Yes, this happens a lot because heavy rain floods the shallow soil nests that ants use. Colonies have no choice but to relocate to drier areas such as your home.
It’s not your imagination. The ants you often see around Nassau and Queens, commonly called sugar ants, really do often become worse after the rain. Much of the time, they are quite literally trying to relocate after their homes have been flooded, and often, your home is a very attractive place to go.
Houses are often the driest structure close to ants. This is why post-rain invasion can appear suddenly and in large numbers, even in rooms with nothing worth eating in them. The colony has to move its whole brood somewhere, after all.
At the same time, heavy rain washes away ant pheromone trails. This causes ants to wander aimlessly after heavy rains. What you see, when ants are swarming after a heavy rain, is often foragers trying to rebuild their network of trails. Once one finds food, the new trail gives direction to traffic fast.
Hunger makes this problem even worse. Colonies burn through supplies during heavy rains and come out needing calories, urgently.
While spraying a visible line of ants offers immediate satisfaction, it does nothing to stop the hidden queens. Instead, use slow-acting baits that foragers will actively carry back to the nest to share with the entire population.
Alongside this, also wipe down any trails you find with soapy water so the chemical map is gone. Keep sweets and pet food sealed. And generally clean debris on the counters and in places like under the toaster and behind the stove. After doing all this, it also helps to caulk at the gaps that ants are using to get inside so they have fewer entry points.
If storms keep bringing ants into your kitchen, Mosquito Squad of Nassau County and Queens can help. Mosquito Squad treats the ant colonies outside your home and the entry points they use. This will help you protect your kitchen through the wet stretches.
