Ants usually nest right against the structure of the home. Their usual favorite spots are mulch beds along the foundation, soil under slabs, and the space beneath siding at grade.
Ant nests tend to be close to buildings because the presence of buildings themselves helps improve conditions for ants. The foundation of a home can hold heat and shed water in predictable patterns, and it creates protected voids around it that ants can colonize.
Mulch beds are the most common spot where ants tend to nest because they usually run right along the wall. Mulch holds moisture and insulates the soil, giving ants covered travel routes to the foundation. Landscape fabric underneath can worsen the problem by giving ants a sheltered layer to travel underneath.
Ants also like to settle under hardscaping, particularly in the case of pavement ants. That includes nesting under driveways, sidewalks, patios, and pavers. They then push small soil mounds up through the joints.
Carpenter ants like to go for damp wood. They don’t eat it like a lot of people think they do, but they rather excavate galleries within it so they can nest. They like lumber that has already been softened by moisture like sill plates around leaking windows and beams below failing gutters. Where carpenter ants gather, there are usually water problems.
To reduce ant problems on your property, start by pulling mulch back several inches from the foundation to leave a dry gap and keep the layer thin. Fix gutters, downspouts, and grading so that water moves away from the house. Trim shrubs and branches so nothing touches the siding. If you have firewood next to the house, lift it off the soil and move it away from the house. Once you do that, treat, since colonies under slabs or inside walls are not something you can dig out.
If ants are nesting against your foundation, Mosquito Squad of Omaha Metro can help. Mosquito Squad treats the ant colonies in your yard and around your foundation. This will help you protect your home from the trails that start outside.
