Just keep it clean and close the smoke vent on top after cleaning. It's very well sealed by design so ants have never been a problem for me. And I do have ants around but not in my smoker.
i wouldn't even recommend the garage but at least that has an opening to let the smoke out. Still, you'll have that smell in your garage and it'll get in your house.
Maybe the garage if not the patio, but the kitchen??