How To Get Rid Of Ants In Well Water | A Complete Guide

It is not that common to have an infestation of ants in your well, but if it happens, you need to act fast and thoroughly. Have you ever seen ants coming out of your faucets, showerheads and other water appliances in your home? We did plenty, and believe us, and it is not a pleasant sight.

Insects in the water systems are not that hard to get rid of, and in this article, we will talk about ant infestations in water wells. After inspecting your water appliances and confirming that you have an ant infestation, you must act fast.

How to get rid of ants in well water? The first thing you should do is flush out your water system. After that, it is recommended to use a shock chlorination method on that well. This way, you can be sure that your water system is clean of any ant colonies.

But first,  you need to confirm that you have a real problem – check your faucets, showerheads and other water appliances in your home. If you confirm the presence of ants in your water system, it’s best to act fast.

Usually, flushing out your whole well system is enough to get rid of ants and other insects, but if you want to ensure that your water system is safe and secure, you should conduct a shock chlorination procedure. It is also recommended to remove debris and any vegetation which is near the casing of your well.

What you definitely shouldn’t do when dealing with ants in the water well? Do not use any type of insecticide near or in your well. This is a mistake that can cause serious consequences.

How To Detect The Infestation Of Ants In your Well

You need to be sure that you don’t have just another ant infestation in your home and that you indeed have a problem with a genuine ant infestation of your well and water appliances.

The only and the best way to determine do you have an infested well with ants is to check your water appliances and plumbing. That includes checking around your well itself and the faucets in your home, and don’t forget about all the water filters.

One easy way to check if your well is infested with ants is to remove the well cap and use the flashlight to check the inside of the casing pipe. Be sure to turn off the system’s electricity before starting this operation.

Newer systems already have built-in caps that prevent infestations of insects, but older systems should be checked.

How to Clean Your Well From Ants

If you are sure the well is infested with ants, proceed with the disinfection as soon as possible.

The first part includes flushing out the entire water system, which you can do yourself.

That way, you eliminate part of the problem, like dead ants and their eggs. Usually, one flush of the system is enough to clean the entire plumbing and every other part of the water system, but in some more severe infestations, you should flush out the system more than once.

Your system won’t be clean and safe until you perform the second part of the cleaning process. The actual cleaning includes using a shock chlorination procedure. By chlorination, you remove any bacteria ants could carry into the water.

You can try performing chlorination by yourself by using household bleach, but there are several risks while performing this procedure. If you never did this before, it is recommended to call the professionals.

How to Prevent Ants From Getting Into the Well Water

After experiencing an infestation of ants, think about future prevention of this problem. For starters, keeping the area around the well neat and clean is recommended.

This includes regular cutting of any tall weeds or any tall vegetation. It is easier for the ants to get to the well water from the height, so you will need to learn how to live without tall vegetation around your well, but we guess there are other spots in the backyard where you can create a beautiful garden.

All the other basic garden maintenance is also recommended, which includes:

• Don’t keep woodpiles for too long close to the well. Dispose of them regularly.

• Leaf remains can be a harboring spot for all insects, including ants. Keep space around your well clean of any leaf piles or debris.

• Be on the lookout for anthills. If you spot one, be sure to eliminate them.

• Check if the cap of the well is in good condition at least once a year. A good working cap can help a lot when it comes to the prevention of ant and other insect infestations in your well.

How to Be Sure That Your Water System Is Clean From Ants?

To be sure that your water system is clean and ready to use, you should do a bacteriological test of the water. The most common bacteria found in insect-infested water systems are coliform bacteria, which commonly come from septic systems and animal waste.

They end up in your water system by sticking to insects like ants, and they carry it into your water. Keeping ants and other insects out of your well is essential.

When you conduct the test, a positive result doesn’t always mean that your water is ant infected. Even if your results show positive for bacteria, do a physical search for ants around and in your well.

Only if you spot ants near your well, you can be sure to have a bacteria problem too. Coliform bacteria, in most cases, won’t affect healthy individuals but can point out the presence of some other bacteria that can cause real harm.

It is recommended to test your water for coliform bacteria once a year, but if you notice a change in the water’s clarity or taste, you should check as soon as possible.

In What Other Cases Should You Shock Chlorinate Your Well Water?

Shock chlorination should be done in a couple of more cases besides ant and insect infestation:

• Installation of new wells

• Anytime you do any repair on your well

• If any floodwater breaches your well

• In case of installing new equipment like a holding tank, pump or pressure tank

• After installing any new piping or plumbing in your system.

How Can You Chlorinate Your Well By Yourself?

There are a couple of steps that you can follow to conduct this process. If, after reading this, you are still unsure whether you can do it yourself, call the professionals.

Step 1 – Store up some water supply before you start because you will need some water supplies for everyday use.

Step 2 – Chlorination can damage your equipment, so disconnect all the filters, water softeners and purifiers from your water system.

Step 3 – The width and depth of your well will determine the quantity of bleach you will be using. If you are not sure about the dimensions of your well, contact a local well driller.

Step 4 – Remove the well cap, and apply the bleach directly into the well.

Step 5 – Use your garden hose to do a thorough rinsing of the inside of your well.

Step 6 – First, turn on all outdoor faucets and let the water run on the ground. After that, turn on all indoor faucets and let them run until you smell the strong scent of chlorine from all the faucets.

Step 7 – Let chlorine sit in your well 12-24 hours. That will be enough time for the chlorine to take full effect.

Step 8 – Wash down the chlorine from your well. This might take some time, but you must test the smell of water to ensure it is ready for use. Addicianly, just to be sure, you can buy this water kit test.

Which Bleach Should You Use for Cleaning Your Well From Ants?

The best way to chlorinate your well is by combining dry pellets and dry chlorine granules with water.

Dry pellets will ensure that your whole well is treated because it will go down behind the pump, and the addition of liquid bleach will do its task regarding your entire water system, like pipes and pressure tank.

You can use ordinary household bleach, which contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, or pool chlorine with its 10-12% sodium chlorine. It is not recommended to use pool pellets because they are not intended for use in portable water.

If you want to keep your well water and water systems clean and safe for use, keep your yard clean and neat and do a yearly checkup of all your water and plumbing systems. Prevention is the best cure when it comes to problems that are this serious.

Related: How to Get Rid of Ants | Safe and Effective Methods

List of Sources

Insects in Your Water Well, Office of Drinking Water & Municipal Assistance, State of Michigan

Pesticides in Groundwater, U.S. Geological Survey

Protecting Your Well and Wellhead, University of Georgia

Well Owner’s Guide to Water Supply, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Disinfecting Your Well Water: Shock Chlorination, University of Georgia