Ants come into Sunbury kitchens as soon as the ground dries out in spring and again in the February heat, when the colonies under the paving, the garden beds and the slab edge head for the kitchen tap and the dog bowl. Black ants and coastal browns are the usual suspects on the estates; out on the acreage blocks the big meat ant mounds in the paddocks send workers across the yard and into sheds and verandahs.
We identify the species first because the baits differ, then place gel and granular baits that the workers carry back to the queens. Outside we treat the slab edge, the paving joints, the garden borders and the mulch against the walls, and on rural blocks we treat the mounds directly. Bigger infestations get a return check after a fortnight. We also point out the simple fixes, like keeping mulch off the slab and fixing a dripping tap, because those are what stop it coming back next summer.
