Ants In The Tub? FAQs About Pests In Your Bathroom

Why are there ants in your bathroom? You likely understand the attraction of the food-covered kitchen environment. But you're probably unsure why tiny household ants would invade your showering space. If you have ants in your bathroom, take a look at what you need to know about this pest problem.

What Attracts Ants To Bathrooms?

Before answering this question, you may need to start with ant basics. What attracts ants to homes? Like other pests, ants make their homes outdoors in nature. Ants may build nests in the soil or under logs, concrete, or bricks in your yard or around your home. Even though ants are natural outdoor nest-builders, some may come indoors and create colonies in the space behind walls called wall voids) as wells as under & behind counter tops and cabinets. 

Ants enter homes for a few reasons. These include shelter from the cold or inclement weather, food sources, and water. Even though leftover crumbs or open bags of your favorite snacks are obvious food sources, these aren't the only edible options for household ants.

While you might not have human food in the bathroom, ants may make a meal out of some types of soap or shampoo products, hair that is left in the drain, or even trash in an unsecured bin. 

Why Do Ants Stay In the Bathroom?

Ants stay in the bathroom for the same reason that they enter the area. Most likely, the ants in your bathroom have found the warmth, water, and food necessary to survive and thrive. Even though you may constantly clean the tub or scrub the sink, the almost unnoticeable film or soap and microscopic skin cells are left behind to feed the invader.

Beyond this food source, a leaky pipe or even leftover droplets from a shower could provide the water these pests crave. Add in the hot, humid temperatures a warm bath or shower creates and you have an environment that ants won't want to leave soon.

What Should You Do If You Have Ants In Your Bathroom?

Many homeowners start by manually killing the first few ants they see in the bathroom. However, these ants are often just the beginning or first signs of an infestation. It's likely that the stragglers you see aren't the only ants in the colony.

According to the National Pest Management Association's PestWorld website, most ant colonies contain thousands of members. The ants you see are scouts that are searching for a viable food source. The method ants use to forage for food varies depending on the type of pest in your home. But it's likely that the bathroom ants are bringing back some of your shower's leftovers to the nest and creating a scent trail for others to follow. 

Ant baits may help to solve a minor issue. But if you don't know where the nest is, whether there is one colony or more, or have a larger infestation, you will need the help of a pest control professional. The pest control contractor will inspect your home and help you to better understand the scope of the problem.

It's possible that the infestation isn't actually in the bathroom. If you aren't a highly trained, experienced pest control pro, you may not know where to look for the nest. This could make it harder to eradicate the ants. The professional will also know which type of pest control methods work best for the ants in your bathroom and have access to materials that can control the issue. 

Do you need help removing ants from your bathroom or eliminating a colony from your home? Contact Dead One Pest Control for more information.