Ant Control in Apartments With Shared Walls

In an apartment building, ants do not respect the boundary of your front door. They travel through shared walls, pipes, conduits and shafts, so a nest in the next flat or in a common area can send ants into your kitchen. Controlling ants in a flat often means thinking beyond your own four walls.

This guide explains how.

The short answer

Ants in apartments move through cracks in shared walls, around pipes, wires and conduits, along shafts, balconies and corridors, and in on deliveries and plants. Treating only your flat may not end the problem if the nest is next door, in a wall or in a common area. Do what you can inside your flat: remove food and water sources, seal cracks and gaps, trace trails, and use bait rather than spray. Talk to neighbours and the society, ask for common-area and building-wide inspection, and consider a coordinated treatment.

How ants move between flats

• Cracks and gaps in shared walls and ceilings.
• Pipe and cable openings, conduits and switchboards.
• Service shafts and ducts.
• Balconies, terraces and shared plants.
• Corridors, lifts and doorways.
• Deliveries, bags and furniture.

What residents can do

1. Remove food and water: Seal food, clean spills, fix leaks and dry sinks and bathrooms.
2. Trace trails: Find where ants enter, such as cracks, sockets, pipe openings or windows.
3. Use bait: Place gel bait on trails, out of reach of children and pets. Avoid spraying, which can scatter ants into neighbouring flats.
4. Seal gaps: After control, close cracks and openings around pipes, windows, doors and skirting.
5. Manage plants: Check balcony plants for ants and aphids.
6. Keep a record: Dates, locations and photos.

Working with neighbours

• Talk politely to neighbours, since ants may be moving between your flats.
• Share what you have found, and suggest checking their kitchens, bathrooms and plants.
• Agree to treat at the same time, where possible, so that ants are not just driven from one flat to another.

Involving the society

• Report ants in common areas, shafts, garbage rooms and corridors.
• Ask for inspection of shafts, drains and the terrace.
• Request periodic pest control for common areas.
• Encourage building-wide treatment when several flats are affected.

What not to do

• Do not use heavy repellent sprays along shared walls, which can push ants into neighbouring flats.
• Do not ignore the problem and hope it goes away.
• Do not use chemicals where children and pets can reach them.

Professional help

A pest control provider can inspect and treat your flat, advise on neighbours and common areas and offer a coordinated programme for the building.

When to call a professional

If ants return despite your efforts, or several flats are affected, call a professional.

Frequently asked questions

Why do ants return after I treat my flat?

They may come from a nest next door or in a shared space.

Should my neighbours treat too?

Coordination helps.

Who pays for common-area treatment?

Typically the society's maintenance fund.

Can I stop ants entering from the shared wall?

Sealing cracks helps. Treat the source too.

This guide is part of IPest's complete resource on ant control. For identification help, prevention and treatment options, see our full ant control guide for Bangalore.