There's no prize for handling ants yourself, and no shame in it either. The honest answer to "do I need a professional?" depends on three things: which ant it is, where the nest is, and how much a mistake would cost you. A short trail of ants to a dropped spoonful of jam needs a cloth and a lid. Ants coming out of the light fitting above your baby's cot is a different conversation.
Worth trying yourself first
If the problem is new and confined to one area, give it a fair go:
- Find and remove what they're feeding on: pet food, fruit bowls, bins, sugary spills, the dishwasher filter.
- Put out a slow-working bait, not a spray, right right on the trail, and leave the ants to feed on it. Spraying the trail at the same time defeats the bait.
- Give it two to three weeks. Baits are meant to work slowly.
- Seal the obvious gaps you can see once the trail has gone quiet.
If the trail is clearly thinning, keep going. If it isn't, you've learned something useful: the nest is somewhere your bait can't reach, or the ant isn't interested in what you're using.
Signs it's time to call someone
The same trail keeps coming back
Ants returning to the same route after each round of product usually mean the colony is untouched and well fed. With Argentine ants this is the normal pattern, because nests across the street link up and fill any gap.
Ants are coming out of the building itself
Trails that start at a power point, a light fitting, a window reveal, the top of a wall or a gap in the ceiling point to a nest inside a cavity. That is typical of white-footed house ants, and the bait has to get much closer to them than a shop station can manage. See ants nesting in walls and ceilings.
Winged ants indoors
A burst of winged ants inside the house is worth taking seriously. Winged ants are the colony's future queens and males, and seeing them indoors, rather than outside on a warm evening, can mean a mature nest somewhere in the building. It's also worth ruling out other insects: some termite species in New Zealand also swarm with wings, and a pest controller can tell the difference.
The problem covers the whole section
Trails along every path, up the fence, into the letterbox and across the deck usually mean an established Argentine ant population. Treating the boundary and entry points with non-repellent products is a job for someone with the right products and the time to place them properly.
Electrical or appliance trouble
Ants packing into switchboards, heat pump units or appliance controls can cause faults. Don't spray into electrical gear. Turn it off if it's safe to and call a professional.
The stakes are higher
- A rental between tenants, or a tenancy where you need the problem documented. See rentals and businesses.
- A café, food truck or any premises that prepares food.
- A home with a baby, someone unwell, or pets that get into everything, where you'd rather not try several products in a row.
Not every ant needs a pest controller
Small native ants in the garden do no harm and are best left alone. A handful of ants on a deck in summer doesn't need treating. And if the trail stopped after one bait, you've solved it.
What happens when you call
When you call 09 802 7674 or send a request, we pass your details to an independent Auckland pest control business. They'll ask the questions above, give you a price or arrange a look, and you decide. More on what a treatment involves and what it costs.
Ant control questions
I've used a spray and the ants scattered. What now?
Repellent sprays can split a trail into several smaller ones and push ants into new spots, including wall cavities. Stop spraying, let the trail settle into one route for a few days, then bait it, or tell the pest controller exactly what you used.
How long should I give a shop bait before calling?
Two to three weeks of steady baiting along the active trail is a fair trial. If numbers haven't dropped clearly by then, the bait isn't reaching the nest.
Can I call just for advice?
Yes. Many pest controllers will tell you over the phone whether it sounds like a DIY job. Calling doesn't commit you to anything.
Where these facts come from
Checked 27 October 2026