Effective, Safe & Long-Lasting Ant Removal
At Pestocatch, we offer professional ant control services across London, helping homeowners and businesses eliminate ant infestations with precision and care. While ants may seem harmless at first, they can quickly become a nuisance—contaminating food, nesting inside walls, and invading kitchens and workspaces. Our expert team uses targeted treatments and eco-friendly solutions to remove ants at the source and prevent their return.
Ants are highly organised social insects. It is the foraging worker ant that invades buildings in search of food. Although Black Ants have a wide range of acceptable food sources, they are particularly attracted to sweet substances. If a foraging worker successfully identifies a food source, this is communicated back to co-workers, which inevitably results in vast numbers of ants invading the property and contaminating suitable human food sources.
At Pestocatch, we understand the nuisance that ants can cause in your home or business. That’s why we offer comprehensive ant control services to ensure your space remains pest-free.
With just a couple of rare exceptions British ants fall into two categories the stinging Myrmicine ants – typified by the long bodied and sculptured red ants, and the non-stinging Formicine ants – smoother and shorter bodied, the best known examples being black ants, yellow meadow ants and wood ants.
Black Ants are entirely harmless, like all other Formicine ants they do not have a sting and unlike the wood ants they don’t spray formic acid either. Jaws are the Black Ants’ main defence, but they are not strong enough to break someone’s skin.
Black Ants eat insects and sugary substances such as nectar and rotting fruit. They are dutiful farmers of aphids, protecting them from predators, collecting the sugary honeydew that they produce, and carrying them around to establish new herds. They probably also take some aphids underground over winter, it is likely that some of these will be eaten!
Black Ants are important soil engineers, mixing it up and increasing its fertility.
A Black Ant colony will contain just one queen – many other ant species actually have more than one queen in each colony. A fully grown Black Ant colony contains the queen and 4,000 to 7,000 female workers, but a big colony may contain 15,000 workers. Only the queen lays eggs, the workers forage for food, feed the larvae and build the nest.
The hardest part of the Black Ant life cycle is the job of the young queen in raising the first generation of workers. This is very difficult as she cannot forage for food and has no herds of aphids. The queen shuts herself in a cell underground and when her first eggs hatch she feeds the larvae with a fluid created from the breakdown of her own muscles. By the time the first workers emerge from their pupae the Queen will be terribly weak, having lost about half her body weight. The first role of the workers is to forage food and nurse the queen back into good health.
Worker ants find food by sending out scouts. When a good source of food is found they lay down a scent trail so that other workers can easily find the food. They have two stomachs, their true stomach and a much larger social stomach that they fill with food to take back to the colony and feed the larvae, builders and the queen.
If the young queen successfully rears the first brood, if she is not deposed by a parasitic ant species, and if her workers find good food sources then her colony will thrive. Only after several years when the colony is fully grown will the queen lay the first eggs that will become drones (males) and queens. On a hot and humid day between June and September the nuptial flight occurs, males and females from many colonies in the area take to the air simultaneously and mate. The new queens then lose their wings and burrow underground to start the cycle again.
While most colonies of small black ants near human habitation will be the Black Ant, there are three other very similar species Lasius platythorax, Lasius alienus, Lasius psammophilus, to tell the difference you need to look very hard at their hairiness under a microscope!
Monomorium pharaoni
The Pharaoh ant, one of the most challenging household and hospital ants to control, got its name from the mistaken idea that it was one of the ancient plagues of Egypt. Found worldwide, they are almost transparent, ranging from yellowish, light brown, or red, while their abdomen is of darker coloring. The ants have six legs and are only 1.5-2 mm long. While they have wings before mating, they are never able to fly.
Pharaoh ants will feed on various foods, including other insects, sweets, oils, and proteins. They release a pheromone to guide other ants from their colony to food sources.
While their exact origin is unknown, they are likely native to northern Africa and typically nest in warm, humid areas of your home near food sources, such as behind baseboards, wall voids, underneath floors, or behind large appliances.
Specialized baiting works best for getting rid of Pharaoh ants. Make sure to maintain the bait, replacing it every few days. Gel and liquid baits can be eaten and consumed by worker ants, resulting in the colony not being able to sustain itself with internal food sources. Worker ants will not feed on anything unless instructed by a scout ant; scout ants find the food and produce a trail pheromone which instructs the worker ant to feed on and carry the food back to the colony.
If your Pharaoh ant infestation continues, contact Pestocatch for a professional pest control plan.
Whether you’re dealing with black garden ants in your kitchen or pharaoh ants in a commercial setting, Pestocatch provides customised ant control solutions that suit your environment and the type of infestation.
Domestic and commercial treatments available
Fast-response, including weekends and evenings
Unmarked service vehicles for complete discretion
Our trained technicians have experience dealing with all ant species common in London homes and businesses.
We find the nest—not just the visible ants—to ensure total elimination.
We combine immediate removal with expert advice to prevent re-infestations.
We take a responsible approach to pest control. Our ant treatments include:
Non-toxic gel baits and barriers
Residual sprays safe for use around children and pets
Preventive sealing and advice to stop future invasions
Our priority is to ensure your property stays ant-free without harming your health or the environment.
Inspection – We confirm the presence and extent of the infestation
Treatment Plan – Heat-based or insecticidal solutions tailored to your case
Extermination – Safe, comprehensive bed bug removal
Follow-Up & Prevention Tips – We ensure re-infestation doesn’t happen
We provide pest control plans designed to fit your unique needs.
Using sustainable methods to protect your home environment.
Food residue, sugary spills, and moisture are common ant attractants. Even small crumbs can invite them in.
Yes. Many ants are eliminated within hours, and nests are fully destroyed within days.
Absolutely. We only use safe, approved products that won’t harm your family or the environment.
Yes. We regularly treat restaurants, shops, and offices with discreet, effective solutions.
Don’t let ants take over your kitchen, home, or workplace. Call Pestocatch now for safe, discreet, and effective ant control services anywhere in London.
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020 3633 2044
📍 Trusted ant control specialists serving homes and businesses nationwide
we are dedicated to creating safe, pest-free environments for homes and businesses alike. With years of experience in the pest control industry.
we pride ourselves on delivering effective, eco-friendly solutions tailored to your needs.
