Why Am I Seeing More Ants Around My Wisconsin Home?
If you’ve suddenly noticed more ants around your house, driveway, patio, garage or even inside your home, you’re not imagining it.
Late summer is an active time for many ant species in Wisconsin. Warm temperatures, changing food sources, dry soil conditions and the natural life cycle of different ant species can all contribute to increased ant activity.
And when Wisconsin goes through a particularly dry stretch, homeowners may notice ants showing up in places they normally don’t see them.
So why does dry weather matter?
Ants need moisture just like other living creatures. When the soil and landscape around a home become dry, ants may change where they forage, move toward areas with better moisture, or take advantage of the conditions around buildings.
That can mean more ants around foundations, under landscaping, near outdoor faucets and irrigation systems—and sometimes inside your home.
Dry Weather Can Change Ant Behavior
Ant colonies spend much of their time underground or in protected locations. During extended periods of hot and dry weather, conditions around their normal nesting and foraging areas can change.
This doesn’t mean every ant colony will suddenly move indoors. Different species respond differently to weather conditions.
For example, odorous house ants prefer moist nesting areas and can establish colonies in areas such as mulch beds, underneath objects on the ground, and around buildings. They can also nest indoors in wall voids, attics and areas where moisture is present.
When outdoor conditions become less favorable, ants may search for food, water and more suitable shelter.
Your home can provide all three.
A small crack around a foundation, gap underneath a door, opening around a utility line or space around a window can give ants an easy route into a building.
Once they find a reliable food or water source, they can leave a pheromone trail that allows other workers to follow.
Before long, you may go from seeing one or two ants to seeing a steady trail of them.
Late Summer Is Already a Busy Time for Ants
Dry weather isn’t the only reason you’re seeing ants.
Late summer is naturally an active period for several Wisconsin ant species.
UW-Madison Extension has noted that turfgrass ants such as cornfield ants can swarm during warm, sunny afternoons in late August and early September. Other Wisconsin ants, including field ants, can also have conspicuous swarms during July through September.
This means homeowners may notice:
- More ants in lawns
- Ant mounds appearing in dry areas
- Ants around sidewalks and driveways
- Ants around foundations
- Winged ants or “flying ants”
- Ant trails leading into buildings
- Ants around outdoor water sources
- Ants appearing inside kitchens, bathrooms or other rooms
Some of these ants may simply be passing through or foraging outdoors.
Others may indicate that a colony is established nearby—or potentially inside the structure.
Why Are Ants Coming Into My House?
There are three major things that can attract ants to your home:
Food
Ants are excellent scavengers.
They can find tiny amounts of food that humans don’t even notice. Crumbs, sugary drinks, pet food, grease, garbage and other food sources can attract foraging ants.
During late summer, ants may also be searching for sugary substances outdoors, including honeydew produced by aphids and other plant-feeding insects.
Water
During dry weather, water can become an especially valuable resource.
Leaky outdoor faucets, irrigation systems, condensation, pet water bowls and damp areas around air conditioning equipment can all provide accessible moisture.
Inside your home, plumbing fixtures, bathrooms, kitchens and areas with leaks can provide the moisture ants are looking for.
Shelter
Your house provides protection from temperature extremes, predators and changing outdoor conditions.
Ants don’t need a large opening to get inside. Cracks and gaps around foundations, doors, windows, siding and utility penetrations can be enough.
Once inside, some species can establish nests in wall voids or other protected spaces.
Not All Ants Are the Same
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is treating every ant problem the same way.
Ant identification matters.
Different ants have different nesting habits, food preferences and behaviors.
For example, pavement ants commonly nest under sidewalks, driveways, stones and other protected locations. They can enter buildings through cracks and may establish nests in wall voids.
Odorous house ants are another common Wisconsin pest. They can create interconnected colonies with thousands of workers and multiple queens, making them more difficult to eliminate with a simple spot treatment.
Carpenter ants are another concern.
Despite their name, carpenter ants do not eat wood like termites do. Instead, they excavate galleries in wood to create nesting areas. Carpenter ants are commonly associated with moisture-damaged, softened or decaying wood.
That means seeing carpenter ants around a home can sometimes be an indication that there is a moisture problem that deserves attention.
Are All Ants a Problem?
No.
Ants are an important part of Wisconsin’s ecosystem. Many species live outdoors and cause no problems for homeowners.
For example, field ants can create large mounds in lawns, but they generally collect food outdoors and do not normally nest inside homes.
The problem begins when ants are interfering with your property, entering your home, establishing nests inside the structure or creating conditions that require ongoing management.
A few ants outside aren’t necessarily something to worry about.
But consistent trails of ants inside your home shouldn’t be ignored.
What Can Homeowners Do About Late-Summer Ants?
There are a few things you can do to make your property less attractive to ants.
Start by eliminating easy food and water sources.
Keep food sealed, clean up spills and crumbs, keep pet food from sitting out for extended periods and make sure garbage containers are properly sealed.
Outside, look for conditions that may be attracting ants.
Check for:
- Leaking outdoor faucets
- Irrigation leaks
- Standing water
- Excessive mulch against the foundation
- Firewood or lumber stored against the house
- Tree branches touching the building
- Cracks around windows and doors
- Gaps around utility lines
- Ant trails leading toward the foundation
- Large or recurring ant mounds
Reducing these attractants can help, but it doesn’t necessarily eliminate an established colony.
Why Spraying the Ants You See May Not Solve the Problem
One of the most common approaches to an ant problem is grabbing a can of insecticide and spraying every ant you can find.
Unfortunately, that may only provide temporary relief.
The ants you’re seeing are usually workers. They are out searching for food and bringing resources back to the colony.
If the colony remains active, more workers can replace the ones you’ve killed.
That’s why effective ant control often requires identifying the species, determining where the ants are coming from and addressing the colony rather than simply treating the ants that happen to be visible.
UW-Madison Extension specifically recommends identifying the ant species and tracking foraging workers back toward their nesting location when possible.
Seeing More Ants Right Now? Erdye’s Can Help.
If you’ve noticed a sudden increase in ant activity around your Wisconsin home, don’t assume it’s something you simply have to live with.
Late summer can bring increased ant activity, and dry conditions may change where ants search for food, water and shelter.
If ants are consistently getting inside your home, forming trails, appearing in multiple rooms or returning after you’ve treated them yourself, it may be time to have the problem professionally evaluated.
At Erdye’s Pest Control, we can help identify what type of ants you’re dealing with, determine where they’re coming from and develop a treatment plan designed to address the source of the problem.
We provide professional ant control in Wisconsin, including service throughout communities such as Green Bay, Appleton, Sturgeon Bay, Wausau, Brookfield and surrounding areas.
Don’t Let Ants Take Over Your Home
Seeing a few ants outside isn’t unusual.
But if you’re seeing lines of ants coming into your house, ants in your kitchen, ants around your windows, ants in your bathroom, or increasing ant activity around your foundation, don’t wait for the problem to get worse.
Call Erdye’s Pest Control today and let us help you figure out where the ants are coming from and how to stop them.
Whether you’re dealing with pavement ants, odorous house ants, carpenter ants or another species, the right solution starts with identifying the problem.
More ants don’t have to be part of your late-summer routine.
Contact Erdye’s Pest Control for professional ant control in Wisconsin.