If you're searching for how to stop ants coming into your home, prevention is the key. Ants don't enter houses at random – they're drawn in by food, moisture and easy access points.
This guide focuses on practical, DIY steps to block entry routes, remove attractants and discourage ants before an infestation takes hold. With the right approach, you can often keep them at bay effectively yourself.
Two things are worth knowing up front, because they're where prevention usually goes wrong. First, sealing up while leaving an attractant in place – a pet bowl, an open bin, fallen fruit – just sends ants looking for another way in; you have to remove the draw and block the route. Second, natural deterrents like peppermint and vinegar help disrupt trails but won't clear a nest on their own. Get both right and prevention works far better.
📋 Quick summary: keeping ants out
- Remove the draw: keep surfaces, bins and pet-feeding areas clean and dry – sealing gaps won't help if an attractant is still pulling ants in.
- Block the routes: ant entry points are tiny and can be almost anywhere – often a hairline crack leading into a wall cavity. Watch the trail to find where they disappear, then seal with silicone.
- Deter, don't rely: peppermint or vinegar disrupts trails but won't clear a nest by itself.
- Already nesting? Prevention alone won't remove an established colony – bait it, so workers carry the treatment back to the queen.
Drawing from our expert guide to getting rid of ants, here are ten effective tips to stop ants coming into your house.
1. Understand Ant Behaviour
Understanding how ants operate – their basic behaviour and what attracts them – is the first step to dealing with them yourself. Ants are social creatures living in large colonies of hundreds or thousands, and they enter homes primarily in search of food or shelter, mostly across the warmer months.
2. Identify and Seal Entry Points
Inspect your home for tiny cracks and openings ants can slip through. The tricky part is that an ant entry point can be almost anything – they need only the smallest gap, and it's often a hairline crack leading into a wall cavity, where a colony may already be nesting. Rather than hunting for one obvious hole, watch where ants are entering and leaving and follow the trail to its source, then seal the gaps with silicone caulk or another suitable sealant.
One caveat: if a trail disappears into a wall or under skirting, there may be a nest inside. In that case, baiting matters more than sealing – block a nest in without treating it and the ants simply find another route.
Common Ant Entry Points to Check
- Gaps around doors and window frames
- Cracks in brickwork or render
- Air vents and pipe entry points
- Skirting boards and flooring edges
- Utility cupboards and under sinks
3. Keep Your Kitchen Clean
Ants are primarily attracted to food. Keep your kitchen clean, wipe up spills straight away, clean surfaces after use, store food in airtight containers, and never leave dirty dishes out overnight. This is the attractant that most often keeps ants coming back – seal every gap you like, but if there's food on offer they'll keep trying.
4. Manage Your Waste Efficiently
Take out the rubbish regularly, clean your bins, and keep them fully closed. Ants are drawn to leftovers and can easily make their way from the bin into your home.
5. Remove Standing Water
Ants search for water, especially in hot, dry weather. Fix leaky taps, keep gutters clean and draining properly, and eliminate any other sources of standing water around your home.
6. Trim Vegetation around Your Home
Branches and vegetation touching your home give ants an easy route inside. Keep trees and shrubs trimmed back from the walls.
7. Use Natural Deterrents
Natural remedies like vinegar, peppermint oil or lemon juice can be a useful first line of defence. Spray them regularly around entry points and the perimeter of your home to disrupt pheromone trails.
Just keep expectations realistic: natural deterrents work best as a preventative measure, not a cure. They make areas less attractive and break up trails, but they won't eliminate an established nest on their own – if ants keep returning in numbers, there's likely a colony to bait rather than just a trail to deter.
Ultrasonic repellers can also be a helpful extra layer for some homes, alongside the basics of cleaning and proofing.
8. Employ Ant Baits and Traps Strategically
Ant baits and traps can be effective for controlling ant populations in and around your home. Place them near entry points and where you've seen activity, but out of reach of children and pets. Bait is especially valuable when a nest is already active, as workers carry it back to the colony.
For a small, visible outdoor nest you can reach, pouring boiling water in can knock back the surface population – but take care (scald risk, and it can damage lawns and paving), and be aware it rarely reaches the queen in an established nest, so bait is the more reliable route.
9. Practice Regular Maintenance
Ongoing maintenance keeps ants out for the long term. Repair cracks in walls, ceilings, floorboards, skirting or foundations, and make sure any window screens are fully intact.
10. Consider Professional Pest Control
If your ant problems persist despite your best efforts, it may be time to call a professional. They can offer targeted solutions and advice specific to your situation – you can find a qualified controller through the BPCA directory.
Helpful Products to Support Ant Prevention
For fast, effective results, combine prevention with bait and, where needed, contact treatments:
- Sealants and fillers – block access at the entry points you find
- Ant bait stations – kill the colony at the source if a nest is active
- Ant control kits – bait, spray and powder together for a complete approach
- Ant killer sprays – quick knockdown of visible ants
- Ant monitoring traps – sticky traps to detect and track activity
View our full range of DIY ant control products to choose the right solution for your home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stopping Ants
Why do ants keep coming into my house?
Ants are usually attracted by food, water or easy access points. Even small crumbs or a little moisture can trigger repeated activity, so removing the attractant matters as much as sealing the gap.
Will sealing cracks stop ants completely?
Sealing entry points is essential, but it works best alongside cleaning and trail disruption. If there's still a food or water draw, ants will keep hunting for new routes.
Do ants return after being blocked?
If a nest remains active nearby, ants may search for new routes in. Ongoing prevention – and baiting the nest if there is one – is what keeps them out for good.
Final Word
By following these 10 tips, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of ants making their way into your home. Keeping your space clean, minimising attractants and staying on top of maintenance is what makes the difference – and if a nest is already active, baiting it is what finishes the job.
We go to great lengths to make sure all our DIY ant control products are effective, fast and easy to use. You may also find our expert guide to getting rid of ants useful if you want to learn more about clearing ants from your home or workplace.
