Ants are not always visible in the form of long trails. There are times when you’ll notice random solitary ants crawling on your home’s floor.
Their movement is quite erratic. And it looks like the ant has lost its path or it’s looking for something.
So, what’s the mystery behind random ants in the house with no ant trails around?
Is it a sign of an infestation waiting to happen? Or it’s something that you can ignore?
Let’s find it out.
2 Reasons For Random Ants In The House With No Ant Trail Around
There are two reasons for sightings of random solitary ants in your home –
- The ants are scouting for food and nesting places
- There’s an ant infestation inside or outside your home that you don’t know
Let’s get into each of them.
The Ants Are Scouting For Food Source And Nesting Places
Do you know that sighting of one random ant scurrying across your home’s floor can be a precursor to an ant infestation in your home?
Yes, it is. How?
That random ants are foraging for food sources in your kitchen and home. They’re also looking for moisture sources and thin cracks inside your home for a nesting site.
When there’s no food around and you still see some ants foraging in your home, then it means that, on top of looking for food sources, they’re also looking for moisture sources.
And once the ants find both or any one of them, they will emit pheromones which the other ants will pick up.
Pheromones are smells ants emit to communicate with each other.
The reason ants walk in a trail is that they follow the pheromone scent paths the preceding ants leave behind for the other ants to follow.
The trails lead to their destination. And that destination is either a food source or their nests.
The random ants can belong to any species. But most of the time they’re sugar ants, grease ants, carpenter ants, pavement ants.
In southern states like Florida, biting red fire ants can also sneak inside the homes.
You’ll find out in a minute what to do if you find random ants with no ant trail around.
For now, let’s get into another reason for sightings of random ants in the home. It’s an ant infestation outside or inside your home.
Ant Infestation Inside Or Outside Your Home
Ant infestations don’t occur overnight. It takes time to develop.
You might think that an infestation occurs suddenly, but that’s not true.
The sudden appearance of ants inside your home has many reasons.
But the main reason is the latent ant infestation that was right there inside your home and property.
Random solitary ants also indicate that there’s an ant infestation outdoors in your yard.
And if you’re living in an apartment, seeing random ants can also mean that they’ve sneaked in from the neighbor’s apartment.
In houses, the source of an ant infestation is the yard, especially when there’s no history of ant infestation in your home.
A few ants will randomly inspect your home, looking for new sources of food and shelter.
And once they find it, they’ll bring in the other ants.
The random ant will sneak inside your home through the cracks on the home’s foundation, walls, doors, and windowsills.
So, what should you do if you find a solitary ant inspecting your home?
Let’s find it out.
How To Get Rid Of Random Ants In The House From Their Source
Fortunately, it’s easy to deal with a solitary ant and prevent a massive ant infestation waiting to happen inside your home.
Here are the five steps that you must take if you notice random ants in the house –
Step#1 – Kill The Ant That You Spotted
It sounds harsh, but there’s no other choice. Kill the ant that you spotted.
You can do it either by stomping on it or using an ant spray.
Look out for other ants. If you find more random ants, kill them all.
Then move on to the next step to find out the source of ants.
Step#2 – Check Your Yard For Ants
The source of ants in the home is always outdoors. Ants will first infest the outdoor areas of your home.
And when there’s a temperature rise or when their numbers increase, they lookout for new sources of food and shelter.
That’s the time when they move inside your home.
So, check for ant nests, which are in the form of mud mounds. These mud mounds are on the soils layer or in the grass lawns.
If you see any, pour boiling water on them. It’ll kill the ants in the nest and destroy the nests too.
Ants also inhabit leave piles, compost piles, woodpiles, and they also hide underneath mulch beds.
You’ll likely find ants in these places. On spotting them, use an ant spray to get rid of them.
If the infestation is heavy, then it’ll be best to hire a pest controller to do the job.
Also, check out the perimeter of your home. See if there are ants in the bushes and shrubs along the home’s foundation.
If there’s any, eliminate those ants by using ant sprays.
Step#3 – Use Ant Repellents To Prevent Ants From Entering Your Home From The Yard
This step is applicable if you’ve unearthed an infestation in your yard. After getting rid of ants in your yard, it’s critical to prevent ants from entering your home.
One of the ways to do it is by spraying peppermint spray around your home’s perimeter.
The minty smell of peppermint repels bugs like ants and roaches.
You can also use sticky ant traps in your yard or garden to trap the ants that might have escaped while you’re getting rid of them.
Step#4 – Check For Possible Ant Nests Inside Your Home
If there’s a history of ant infestation in your home, then chances are the treatment didn’t eliminate all the ants’ nests.
And ants build their colonies in gaps and cracks in your home’s walls, floor, and furniture.
In winters, ants will retreat to these nests to hibernate. They’ll emerge out of hibernation in the spring to continue their life cycle.
That’s why many people think that ants suddenly disappear during winters.
Check for these cracks. If you find any, poke the gaps with a sharp object to see ants inside.
When you find any, use an ant spray on the crack to get rid of those ants.
Do not forget to check your kitchen and bathroom thoroughly.
Ants live near damp places and not too far away from their food source. And your kitchen is one of the primary places where they’ll build their nests.
So, check all the nooks and corners of your kitchen, kitchen cabinets, and kitchen pantry for ants. You can use these 11 home remedies to eliminate ants in the kitchen.
If you want to take the insecticide route, then there are DIY ways too that are effective to get rid of ants in the kitchen.
The damp places underneath sinks and faucets are also where ants can hide. So, look out for any cracks there and see if you find any ants.
Your bathroom, too, can be a hiding place for ants. Your bathroom is damp and has enough organic wastes like broken hair and nails to eat.
There can also be bugs in the bathroom and tile grouts that ants will eat to flourish.
So, check for any presence of ants in your bathroom too. The population of ants in the bathroom and kitchen can skyrocket, and ants will spill over to your bedroom.
And finally, check with your neighbors if they’ve got an ant infestation. It’s crucial if you live in an apartment complex.
Ants from neighboring apartments can sneak inside your apartment too.
Step#5 – Check The Rear Sides Of Electrical Appliances In Your Home
Many times ants will hide behind electrical appliances or underneath them.
They can also get inside electrical outlets.
And not to mention, the heat from electronic devices like laptops can also draw ants into them.
So, take a flashlight and check behind the electrical appliances like the fridge, dishwashers, microwaves, and stoves for any possible hiding ants.
If there’s any, use an ant spray to kill them.
Also, ensure that you properly dispose of the dead ants after killing them. One of the simplest ways to do it is to flush them in your toilet.
If you come across an active ant nest in your home, it’s best to hire a pest controller to do a thorough inspection.
Summary
The two reasons for sighting random ants in the house but no ant trail around are –
- The ant is scouting for food and nesting places
- There’s an ant infestation inside or outside your home that you don’t know
The sighting of one random ant can be a precursor to an ant infestation or an active ant nest in your home and property.
So, this guide also reveals the five preventive steps that you must take if you spot solitary ants in your home.
Nang Chen is an Entomologist and Arachnologist who is associated with Vienna’s museum of natural history. He’s also a consultant with real estate groups, insecticide conglomerates and law enforcement groups as a forensic entomologist. Nang Chen holds an M.S. from South China University and he’s a regular contributor to our site.