This is one of those questions where the honest answer is “sometimes.”
BPCA says the first step is to find the nest entrances, and it notes that pouring a kettle of boiling water over the nest site can be a first-aid measure. It also says some sugar-based liquid baits work because workers carry the insecticide back to the larvae and queen.
So yes, basic DIY can sometimes help with a straightforward black garden ant problem, especially when the nest entrance is obvious and the colony is accessible.
The weak point with DIY is usually not effort. It is reach.
If the nest is hidden, if the wrong product is used, or if the workers are being killed without the colony being affected properly, the ants often come back. BPCA’s explanation of how bait works makes this pretty clear: the important part is getting treatment carried back to the larvae and queen, not just wiping out the visible workers.
That is why a quick surface fix can look better for a day or two without actually solving the infestation.
This is where the job changes.
If the nest is in a wall void, beneath paving you cannot easily lift, or somewhere inside the building structure, it is a different situation from a visible nest in a garden crack. BPCA says Pharaoh’s ants can have multiple, often inaccessible nests within building structures, and that ghost ant control should be left to professional operators.
So the more hidden or complex the nesting setup is, the less likely a simple DIY attempt is to deal with the real source.
This part gets overlooked.
For a standard black garden ant issue, DIY measures may sometimes be enough. But BPCA specifically warns that Pharaoh’s ants and ghost ants are different situations, with hidden or multiple nests and professional treatment recommended.
So if the ants are persistent, unusual, very small, or tied to heated indoor spaces, it makes sense to be more cautious about assuming it is a simple garden-ant job.
DIY is more likely to help when:
Professional treatment makes more sense when:
That split follows BPCA’s own public guidance surprisingly closely.
If you have a simple outdoor nest and you can clearly follow the route back to it, a basic DIY approach may be worth trying first.
If the ants keep returning, the nest is inaccessible, or the problem seems tied to the building structure, it usually makes more sense to stop guessing and get proper help. If you are not sure which camp your ant problem falls into, Pest Gone can help you work out whether it looks like a simple DIY case or one that needs a more thorough professional approach.
