Yes, and ants often crawl along garden hoses to get to homes. They can also nest around coiled hoses left in one place because it makes a good sheltered nest site.
Ants find their way by following edges and surfaces. Garden hoses are really good at providing paths that ants can use to get closer to your home.
Hoses run above the soil, so they tend to stay drier than the ground. They also avoid obstacles. Hoses are also continuous, so a scent trail laid on one tends to hold up very well. It also usually connects to a source of water, which ants need, and things like a garden bed or a shaded corner where they can establish a colony. All it takes is one forager to establish a route, and the trail builds from there.
What matters most is the end at the spigot. That’s almost certainly going to be close to your foundation, which is right where the hose bib penetrates the wall. That point is often poorly sealed, so ants can get inside. The dampness nearby is also a strong attractant, particularly in dry weather, which only makes the situation worse.
To reduce issues, store hoses on reels or hangers off the ground. This is better than leaving them coiled on soil. Fix leaking spigots and connections, then make sure the area under the bib drains. Seal the gap where the hose bib passes through the wall. Move hoses off mulch beds where possible, and pull mulch back from the foundation.
If ants are trailing to your house, Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan 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.
