SANParks.org Forums

Im hoping someone can help me clarify the problem Im having in my bathroom...
I live in a house in the amazing Newlands Forrest in Cape Town, and in the last couple of months have noticed some larger than normal ants that have decided that my bathroom is the place to be once the sun sets. I have never seen ants of this size in CT before, and the fact that they come from no-where and only at night, is quite bizarre.

I have tried, but cant see where they are coming from or what they are looking for. Normal size ants are normally attracted to foods left out, which believe me are not in my bathroom...

If anyone knows what type of ant this is and how do I get rid of them without killing them with a fogger, please let me know. I am a nature lover and not into killing insects or any living organism.

Please contact me via email - jason@whiteinc.co.za

Thanking you in advance!

Hi Jason
it just may be a seasonal thing, that the ants are comming into your house. Arthropods in bathrooms usually means that they are looking for water, or at least a moisture environment either for themselves or the eggs. The same happens with scorpions and spiders.

Insects are really hard to control. You remove one lot only to create an open niche for more to move in. The pest people (and the are pests) say that they can get rid of ants, termite, spiders, scorpions etc... from homes. In reality the poison the ground, cross their fingers in the hope that they do not return. The best thing to do is to seal off your bathroom so they do not emerge into the open. Ants do not eat "bathrooms" so you can rest assured that your house is not going to fall down or collapse.

If you can send me a picture of the ants I know ant people (not really ant people, but people who know about ants) who may be able to help. It does need to be a good picture. The Cape has been collected for more than 100 years. The arthropods there are well described and well known. I'm sure I can find someone who can identify the ant for you.

In Canada we can have carpenter ants...which DO eat wood, much like termites...I don't know about SA tho.
We get large anthills and they sometimes march up the side of the house & in but they don't seem to like salt...so I sprinkle salt along the path that they take and they stop coming

Hope this helps...