5 tips to get rid of pavement ants — if you’re seeing small dark ants trailing across your kitchen floor, emerging from cracks in your patio, or appearing near your front door, you almost certainly have pavement ants. Here are five proven methods that actually work.
Tip 1: Use Slow-Acting Ant Bait — Not Spray
This is the most important tip of all. Spraying pavement ants with contact insecticide kills foraging workers but does nothing to the colony — more workers replace them within hours. Slow-acting gel bait or granular bait placed along ant trails works completely differently: workers carry the bait back to the colony and share it with larvae and the queen, collapsing the entire colony from within. Place bait along active trails and near entry points, and do not disturb the trails or spray near the bait.
Tip 2: Apply a Perimeter Insecticide Treatment
A residual insecticide applied around the exterior foundation, along driveway and patio edges, and around any identified nest sites creates a barrier that prevents ant re-entry and kills foraging workers before they reach the interior. This is most effective when combined with bait — treat the perimeter to stop entry, bait to collapse the colony.
Tip 3: Seal Every Gap Around the Building
Pavement ants enter through tiny gaps — around door frames, utility pipes, window sills, and where the building meets the foundation. Caulk every visible gap to prevent indoor access. Install door sweeps on exterior doors where gaps are present under the door.
Tip 4: Remove Food and Moisture Sources
Pavement ants are attracted to sweet foods, greasy residue, and moisture. Wipe down kitchen surfaces after every meal, store food in sealed containers, fix dripping taps, and keep outdoor dining areas clean. Eliminating indoor food sources forces foraging workers to rely on bait rather than natural food.
Tip 5: Treat Nest Sites Directly
If you can locate the nest entrance — usually a small mound of fine sand in a crack in the driveway, patio, or around the building foundation — drenching it with a liquid insecticide directly into the nest channel is the fastest way to eliminate that colony. For large or multiple colonies, or for persistent infestations that don’t respond to DIY, professional treatment is the most reliable solution.
Top Line Pest Control provides expert ant control across Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond, and the Lower Mainland. See our ant control services. Call (604) 551-6504 or get a free quote today.