Ants

Ants

Ant Control & Prevention

Ants are incredibly resilient, invasive pests. Left unchecked, ant infestations in buildings pose potential health risks and can cause severe property damage, such as fire hazards from nesting inside electronics. PPS provides professional ant control for homes and businesses across the Bay of Plenty and Central North Island.

Because different ant species behave differently, we identify the specific ant species before treatment, so we can tailor a plan to your home or business. New Zealand is home to around 40 ant species, but only a handful reach pest status – and almost all of those are introduced.

Common Pest Ants in New Zealand

  • White-footed house ant: The most common introduced ant in New Zealand. It often nests in walls and forages inside for water and food, particularly sweet items. Colonies have several thousand workers and many queens, so numbers can build rapidly.
  • Argentine ant: A light brown ant around 2–3mm long, and one of the world’s 100 most invasive species. It forms super-colonies with many queens, forages indoors and swarms over pot plants. Argentine ants bite, but they can’t sting.
  • Darwin’s ant: An introduced pest species found throughout the North Island, as well as in Nelson, Marlborough and Christchurch.
  • Black house ant: A common nuisance ant that regularly finds its way into homes.

Signs You Have an Ant Problem

  • Ant trails: Lines of ants travelling along skirting boards, benchtops or exterior walls. Scout ants leave a scent trail to food, and other ants follow it.
  • Ants in the kitchen or pantry: Ants come inside looking for food and water, especially sweet foods.
  • Ants on pot plants and gardens: Some ants protect plant pests such as mealybugs and scale insects so they can feed on the honeydew they produce.

Tailored Ant Control Options

Exterior Spray Treatment (General Crawling Insects)

  • Invisible barrier: Provides a protective barrier on the building exterior to stop invading ants, as well as spiders and cockroaches.
  • Combined approach: For moderate to severe ant infestations, or where ants are already nesting inside wall or roof cavities, we recommend combining this spray with a dedicated ant treatment.

Dedicated Ant Treatment

  • Professional baiting & spot spraying: We use professional-grade ant baits and specialised ant treatment products targeted at the specific species.
  • Why baiting works: Foraging ants carry the bait back to the nest and share it with the rest of the colony, including the queens. As a result, baits can control a nest even when the nest itself can’t be found.
  • Proactive ant management: You may need multiple applications for the best results. For ongoing problems, we offer monthly Proactive Ant Treatments to keep ants outside year-round.
Unwanted Guests? Call PPS!
Frequently Asked Questions

Treatment duration varies depending on factors like ant species, property location (e.g., rural vs. urban), property size, severity of the infestation, and seasonal weather conditions.

Complete eradication is not always possible because ant nests are often located off-property. Foraging ants can trail over 200 meters from their nest, and satellite nests can spread over 100 meters from the original nest within a single year. Ongoing, regular management is the best way to maintain long-term control.

To get the best results, clear food crumbs and spills from countertops, store open pantry items in sealed containers, sweep or vacuum floors, and ensure access along interior baseboards and exterior perimeter walls.

Yes. When applied according to strict safety guidelines, professional ant baits and targeted sprays are applied in hidden or low-exposure areas (like wall cavities or specialised bait stations) to minimise exposure to family members and pets.

Ants come inside looking for food and water, particularly sweet foods. Scout ants that find a food source leave a scent trail back to the nest, which other ants then follow – so a few ants can quickly turn into a steady trail. Keeping food sealed and benches clean helps, but a professional treatment is the best way to stop the trail at its source.
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