Council home in Heartsease, Norwich infested with ants

Caitlin Roode, 20, who lives in Heartsease, moved into the council home in November 2021. A couple of months after moving in, Miss Roode began to notice lots of ants in her bedroom. 

After sealing all possible entrances, pulling boards off the kitchen and covering her house with ant powder, the creatures disappeared for the next few months.

However, in April 2022, the ants returned, covering every surface and room in the home on Sale Road. 

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Miss Roode contacted the council, who suggested that as ants aren't listed as 'harmful' pests, they were unable to fix the problem. 

With no options left, she pulled together the money to hire an expensive private pest controller - but the ants persisted.

She then contacted the previous tenants who told her that the house had been overrun by insects while they lived at the council property. 

Miss Roode said: "A couple of nights ago I went into my son's room and I found thousands crawling all over his things.

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Caitlin Roode and her son who live in Heartsease. (Image: Caitlin Roode)

"I had to throw away loads of his possessions and I don't even feel comfortable letting him sleep in there by himself.

"When we first moved in they used to climb all over his baby bottles. They knew that the flat was infested before we moved in and they still chose to put a single mother and her four-month-old baby here."

The 20-year-old has now resorted to contacting local MP Chloe Smith, in the hope she can help solve the issue.

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: "We are sorry that Ms Roode has an ant infestation in her home.

"While ants in the home are unpleasant and irritating, they pose no threat to public health and normally ant infestations can be treated by householders."