Guide to How to Get Rid of Ants

How to Get Rid of Ants: Key Insights

• Carpenter ants do not eat wood the way termites do, but a nest inside damp or damaged wood is often a sign of a moisture problem that needs its own fix.
• Spraying visible ants can make some infestations worse, since certain species split into multiple colonies when the original nest is disturbed.
• What most people in Canada call a fire ant is almost always the European fire ant, an invasive species found in Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, and parts of British Columbia. True fire ants are not established in Canada.
• Sealing entry points stops new ants from getting in, but it will not clear a colony that is already established inside your walls or foundation.
• Ant activity in Canada: peaks between April and September, so treating the problem in early spring or late fall often works better and costs less than treating it at the height of the season.

In this guide, you'll read about:

1. How to Get Rid of Ants: An Overview
2. How to Get Rid of Ants Inside the House
3. How to Get Rid of Ants Outside the House
4. Best Way to Get Rid of Ants by Type
5. Ant Control Methods Explained
6. What to Check Once the Ants Are Gone
7. A Word on Ant Control Safety
8. How to Find an Ant Control Pro on HomeStars
9. FAQs: Your Questions About Getting Rid of Ants Answered

How to Get Rid of Ants: An Overview

Ants get into homes for one of three reasons: food, water, or shelter. A few scouts find a source, then report back to the colony, and within a day or two you can go from seeing one ant to seeing dozens.

Getting rid of ants for good means doing two things at once: removing what is drawing them in, and treating the colony itself, not just the ants you can see. Skipping either step is why so many DIY attempts only work for a few days.

The right approach also depends on where the ants are and what type they are. A trail on the kitchen counter calls for a different response than ants coming out of a rotted deck post. The sections below walk through both.

How to Get Rid of Ants Inside the House

Getting rid of ants inside the house starts with cutting off what they came in for.

• Store food in sealed containers: including pet food, and wipe up crumbs and spills right away, especially anything sugary.
• Fix minor leaks: under sinks, around appliances, and in bathrooms, since ants are drawn to moisture as much as food.
• Trace the trail: rather than wiping it away immediately. Following ants back to their entry point tells you where to focus treatment and where to seal cracks afterward.
• Use bait, not just spray: near the trail. Ants carry bait back to the colony, which is what actually reduces the population indoors.
• Seal obvious gaps: around baseboards, window frames, and pipe entries with caulk once you know where ants are getting in.

A single treatment often knocks back visible activity within a few days, but a full indoor colony can take a couple of weeks to clear, particularly if it is nesting inside a wall.

How to Get Rid of Ants Outside the House

Most ant colonies that end up in your kitchen actually live outside, close to the foundation. Getting rid of ants outside the house is largely about making your property less appealing to them in the first place.

• Move woodpiles and mulch away from the foundation, since damp wood and organic debris are prime nesting spots for several species.
• Trim back branches and shrubs that touch the house, which ants use as a bridge to get inside.
• Grade soil away from the foundation to reduce the standing moisture that attracts ants and encourages rot.
• Treat visible mounds or nests directly with bait formulated for outdoor use, rather than disturbing the nest with a spray, which can scatter the colony instead of eliminating it.
• Check your lawn in late spring if you are in Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, or parts of BC, since this is when European fire ant colonies become most active and easiest to spot.

Outdoor treatment usually takes longer to show results than an indoor one, since colonies are often larger and harder to reach directly.

Best Way to Get Rid of Ants by Type

The best way to get rid of ants depends on which type you are dealing with. Misidentifying the species is one of the most common reasons a treatment fails.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are large, dark, and nest inside damp or damaged wood, tunnelling through it to build galleries rather than eating it. You will often hear a faint rustling in walls before you see the ants themselves. Because the main colony is frequently outside with satellite nests indoors, effective treatment usually means locating and treating both. Bait alone often falls short here: a pro will typically use targeted dust or injection directly into the wood galleries.

How to Get Rid of Pavement Ants

Pavement ants are small and dark brown, and they nest in cracks in driveways, sidewalks, and foundations, often leaving small mounds of displaced soil or sand. They are among the more straightforward types to treat, usually responding well to bait placed directly along their trails.

How to Get Rid of Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants are tiny, dark, and release a strong smell when crushed, which is how they get their name. They nest both indoors and outdoors and are drawn heavily to sugary foods. Gel bait near their trails, combined with sealing entry points, usually clears them within one to two weeks.

How to Get Rid of Pharaoh Ants

Pharaoh ants are pale yellow and among the hardest to eliminate, since disturbing the colony with the wrong insecticide can cause it to split into multiple smaller colonies. Baiting is the only reliable method, and it can take four to eight weeks to fully resolve.

