.
Some colonies have satellite nests too — smaller offshoots built nearby to spread their reach. These can operate semi-independently, and if one is destroyed, others may keep going or even create new queens. That’s why you might kill off one nest and still see ants a few weeks later.
To truly wipe out a colony, you have to reach the queen — and you need the workers to help you do it.
What Triggers a Colony to Relocate or Multiply
Ants are smart. When a colony is threatened — by chemicals, traps, or disruption — it sometimes splits. This process is called budding. A group of ants breaks off and starts a new colony nearby. That’s why aggressive spraying or half-measures can make things worse.
Environmental stress, like extreme heat or flooding, can also force ants to move. And if food sources become scarce or conditions change inside your home, they may start nesting indoors instead. Understanding these triggers helps you plan your approach carefully — you want to destroy the colony, not push it deeper into the walls.
How to Find the Source of the Ant Colony
Before you treat anything, you need to know where the colony is. Guesswork doesn’t help — you might treat the wrong spot and miss the real nest completely. The good news is ants leave clues. If you follow their movements, you’ll usually find where they’re coming from.
Tracing Ant Trails Back to Their Nest
Ants rarely wander at random. When one finds food, it lays a trail back to the colony using pheromones. Other ants follow that scent, creating a visible line of traffic. If you see this happening in your home, try to follow the line in the opposite direction — not towards the food, but away from it.
Look around the base of skirting boards, near doorways, or under cabinets. Outside, check paths, cracks in walls, under paving, and around the base of the building. They’ll often move in straight lines unless disturbed. Take your time — these trails lead you back to the nest.
Common Indoor and Outdoor Nesting Spots
Outdoors, most colonies nest in soil, under stones, near tree roots, or beneath paving slabs. You might notice loose, sandy soil or raised areas. Some even build inside cracks in walls or drainpipes.
Indoors, ants can nest behind skirting boards, inside wall voids, under floorboards, or near heating systems. If your home has insulation gaps, they might be in there too. Kitchens and bathrooms are common targets because of the warmth and moisture.
Keep an eye out near sinks, radiators, dishwashers, and behind appliances. If you hear soft rustling or tapping behind the walls, that might also be a clue.
Signs You’ve Found the Main Colony
If you reach a point where there’s constant activity — ants going in and out of a single location, often in large numbers — you’re probably near the main nest. You might see loose soil, dead ants, egg cases, or even live larvae. Some nests have a soft, crumbly texture to them or look like disturbed earth.
If you disturb the area slightly and ants pour out in defence, that’s another sign you’ve found the heart of it. Just be careful. You want to observe the area and prepare for a proper treatment — not panic the colony into moving.
Best Methods to Destroy an Ant Colony at the Source
Now that you’ve found where they are, you need to choose a method that actually reaches the queen. That’s where many treatments fall short. The trick isn’t just killing ants — it’s using them to carry poison back inside and collapse the whole system from within.
Why Ant Baits Are the Most Reliable Method
Ant baits are designed to be slow-acting. That might sound like a weakness, but it’s actually the reason they work. When ants find the bait, they don’t die on contact. Instead, they take it back to the nest and share it with the rest — including the queen.
Over a few days, the poison spreads silently. By the time ants realise what’s happening, the core of the colony is already failing. It’s much more effective than spraying, which usually kills only the scouts.
Use bait stations near trails, not directly at the nest. Let the ants find it naturally. If there’s more than one nest, place multiple stations and keep them refilled until the activity stops.
How to Use Non-Repellent Sprays Correctly
Non-repellent sprays work differently from traditional ones. They don’t trigger panic or avoidance — the ants walk through them, unaware, and carry the poison back with them. This means you can treat baseboards, entry points, or cracks without breaking the trail.
Look for ingredients like fipronil or indoxacarb. These are professional-grade solutions but available in some consumer products too. Apply lightly and avoid spraying directly onto bait stations — you want ants to keep walking through both.
If you’re using bait and spray together, space them out. Let the bait draw ants in and give them time to return to the nest.
When to Use Natural Remedies and When Not To
Natural methods like vinegar, boiling water, baking soda, or diatomaceous earth can help in certain cases — especially for small nests outside. But they don’t penetrate deep into hidden colonies, and they often scatter the ants before the damage is done.
Boiling water might kill ants on contact, but it rarely reaches the queen. Diatomaceous earth can work on dry surfaces, but it loses effectiveness in moisture and won’t help inside walls.
If you’ve got a visible outdoor nest in loose soil, these methods are worth a try. But if the ants are inside or well hidden, baiting is your best bet.
How to Stop a New Colony from Taking Over
Even after you’ve cleared the current infestation, you’re not done. Ants are always looking for food and new nesting sites. If your home or garden offers both, another colony could move in within weeks. That’s why prevention matters just as much as treatment.
Removing What Attracts Ants in the First Place
Start with food. Keep surfaces clean, especially in kitchens and dining areas. Don’t leave pet food out for long, and store all food in sealed containers. Wipe up grease, crumbs, and spills straight away — even tiny bits leave a scent trail ants will follow.
Empty your bins regularly, and clean around bin lids and bases. Ants can find sugar residues and leftovers even after you’ve thrown them out. Outdoors, clear up fallen fruit, compost scraps, and anything sweet or oily.
Ants also need water. Fix leaks, wipe up puddles, and avoid overwatering houseplants or lawns.
Sealing Entry Points and Outdoor Access Routes
Walk around your property and look for cracks, gaps, or holes near windows, doors, pipes, and vents. Use caulk or sealant to close them off. Ants only need a tiny gap to get in.
If vegetation touches your home — branches, ivy, or hedges — trim it back. These act like highways for ants, letting them skip the ground and walk straight into your walls.
You can also apply outdoor barrier treatments to the base of your property. These create a chemical line ants won’t cross, helping to block new colonies before they settle.
How to Monitor and Respond Early if Ants Return
Even after the problem seems solved, keep checking. Place a few bait stations in corners or near old entry points and leave them there long term. Check them every couple of weeks for signs of new activity.
Visual checks help too. Look for new trails or soil disturbances outside. The earlier you spot signs, the easier it is to stop a new colony before it spreads.
Respond early, and you won’t have to repeat the whole process later. Prevention isn’t about luck — it’s about keeping control.
Our Final Say!
Getting rid of an ant colony isn’t about spraying the ones you see and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding how colonies operate, using that knowledge to trace their movements, and choosing methods that wipe them out from the inside. Once you reach the queen — and cut off the support around her — the colony can’t survive.
Start by finding where they live. Follow the trails, look for patterns, and don’t rush. Use slow-acting baits and non-repellent sprays together for the best result. Clear up the food and water they rely on. Seal off the routes they use to get inside. And stay ready — because if ants come back, catching them early makes all the difference.
You’ve got the tools, and you’ve got the plan. Now it’s time to take back control of your space — one trail at a time.
