Call us: 352-552-3290
Call us: 352-552-3290
Contents
One of the issues that homeowners wrestle with is getting rid of sugar ants. A few dozen ants might not be a cause for concern. But they can be a nuisance when their number swells into several hundred or thousands. The banded sugar ant and the odorous house ants are common culprits. While sugar ants bite is uncommon, the sight of sugar ant species at home can be annoying.
Because of their stubbornness, ants can perplex and frustrate DIY pest controllers. Some people think boiling water will help them fight sugar ants. Here, we explore proven fire ant exterminator techniques that can help you eliminate ants.
Deciding how to eliminate foraging ants in your kitchen or get rid of sugar ants in your entire home depends on the degree of ant infestation. Getting rid of sugar ants around the house may require a different strategy than, say, common ant species. If you want to kill sugar ants, do the following:
Sugar ants naturally follow trails of crumbs on the floor, spills on the kitchen countertops, and dirty dishes in the sink. All these are potential sources of appetizing odors that attract pavement ants in search of nourishment—cleaning up your kitchen utensils after each meal does wonders to prevent sugar ants and a possible ant infestation.
Once you finish eating, clean the dishes. Don’t leave them overnight in the sink as ants can smell food. Some types of ants are nocturnal and will invade your kitchen while you’re asleep. You might wake up to find these insects have overrun your kitchen. So, wash every item after cooking and clean the stove, including food preparation areas, to prevent an ant problem.
Your trash is a source of odors that can lead to a serious sugar ant problem. Make sure you take the trash out daily and wash the plastic trash whenever food particles or any sugar drink spills on it. Remember to store all opened foods in sealed containers so that banded sugar ants won’t find them.
Ants usually leave behind ant trails known as pheromone trails wherever they find a food source. These trails often attract ants and lead them to the food. If you erase this trail, you’ll destroy their path, and they have to start afresh. One of the effective home remedies for this purpose is simple vinegar and water solution. Vinegar is slightly acidic and will erase the chemical residue along the ant’s pheromone trail. You can create a 50/50 solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Once the solution is ready, spray it directly on your kitchen stove, countertops, or anywhere these insects pass on their way to the sugar ant nest. You can also spray it around crevices and cracks that other ants and other insects use as entry points to your home.
Sugar ants grow quickly in a colony. Within no time, you can see sugar ants running around your home. You can use baking soda to control most ants. Similar to vinegar, baking soda affects the digestive enzymes in the ant’s stomach. The soda produces carbon dioxide gas, which builds up until the worker ants explode.
To use this solution, mix equal parts of sugar and baking soda. Sugar acts as bait, luring work ants and common household ants in. They end up eating both the baking soda and the sugar crystals. Male ants also carry them back to the nest so the entire colony can feed. While this method can help get rid of sugar ants and other ants in your home, it can create an ant trail. It is best to use it to kill ants from the outside.
It is another potent remedy that can help get rid of sugar ants, carpenter ants, fire ants ad other insects like bed bugs and roaches. This ant killer works by piercing the ant’s exoskeleton, causing dehydration.
You may see results within a day or two after application, though it may take longer with larger populations of ants. The chemical eradicates ants that come across it, often a small fraction of the ant colony. Diatomaceous earth is an inexpensive ant bait and non-toxic for both pets and kids.
Essential oils are effective repellents, driving sugar ants away from your house. The mint and citrus odors produced by cloves and tea oils often have adverse reactions in many ants. One of the popular concoctions that DIY enthusiasts use is a blend of lemon, peppermint, clove, and tea tree oils. Pour 3-5 drops of each essential oil then warm it in a microwave to activate it. Once the mixture warms up, pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the essential oil lightly around crevices, cracks, and anywhere that ants use to get into your home until the surface is damp, not wet. Repeat the procedure daily until ants leave your home.
Another effective deterrent is boric acid. This poison kills sugar ants, including the queen, within three weeks of exposure. It works by eroding the ant’s stomach and shell.
To create a solution, mix half a teaspoon of boric acid with eight teaspoons of sugar, then pour a cup of warm water. Stir the mixture until the contents dissolve. Create small cotton balls, then dip them in the solution before placing them strategically around your home.
You can also pour the solution into ant hills nearby, or anywhere worker ants live. Remember to keep boric acid away from pets and your children as it is poisonous.
When homemade sugar ant traps and other DIY solutions can’t prevent sugar ants, it is time to call in the professionals. They know what fire ant treatment or remedy works best for pharaoh ants, scout ants and other insects, and problematic ant species. Professional exterminators often use ant baits that prevent sugar ants’ damage. Superior to any pest control method, the solutions we use can remove sugar ant nests from their hideouts then kill them. So don’t let any crazy ants drive you up the wall.
Skymark Pest has plenty of experience in pest control and can help you get rid of sugar ants that won’t go away by removing food or water supply. We use both natural and chemical methods to exterminate sugar ants depending on the level of ant infestation. If you try DIY pest control or any ant killers but don’t see results, it is time to contact the pest control professionals from Skymark Pest to smoke out these insects. Call 352-552-3290 to schedule ant control and elimination. We can help you deal with ant colonies and endless ant invasions.
