Content:
- Do Ants Nest in Walls?
- What Causes Ant Infestation in Walls?
- How to Know If You Have Ants in Your Walls
- How to Get Rid of Ants in the Walls
- Conclusion
Insect pests are arguably the worst household pests, considering how terrible they can be and how challenging it is to get rid of them. Insects also have high reproduction rates and tend to multiply as soon as they enter your home.
Of all the insects that plague homes, only a few are as notorious as ants. These insects may not seem so harmful, but they are s resilient, and getting rid of them may be problematic.
Ants can get into almost any space and tend to hide in walls. The noises within your walls may well be a colony of ants nesting inside, which is often not a good sign. This article will explain everything you need to know about ants in the walls and how to get rid of them.
Do Ants Nest in Walls?
Yes, ants can nest in walls once they get into your home. Several ant species like the black ant and odorous have been found to make their nests in moist areas in walls like the areas close to pipes, behind cabinets, or brick veneer.
Have you noticed a couple of ants crawling out of cracks in your walls and wondered if these ants manage to live inside walls? The answer is yes; they make nests inside your walls, especially near places close to good sources.
To sate your worries, you should know that this ant will not break your walls.
However, they can create tunnels along your walls for movement and nesting purposes. These nests may not threaten your walls immediately, but they can weaken the materials over time and subject the wall to cracks.
What Causes Ant Infestation in Walls?
Ants invade homes in search of food and shelter, but they will often avoid confrontation with humans and pets in the house. So, they make shelter in hidden places where they can easily regulate their temperature and access food sources.
Hence, they tend to nest within walls and other voids that are moist and offer sufficient protection. They also prefer these spaces because they can gain access to other spaces or rooms within the house through cracks and openings.
You should note that these household pests make their way into your walls through cracks and openings. So, it would be almost impossible for them to access the voids in more concrete walls with no cracks or openings.
How to Know If You Have Ants in Your Walls
As stated earlier, ants can nest in walls to establish tunnels for movement. These nests are not an immediate threat to walls, but they can compromise the strength of your structures over time and cause damage.
Hence, your ability to get rid of these insects and protect your walls depends on how early you can detect their presence. To manage this feat, you must understand the early signs of an infestation within your walls to tackle it promptly.
Here are some signs that show you have ants in the walls.
- Ants Around the House: One of the most apparent signs of ants in walls is seeing a couple or more ants around your home. Ants may nest in your walls but often crawl out to find food in other parts. Therefore, you may often notice a couple of ants around your home, especially in areas with spills and good remnants.
- Sounds in Walls: Ants are often very active, and their movements may be noisy through the walls. They are partly nocturnal and may become most active after dark. Hence, these noises may become louder or more noticeable at night. You can also listen to the walls to confirm your suspicion of ants in your walls.
How to Get Rid of Ants in the Walls
Ants are household pests and one of the most notorious you can have in your home. They may look innocent and nonviolent, but their pestilent behaviors prompt the need to eliminate them as soon as you notice their presence on your walls.
You already know that these ants can threaten your walls’ stability and weaken them. But you may not know that they can spread bacteria in your home, exposing you to diseases. Ants can also trigger severe allergies in extreme cases.
These pestilent behaviors call for means to evict these intruders from your walls and away from your home. However, getting rid of these insects can be so tricky if you do not know how to go about it.
Here are some excellent methods to eliminate intruding ants from your walls.
- Natural Methods: You can adopt natural methods to eliminate these intruders, and some natural methods have shown to be very effective. Pepper is an excellent ant deterrent, so you can apply grounded pepper on walls where these ants have their nest. You can use peppermint oil as an alternative for pepper as it is also very effective.
- Eliminate Entrances: Ants can not pass through into your walls unless they find entrances like holes or cracks. So, you can prevent them from getting into your walls by sealing all holes and cracks that grant them access to the walls.
- Ultrasonic Insect Repeller: The ultrasonic repeller is the best way to deal with all household pests, including insects like ants. This device is designed to emit a high-pitched sound that irritates insects and sends them packing. It is potent and can eliminate ants within a broad range, including your walls.
Conclusion
Ants in the walls are a frequent and significant problem in many places. They are a widespread household pest, and their large numbers in rural areas mean they will often get into houses.
Once in your space, they tend to make nests within your walls because it is often moist and offers adequate cover. But they will often come out to find food and wreak havoc on your structures.
This article has explained how ants get in walls, know if they are in your walls, and the best way to eliminate them.
