Ants nesting beneath paver structures like patios and walkways are a common problem. These insects exploit the spaces between stones to establish large colonies, displacing joint material and compromising the surface’s stability. Addressing this requires a two-pronged strategy: immediate action to eliminate existing colonies and long-term structural maintenance to deter future infestations. This guide outlines methods to remove ants from paver joints and implement preventative measures.
Why Ants Infest Paver Structures
Ants are naturally drawn to paver installations, which offer an ideal substrate for establishing a colony. The fine-grained sand or polymeric joint material provides an easily workable, secure medium for tunneling and nesting. Pavement ants excavate the underlying sand to create their galleries, pushing the displaced material up to the surface in small mounds of dirt or sand.
Pavers contribute to the attraction by absorbing and retaining warmth from the sun, creating a favorable, temperature-regulated microclimate for brood development. The hard, interlocking surface also offers protection from heavy rain, wind, and predators. This constant tunneling and material displacement causes pavers to loosen, shift, and eventually sink, leading to structural damage over time.
Immediate Non-Toxic Removal Methods
For small or new infestations, non-toxic household items provide effective, localized control without commercial pesticides. One common method is applying boiling water directly into the visible nest entrances or along ant trails. The intense heat quickly kills ants and their brood on contact, though this approach is often limited to the upper layers of the colony and may require repeated application for deep nests.
A solution of liquid dish soap and water acts as an effective contact killer by breaking down the ants’ protective outer waxy coating, leading to dehydration and suffocation. This mixture can be sprayed onto trails or poured into the joints. Another physical control method is the strategic application of food-grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a fine powder made from fossilized diatoms. When ants crawl over the powder, the microscopic particles score their exoskeleton, causing the insects to dehydrate and perish.
Targeted Chemical and Bait Solutions
When non-toxic methods fail to eradicate a large or persistent colony, specialized chemical treatments offer a more systemic solution. The most effective long-term method involves slow-acting granular or gel baits. Worker ants consume the bait and carry it back to the nest to feed the queen and other colony members, ultimately eliminating the entire population over days or weeks.
These baits are often formulated with active ingredients like boric acid, fipronil, or hydramethylnon, which are slow enough to allow workers to share the poison throughout the colony before succumbing. In contrast, liquid perimeter sprays and insecticide dusts are contact killers designed for immediate, localized control. Dusts can be puffed directly into cracks, while non-repellent liquid sprays create a barrier around the paver area, killing foraging ants upon contact. When using any insecticide, follow all label instructions and take precautions to limit exposure to children, pets, and beneficial insects.
Structural Maintenance for Long-Term Prevention
True long-term prevention requires modifying the paver environment to make it inhospitable to ant colonization. The most effective structural defense is the proper application of polymeric sand, a blend of fine sand and polymer additives. Once swept into the paver joints and activated with water, this material hardens to form a firm, flexible bond that physically blocks ants from tunneling and excavating.
This hardened joint material resists erosion and greatly reduces the accessible fine aggregate ants need to build their nests. To further secure the joints and enhance the sand’s longevity, a paver sealant can be applied after the sand has fully cured. The sealant creates an additional barrier against moisture and helps lock the jointing material in place, making it more difficult for ants to penetrate. Proper drainage around the paver area is also important, as standing water or excessive moisture can compromise the integrity of the jointing material, creating weak spots ants can exploit.