Ants may also hide in your bedroom, your basement, or inside of your air conditioning unit.

If you have a lot of ants in your home, you may see a distinct line of them heading to or from the nest.

This may take a bit of effort, but if you have a lot of ants, they should locate the food pretty quickly.

You might also see little pieces of other dead insects that the ants have eaten.

Carpenter ants are usually all black or red and black. They eat other insects, meat, and sweet things, so they may also congregate in your kitchen. [6] X Research source

Sometimes, the knocking will frighten worker ants and scare them out of the nest. If that happens, you can see where they’re coming from and find out how they’re getting into their nest. If there are ants in your walls, they’re most likely carpenter ants.

This usually happens during early to mid fall when the rain first starts. This can vary depending on what region you live in, though.

Small mounds like this can indicate fire ants, which are small red ants that bite. If you live in an area where fire ants are a problem, you may have to report your sighting to your county.

Carpenter ants and wood ants both love to nest in rotting wood.

Some ants, like the pavement ant, can also live underneath the foundation of your home. Ants are especially fond of nesting in foliage and under trees, so be sure to check there. [13] X Expert Source Mohiba Tareen, MDFAAD Board Certified Dermatologist Expert Interview. 26 March 2020.

If you want to get rid of both pests, treat the ants before the aphids. If you take away their food source, they could start directing their attention to your home.

Some smaller ant species, like pharaoh ants, do not swarm. If you don’t see a swarm in the spring, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t nearby.