Unwelcome Guests: How Ants Infest NZ Homes – and What to Do About Them

Ants are a nuisance that all NZ homeowners dread. Their nests can destabilise the very structure of your home, and they can damage everything from your food supplies to wires and appliances.

As New Zealand’s ant control experts, we at Carpets and Critters are uniquely positioned to teach you how to get rid of ants, but before we do, you must know how they infest your home in the first place. See here for more:

How do ants infest NZ homes?

Ants are tricky creatures, and can easily enter NZ homes through small cracks in your walls, doors, windows and even your foundations. They are attracted to the warmth of your indoor environment, including the food and water to be found there.

When ants scout out these food and water sources, they leave pheromone trails behind. These pheromone trails draw other ants into your home, where nesting sites are then created underneath floors and behind your appliances. This marks the beginning of a fully-fledged ant infestation in your home.

And, for NZ homeowners that are particularly concerned, yes, some of these NZ ants can bite! The most common species invading homes in New Zealand are the white-footed house ant, and the Argentine ant. Both can bite when provoked, which is why ant control is generally best left to the professionals – like us at Carpets and Critters.

What can I do about these ants?

Aside from calling pest control professionals at your earliest convenience, there are some measures homeowners can take to both prevent ant infestations and treat them whilst they’re ongoing:

1. Seal the entry points into your home

Because ants break into your home through small cracks and gaps, it’s important to plug and seal as many as you can find, inside and outside the home. The best way to do so is by using caulk, which provides a durable and strong seal.

2. Maintain as high a standard of cleanliness as possible

Ants are drawn towards food waste, so you must also maintain as high a standard of cleanliness as possible in your home. The cleaner it is, the less ants will be drawn there! This is particularly relevant to your kitchen and dining areas, where food and spills are often left out in the open.

3. Spray natural remedies as deterrents

Natural mixtures of either vinegar, lemon juice or essential oils can be diluted with water into a spray bottle, and applied to the areas in your home where ants are most active. This will disrupt their pheromone trails, and ward them away from these places.

For ant control in New Zealand that you can depend on, look to Carpets and Critters. From our home in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, we have long rid NZ homeowners of the most aggressive and pervasive ant infestations. To find out more about our ant control services for both domestic and commercial properties, please get in touch with us today.