You walk into your bedroom, and you see a train of ants running along the floor. There is no food in your room, and the trail seems to go nowhere in particular. So why are they here?

It is a common problem that many households face in their fight against these pesky pests. Ants seemingly coming out of nowhere, invading a room of your home that has no food, no water, and is otherwise quite clean. So, what is happening here? Why are ants invading?

Why are they in your room?

There are a few reasons ants may have invaded your room. Sometimes there is food or drink residue, other times it is just because they were on their way to somewhere else. Let’s dive into the most common reasons ants may have invaded your room, despite there being no food present.

They found moisture

Ants are constantly looking for a stable water source to provide water for their nest. They may have sensed a water source inside, or close by to your room and are searching for it. If there have been any leakages, open water bowls for pets, or bottles of water then they may have encouraged the ants to come inside.

It is a good idea to mop up any drips and spills that you see, including condensation from a water bottle. This way ants won’t find these, causing the entire nest to follow into your room.

They found shelter

Every living thing needs shelter. It’s a basic necessity of life. If there are ants inside your home, despite there being no food and the house being clean, then they could be there to find shelter. There are two reasons why.

Firstly, they have already been there for a while. The ants may have already established themselves in your home, potentially even in your walls. Here they will have built a nest, which would have already been populated by ants who can breed a full nest. Unfortunately, if this is the case, it is likely

that your yard is also swarming with ants, requiring a professional pest control technician to control.

The other reason is that they are seeking shelter from bad weather. Flooding from bad storms can force ants to search for higher ground. You may have noticed that ants are quite active before a storm. They are preparing the nest to protect it from the water or are abandoning the nest in search of a place that is sheltered from the storm.

They smelled something that attracts them

There are certain scents that Ants are very good at finding and homing in on. Ants have an incredible sense of smell. They use this to build a trail to follow directly to the source of the scent. Some scents that ants love include:

• Lollies – The sugary sweet smell of lollies is a big one for ants. They love sweet foods and have gotten very good at sniffing them out. So good in fact that they can even smell them in their wrapping. If you have any sealed lollies, then this may be what is drawing them to your room.
• Energy drinks – Any spills or even rings from the cup/can/bottle are enough the capture the attention of ants. They love the sugar in energy drinks, so any scent of it will draw them.
• Teas – Any open cups, spillages, or left over tea bags will draw ants. This is the same with any other drink, like soft drink, or coffee.
• Scented candles – Fruity or sweet scented candles could spark the interest of ants. Scented candles will often mimic scents that ants love, bringing them to your room.
• Perfume – Just like scented candles, perfume has a scent that could attract ants, especially if it smells sweet. If you regularly spray perfume, or have spilled some then this could be all that is needed to attract ants.
• Snacks – If you have been snacking in your room, there could be left over crumbs or empty wrappers in bins that are attracting ants. Ensure that you regularly vacuum the room, and empty bins of all wrappers.
• Rotting plants – Decaying plants release a scent that ants like. So, they will seek out the plants. Take good care of your plants or throw out any dying plants before they attract ants.
• Other ants – Ants, dead or alive, release a pheromone that attracts other ants. This enables the colony to home in on them to find them and collect the food or water they have found. It also warns the colony of danger.

They found certain plants

Ants are an important part of the pollination process, so they will regularly seek out pollinating flowers. Some plants they may seek out include:

• Peony – Certain Peony breeds attract ants. You will generally find that ants are attracted to them when they have a closed bud and not when they are blooming.
• Clematis – These attract aphids, and aphids attract ants.
• Roses – Certain species of roses also attract aphids. If you eradicate the aphids then ants won’t be attracted to the plant.

They decided that your house is a good pass-through

If there is construction nearby, then a lot of ants’ nests may have been destroyed. These ants will be looking to move to a safer location. While they may not want to stay in your home, they have determined that your home is easy to pass through on their journey to a new nest.

If your neighbours had an ant infestation and have recently had pest control technicians complete work at their home, then ants may also be heading over to your home to find a new nest. To avoid this, it is best to have regular pest inspections for your home to maintain protection against ants.

Conclusion

An ant infestation is extremely frustrating. These tiny pests come in huge numbers and can be difficult to clean up. Often, even the best prevention methods, of storing food properly and regularly cleaning, won’t stop them from invading your home. The best thing you can do to stop ants entering any room of your house is to get in touch with a professional pest control technician. They will be able to provide advice and deploy effective protection for your home to stop ants from entering it.

Book an appointment with Pest Gone Pest Control today.