Ants in a toilet seat are attracted by stagnant water at the bottom that makes the bowl moist as it evaporates. Worker ants are always hunting for food and a dirty toilet can offer them more than you can imagine. Urine or undigested food stains on the toilet bowl can also attract them.
To get rid of ants in a toilet bowl, spread 4-5 handfuls of borax powder on its inner surface and let it stay 30-60 minutes. Then sprinkle water on it and use a brush with tough bristles to scrub. This will kill and remove all the stains that can attract ants.
Remember, if the restroom is infested with ants, they will keep coming back to the seat no matter how much you clean. You need to check where the ants are coming from by trailing their origin. Do this by looking at their trails. Most ants move in straight lines and finding their point of origin should be easy.
Causes of ants in toilet bowl
Ants crawl in toilet bowls when they find an attractive scent on them. A stained toilet with urine, puke, or food particles poured in it is among the main reasons for ants in your washroom seat. They are a major problem in washrooms during the hot seasons. Here are some reasons for ants in your toilet bowl:
1. Urine stains
The major cause of ants in a washroom seat is urine stains that contain excessive glucose. Urine contains glucose that can attract ants. Even though all human urine may contain little amounts of this, some people have high levels.
Therefore, a dirty washroom with urine stains on the bowl and floor attracts sugar ants in large numbers. Little black ants around your toilet bowl are a sign of uncleaned urine stains on the surrounding flooring. They end up in the seat if they come in in large numbers especially if the toilet is not flushed after use.
2. Moisture
Ants love moisture because they can easily dry out if exposed to extra hot environments. During the hot seasons, an ant infestation in the bathroom is a common problem. If the bathroom is kept dry and clean, ants will go for the toilet bowl since there is always water at the bottom that evaporates on the surface.
Even though ants can get water from what they eat, they need more if it is hot. If there are cracks or any leakages around the bowl and tank, they will move into the bathroom and nest in those crannies. All they need is a constantly moist environment that is always present around the washroom drainage.
3. Infested tank
Ants in the toilet bowl when flushed means that they are present in the tank. When the toilet is flushed, the water that gets into the bowl is from the tank above. If ants are in that tank, you will see them inside the toilet bowl after flushing because they are pushed from the tank.
Ants cannot drown unless there is a good amount of surfactants in the water. This is why if they are present in the tank, they will float on water.
Once it is flushed, some are trapped on the pipes while some are pushed into the toilet seat. Those can be seen crawling out after some time and if there is a serious infestation in the tank, you will see more of them every time you flush.
4. Vomit stains
Human vomit can attract ants and they will eat it because it contains undigested food that they can still taste. When one throws up in the toilet bowl, it is always uncontrolled. There are high chances of spilling it all over the bowl walls and those stains can attract ants and other bugs like roaches in a toilet seat.
However, the chances of ants being attracted to puke depend on what one has eaten and the digestion period. If it is poorly digested, it can attract insects like ants. When the food has stayed in the stomach for some time and digestion was given time, it attracts more flies than ants because of its foul odor and acidity.
5. Food stains
Pouring dirty water from the kitchen into the toilet can attract ants to the seat. In most cases, any water which has been used to cook or clean oily and greasy food is a waste to humans but not to insects. Soup stains and any other food particle accidentally dumped in the toiled by kids or pets can invite ants.
Some also have a habit of spitting while urinating. Spit contents depend on what one has eaten and if it happens to be a sugary drink or food, it will attract ants. Ants can eat your saliva if it is tasty and sugary and when this is left on the washroom seat, it will be a straight invitation.
6. Stool stain on toilet bowls
Ants can also eat human poop because it contains proteins that are beneficial to them. Human stools may contain undigested proteins and organic matter that ants can still eat. However, this depends on what you ate.
Poor digestion is an advantage to ants in your toilet bowl. When the toilet is flushed after use, the pressure can sometimes break the feces into small particles which are left on the bowl. Those ants that crawl on the bowl feed on those and carry some back to their nests.
How to get rid of ants in toilet bowl
A sure way to remove ants from a toilet bowl is to clean it and keep it free from stains. Ants can never crawl on clean lavatory seats or bowls because almost all toilet detergents contain scents that are formulated to kill and deter bugs.
Ants communicate through pheromones and scented toilet cleaners can repel them by neutralizing their communication signals. Cleaning can be done by applying toilet cleaners that contain bleach. Those cleaners are designed to kill germs, insects, and bugs. Alternatively, you can also use the following hacks at home:
White vinegar
After washing the toilet, sprinkle straight white vinegar on the bowl to repel ants. Vinegar is toxic to ants and it can also repel them. They cannot crawl on any surface that is sprayed or covered in it.
You may also add 4 ounces of white vinegar to a spray bottle with an equal amount of hot water and sprinkle it on the toilet seat. This can also be sprayed on the sinks and the tank to kill and repel ants.
Check the tank
Ants in the toilet tank will show up on the bowl when you flush. They end up in the tank if they are from the water source. Water in the tank can be ant-infested from the main supply. If there is a constant presence of ants after flushing the toilet, check the main source or storage unit to find and eliminate the main cause.
Dish soap can kill ants and 2 ounces can be added to the tank to help in drowning them to death. Once they are flashed, they will not remain floating. Soap is a surfactant and after it breaks the water surface tension, ants cannot remain floating in the toilet bowl.
Flush after every use
We tend to have a habit of only flushing the toilet after long calls. Many do not flush after urinating. Stagnated urine in the toilet seat that is rich in glucose attracts ants in large numbers. Get rid of stagnant pee in the toilet bowl by flushing it after urinating. Avoid peeing on the floor to keep sugar and black ants away from the toilet.
It is also good to understand that ants will drown or float depending on the type of water flushed. Therefore, it is always best to use soapy water when flushing them down the toilet because they will not e able to float.