“Ants” in a Brisbane kitchen could be half a dozen different species, and they do not all play by the same rules — some scatter under spray into multiple colonies, some nest in the walls themselves, and one kind should never be approached at all. Here is the local cast.

The kitchen regulars

Black house ants run the classic bench-top trails to sweet residues and pet bowls — the archetypal after-rain arrivals. Coastal brown ants prefer greasy and protein foods and are notorious spray-scatterers: colonies bud under chemical stress, turning one trail into several, which is precisely why colony-level treatment beats the supermarket can. Both are wall-cavity and pathway nesters, meaning the nest is often inside or under the very structure being wiped down.

The lawn and garden set

Funnel ants build the crumbly volcano mounds that turn lawns lumpy after rain — mostly a turf problem, occasionally a trip hazard, and treatable at the nest. Green-head ants deliver a genuinely painful sting and favour lawns and garden edges where bare feet go. Neither is a hygiene issue; both are a comfort one.

The one to leave alone

Fire ants are the exception to every casual rule: aggressive, swarming, medically significant, and a biosecurity matter across South East Queensland. A low dome-shaped mound in lawn or garden with ants that boil out and attack when disturbed is not a DIY situation — do not disturb it. The fire ants page covers identification; Rapidkil’s fire ant treatment is $250.

Treatment that actually stops them

Identification first, then the nests and routes rather than the visible workers: Rapidkil’s ant treatment is $190 with a 3-month free service period for household ants, and ants are one of the four pests the annual general pest treatment covers as standard. Trails you cannot beat? Call 0490 425 521 or request a quote online — licensed technicians, QBCC Licence 15104001.