How to Get Rid of Fire Ants (European Fire Ants) in Canada

What most homeowners in Canada refer to as fire ants is the European fire ant, an invasive species first recorded in Ontario in the 1970s and now found in parts of Quebec, the Maritimes, and British Columbia. Unlike the true fire ant found in the southern United States, this species nests outdoors in soil, often under logs, in leaf litter, or in lawns, and its nests rarely form a visible mound. It stings aggressively when disturbed, so identifying a colony before you accidentally step on it matters more than with most other ant types. Because nests are hard to spot and the sting can trigger a strong reaction in some people, professional treatment is generally the safer route.

Ant Control Methods Explained

Once you know the type of ant, the method matters just as much as the product.

Bait Stations

Bait combines a slow-acting insecticide with something ants find attractive, so foraging ants carry it back to the colony and share it with others, including the queen. This is the most effective method for species like pharaoh ants and odorous house ants, where killing the colony rather than the visible workers is the goal.

Insecticide Sprays

Sprays kill ants on contact but do nothing to the colony itself. They work well for a quick response to a visible trail, but relying on spray alone rarely solves a recurring problem.

Dust and Injection Treatments

Dust and injection treatments are typically used for carpenter ants nesting inside wall voids or wood structures, where bait cannot reach the nest directly. These usually require professional equipment and, in many cases, a return visit two to three weeks later to confirm the colony is gone.

Professional Pest Control

A pro brings identification experience, access to products not sold to the public, and the ability to treat a nest that is out of reach, such as one inside a wall cavity or deep in a foundation crack. For ant pest control costs across common treatment types, see our detailed price guide. For a broader look at what these services typically cost, our pest control cost guide covers a wider range of common pests beyond ants.

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What to Check Once the Ants Are Gone

Clearing the ants is not always the end of the job. A few things are worth checking once activity has stopped.

• Inspect wood near a former carpenter ant nest for softness or moisture damage. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they nest in wood that is already damp or compromised, so their presence is often a sign of an underlying moisture issue rather than the cause of one.
• Check for the moisture source that attracted ants in the first place, such as a slow leak, poor grading, or a damp crawl space, and address it directly.
• Re-seal any entry points you identified during treatment, since an untreated crack will simply invite the next colony in.
• Watch for activity over the following month, particularly with carpenter ants and pharaoh ants, both of which can take a few weeks to fully clear even after treatment starts working.

If you find damaged wood or a moisture problem while checking, that is usually a separate repair, not something the ant treatment itself will fix.

A Word on Ant Control Safety

A few safety points are worth keeping in mind before you treat an ant problem yourself.

If you are dealing with a suspected European fire ant nest, avoid disturbing it directly. These ants sting in large numbers when a nest is stepped on or provoked, and the reaction can be more severe than a typical insect sting for some people. If you notice swelling, difficulty breathing, or a reaction that spreads beyond the sting site, seek medical attention.

Keep bait stations and any sprays out of reach of children and pets, and read product labels carefully, since some formulations are not safe for use near food preparation areas. If you are not confident identifying the ant type, or if a nest is somewhere you cannot safely access, a pro is a better option than guessing.

How to Find an Ant Control Pro on HomeStars

Identifying the ant correctly and reaching a nest inside a wall or foundation crack is often harder than it looks from the outside, which is why many homeowners end up calling a pro after a DIY attempt does not hold. HomeStars connects you with pest control pros who handle ant identification and treatment, so you can read reviews from other homeowners, compare approaches, and choose someone with experience treating the specific type of ant you have.

Find ant control pros on HomeStars

FAQs: Your Questions About Getting Rid of Ants Answered

Do ants in Canada carry any health risks?

Most common household ants in Canada are considered a nuisance rather than a health risk, but they can still contaminate food they walk across. European fire ants are the exception, since their sting can cause a painful reaction and, in rare cases, a more serious allergic response. If you have a known allergy to insect stings, treat any suspected fire ant nest with extra caution.

How long does it usually take to fully clear an ant infestation?

A straightforward indoor trail can often be resolved within a few days to a week using bait. A carpenter ant or pharaoh ant colony, on the other hand, can take two to eight weeks to fully clear, since both require targeting the source colony rather than just visible workers. A pro on HomeStars can give you a realistic timeline once they have identified the species and located the nest.

Will sealing cracks and entry points alone solve an ant problem?

Sealing entry points prevents new ants from finding their way in, but it will not remove a colony that has already established itself inside your walls or foundation. Sealing works best as a follow-up step after treatment, not as a standalone fix for an active infestation.

Can I prevent ants from coming back next year?

Regular cleaning, keeping woodpiles and mulch away from the foundation, and fixing moisture issues promptly all reduce the odds of a repeat infestation, but they do not guarantee ants will never return, since colonies elsewhere on your property can still send out scouts. Booking a preventive treatment with a pro in early spring, before peak season starts, is one of the more reliable ways to stay ahead of it. You can compare pest control pros on HomeStars who offer seasonal treatment plans.

Is it normal for a pro to require a follow-up visit?

Yes, particularly for carpenter ants and pharaoh ants. A single visit often cannot confirm that the entire colony, including satellite nests, has been eliminated, so a return visit two to three weeks later is standard practice rather than a sign the first treatment did not work.