5 Proven Methods to Say Goodbye to Sugar Ants Forever

Do you have a sugar ant problem that won’t go away? These tiny pests can be incredibly persistent, marching into your home in search of food and making themselves right at home. But the good news is that getting rid of sugar ants is possible with the right methods.

Key takeaway:

Sugar ants are small ants that prefer warm and humid climates, and they can be found in Florida homes.
Signs of a sugar ant infestation include more ants crawling inside your house, wooden furniture with signs of damage, and nesting sites in crevices and behind skirting boards.
To prevent a sugar ant invasion, identify the entry points, trim garden bushes and shrubs that touch the exterior walls, and check potted plants for sugar ant nests before bringing them inside.
Sugar ants can contaminate food and transmit diseases, making it essential to take immediate action against them.
To keep sugar ants out of your home, keep your kitchen clean and remove the food sources they are attracted to, seal entry points, and use ant baits with borax as an active ingredient or repel them with peppermint and vinegar odors.
Cleaning and maintaining your home can help eliminate food sources, reduce the chances of an infestation, and maintain good hygiene.
Five proven methods to eliminating sugar ants include using diatomaceous earth, cornstarch, and essential oils; homemade cleaners such as soap and water and vinegar; baking soda and borax; ant traps; and calling a pest control service.

In this article, we’ll explore five proven methods to eliminate sugar ants once and for all. From simple home remedies to commercial products, we’ve got you covered. So, whether you’re dealing with a minor infestation or a full-blown sugar ant takeover, read on to find out how to say goodbye to sugar ants forever.

Invasion of Sugar Ants in Florida

Florida is known for its warm climate, beaches and insects. One of the most common pests in the State is sugar ants. These ants prefer warm and humid climates, which makes Florida homes suitable for them to live in throughout the year. As moisture threatens the colonies of these ants, they move indoors to breed in crevices of your kitchen and bathroom.

Understanding Sugar Ants Characteristics, Habitats, and Behavior Patterns

Sugar ants Florida are small in size and are 5 to 15 mm long. They have a rusty, orange-brown body, a small waist, and large blackheads. You can differentiate sugar ants Florida from other ants based on their features.

Sugar ants live in forests and woodlands and are found in:

Soil
Twigs of trees
Rocks
Holes in wood

These ants consume:

Honeydew from aphids
Sugary foods
Secretions of various plants

Tiny sugar ants are nocturnal,i.e., inactive during the day and start their activities at night. They go foraging two hours before and two hours after dusk.

Signs of a Sugar Ant Infestation

More ants are crawling inside your house.
Your wooden furniture has signs of damage.
You can see the nesting sites of sugar ants in crevices and behind skirting boards.

Tips on Identifying the Entry Points

You can prevent their invasion by identifying the entry points of black sugar ants. Here is what you need to do:

Look for any cracks in your foundation walls and other low points.
Trim your garden bushes and shrubs that touch the exterior walls.

Check your potted plants for sugar ant nests before bringing them inside.

Sugar Ant Infestation Areas and Health Hazards

Sugar ants can make a nest almost everywhere. You can find them in the cracks or crevices around your home, kitchen countertops, cabinets, sinks, trash cans, under refrigerators, and dishwashers.

These tiny sugar ants can contaminate food and transmit serious diseases as they move through areas that have germs. Consuming food that these ants were roaming around can cause an E.coli infection, etc.

Importance of Preventing Infestation of Sugar Ants in House

It is essential to take immediate action against sugar ants in the house due to the following reasons:

Hygiene and health implications
Damage to property and furniture
Difficult to control

How to Get Rid of Sugar Ants? Tips to Keep Them Out of Your Home

To keep sugar ants out of your home, you can follow these simple tips:

One of the best ways to get rid of these ants is to keep your kitchen clean and remove the food sources (sugar) they are attracted to.
Seal the entry points to your home to prevent them from entering. Another option could be to sprinkle some talcum powder on sugar ants when you see them and then vacuum up the mess.
A temporary way to kill sugar ants is to use ant sprays. However, a better approach would be to use an ant bait with borax as an active ingredient. You could try mixing 8 ounces of mint jelly with two tablespoons of borax. Once you are done, you can place the mixture on top of tape around countertops, crevices, etc.
You can repel these ants using peppermint and vinegar odors. The ants hate this odor and will stay away from the areas where you have used it. If you know about the exact location of the ant colony, pour boiling water into the hole to wipe out the colony.

