Ants
Ants are highly organised and social insects. Although most ants in the UK don't bite or carry disease, they can travel through dirty places and contaminate uncovered food when foraging. This is a particular problem when ants get into a home or office building.
We can provide treatment to get rid of ants from inside a property, but we can't treat ants located outside.
If you have an ant problem
We recommend that you have a professional treatment carried out.
The price for residential pest control is £66.58.
Business prices start from £97.50.
Book an appointment
Alternatively, you can call us on 0191 433 7000 to arrange treatment. Our customer service line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
What happens at your appointment
Our pest control officer will do some routine checks of the premise to identify where the ants are and how they will be treated.
After this, the officer will lay the chosen poison, often in several places around the building. They will then give you some advice on how to prevent the problem, which may include making repairs.
Usually there will only be one visit for treatment of ants, although we can arrange a follow up if needed. However, we would advise waiting at least three weeks so the poison can take full affect.
We don't recommend that you use DIY treatment as it can be dangerous to the environment, yourself, children and pets.Important
How to prevent an ant problem
Most ants come into homes in search for food, especially anything sweet and sticky. Therefore, you can put simple steps in place to try and prevent an infestation.
Do
- keep your home free of crumbs
- clear up spills straight away
- seal up any gaps or entry points
Don't
- squash ants as this will signal others to come over
- leave pet food out
- allow fruit in bowls to ferment
Why ants are a problem
There are three main types of ant in the UK, the black garden ant, the red ant and the pharaoh ant.
The black garden ant does not bite or spread disease, but the less common pharaoh ants are known for carrying some diseases. The red ant does not spread disease, but is known for its painful sting.
Worker ants leave a pheromone trail from the food source to the nest, which lets other ants know this is a good place to find more food.
This means that although ants in the UK are not harmful, they can become a nuisance and do increase the risk of food contamination.