Importance of Cleaning Your Home

Cleaning and maintaining your home helps to:

Eliminate the food sources
Reduce the chances of an infestation
Maintain good hygiene

Following these steps you can get rid of the sources which can cause sugar ants’ invasion.

How to Kill Sugar Ants?

Here are 5 proven methods to eliminate sugar ants:

Home Remedies for Sugar Ants

1) Diatomaceous Earth (Silicon Dioxide), Cornstarch & Essential Oils

Here’s a list of ingredients that can help you to eliminate sugar ants:

Diatomaceous earth kills sugar ants by absorbing the oils in their skeleton, which dries them out. You can sprinkle it on ants whenever you see them.
Cornstarch is an effective food substance to eliminate ants if they ingest it.
You can mix 20 drops of essential oils like peppermint and cinnamon with 8 ounces of water and spray it along the ant trails.

2) Homemade Cleaners

Using a mixture of soap and water, you can eliminate a constant trail of ants.
Vinegar can help to remove the pheromone scent of ants. You can mix vinegar and water and wipe different surfaces using this spray to get rid of sugar ants in the kitchen.

3) Baking Soda and Borax

You can mix baking soda with powdered sugar and place this mixture near the entry points of the sugar ant’s nest. The ants will consume the mixture, which will react with their digestive system and create carbon dioxide.
Borax is another natural sugar ant killer; mix it with ½ cup of water and ½ cup of sugar water and dip cotton balls in it. Afterward, you can place the soaked cotton balls near the ant trail.

Pros and Cons of Home Remedies

Pros:

Safe and environment friendly
Affordable

Cons:

Can be ineffective
Some ingredients can be harmful
Require frequent application

Chemical Methods

TERRO T300 Liquid Ant Bait

It is a 6-station borax-based ant bait that attracts the sugar ants. They ants will taste it and will carry it to the nest to share with others.

Advion Ant Gel Insecticide with Plunge

Advion is an indoxacarb-based bait that is effective in controlling sugar ants indoors. It uses 0.05% of indoxacarb which is a fast-acting stomach poison.

Maxforce Ant Bait Gel-Ant Poison

Maxforce uses fipronil as an active ingredient and is effective in getting rid of sugar ants in 3-5 days. You can place the bait in the cracks and corners to attract the ants.

Termidor Foam

It is a fipronil-based treatment that is sprayed in the wall holes. As the foam is dense, the ants won’t be able to come out and will eventually die in a few days.

Termidor SC Termiticide

Termiticide uses 9% fipronil as an insecticide and effectively kills sugar ants outdoors. However, it can also be used indoors to control the infestation.

Pros and Cons of Chemical Methods

Pros:

Quick and effective
Long-lasting results
Good option to control large infestations

Cons:

Can be harmful
Expensive
Can cause ants to be resistant to the chemicals

Hire Professional Exterminators

If a sugar ant infestation has taken over your house, the best option is to hire experienced pest control experts. These specialists are familiar with the recent techniques, where sugar ants are most likely to hide in your house, and how often they occur.

Conclusion

Sugar ants can be a real problem, but you can get rid of them permanently with the right techniques. As soon as you become aware of an infestation, you should take action, whether using natural or chemical remedies. You can eliminate sugar ants and enjoy a pest-free home once more by keeping your home clean, blocking entry points, applying bait, and contacting experts when necessary.

FAQs

Do sugar ants bite? Yes, sugar ants bite, but their bite can only cause problems if you are allergic to them.
How to get rid of sugar ants naturally? You can use homemade detergents using vinegar and dish soap. In addition, you can also try essential oils, borax, baking soda, etc., to get rid of sugar ants in house.
How to get rid of sugar ants in Florida? To get rid of sugar ants Florida you can seal the entry points, use baits and insecticides and call professional services if required.
How to get rid of sugar ants in kitchen? You can deep clean your kitchen, wipe the countertops, store sugary foods in jars, and keep the trash can clean to get rid of sugar ants in kitchen.
What is the best way to get rid of sugar ants? One of the best ways to get rid of sugar ants is to use a mixture of borax and water. Borax acts as a natural ant killer and will effectively kill them.

References:

David Tormin

David is a certified entomologist with over 15 years of experience in the pest control industry. He has a deep passion for all things insects and is an expert in identifying and managing various pest species. John is also an avid gardener and enjoys using natural and organic methods to control pests in his own garden.