This is a guide for how to get rid of sugar ants. A lot of people have problems with these little critters, and they’re not easy to get rid of. We’ll show you several different methods for eradicating them from your home or yard.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Sugar ants are attracted to sweet and sugary food. |
| Keep your house clean and free of clutter to prevent sugar ants from entering. |
| Properly store food and seal containers to prevent sugar ants from contaminating food. |
| Natural remedies, such as vinegar and lemon juice, can be used to get rid of sugar ants. |
| It may take several days to eliminate sugar ant infestations completely. |
Bait Traps
Bait traps are the most effective way to get rid of sugar ants. The sweet-smelling bait attracts the ants, who then carry it back to their nest and share it with other members of the colony. Once they eat enough of the poison, they die off.
The best bait to use is a sweet food like molasses or honey, as these are what attract sugar ants in the first place. Simply place a thin line on your countertop (or wherever you see them) and let them do their thing!
Tired of ants invading your home? Learn how to get rid of ants permanently with our step-by-step guide on getting rid of ants permanently. Our effective methods will help you eliminate ant infestations for good
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils can be used to repel ants and other insects. Essential oils have a strong smell that bugs don’t like, and they won’t harm your children or pets in any way.
There are several different ways you can use essential oils to get rid of ants, but the most common is by mixing them with water and spraying it on areas where there are ants or ant nests.
Some people prefer using natural remedies over chemicals because they’re safer for humans and animals alike; others simply find that they work better than traditional methods.
Either way, if you’ve been having trouble getting rid of sugar ants but feel like it’s not worth using toxic chemicals around your home, try using natural repellents instead!
Set Out A Vinegar Trap
Vinegar is a natural ant killer and a great way to get rid of sugar ants. It’s cheap, effective and easy to use, so it’s no wonder that vinegar is one of the most popular solutions for dealing with sugar ants.
| Materials Needed | Steps |
|---|---|
| Apple cider vinegar | 1. Pour apple cider vinegar into a shallow dish. |
| Dish soap | 2. Mix in a small amount of dish soap to break the vinegar’s surface tension. |
| Plastic wrap | 3. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and poke several small holes in the wrap for ants to enter. |
| Rubber band | 4. Secure the plastic wrap to the dish with a rubber band. |
| Placement | 5. Place the trap near ant colonies or where they travel. |
| Monitor and replace | 6. Monitor the trap, discard dead ants, and replenish the vinegar as needed. |
Set Up A Lemon Juice Trap
To set up a lemon juice trap:
- Cut off the top and bottom of a plastic container.
- Pour in about 2 tablespoons of water, then add enough sugar to cover it entirely (about 1/4 cup).
- Top with thinly sliced lemon and place on your counter.
To use this trap to get rid of ants:
Leave the top off for 24 hours so that ants can easily find and enter it. They will be drawn to the scent of sweet liquid and climb inside via any cracks or gaps they can find.
Once they’re inside, they will be unable to escape without drowning in their own weight due to lack of oxygen in such a small space (we’ve all seen what happens when someone hurls themselves into a swimming pool!).
Ants in the house can be a real problem, but don’t worry, we’ve got an easy solution for you. Check out our comprehensive guide on getting rid of ants in the house and learn simple tips and tricks to keep your home ant-free.
Sprinkle Spices
Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, or pepper around the ant hill. You can also use a cotton swab to sprinkle the spices directly onto the ants. If you do this, make sure not to get any water on them as they will drown! You can also mix these spices with water and paint them on the ants.
- Use coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are another good way to get rid of sugar ants because they’re acidic and will dehydrate them over time (which is what you want).
Spray Vinegar Directly On The Ants
If you have ants in your home, the first thing to do is determine if they’re sugar ants or another type of ant. If you’re not sure how to identify them, check out our guide on how to tell if you have sugar ants.
Once you’ve identified that the pests are indeed sugar ants, the next step is to get rid of them before they become a problem. To do this effectively, there are two main things that need to be done:
First, make sure not to use any pesticides or other dangerous chemicals around food or where humans will be eating/drinking.
That’s why vinegar is one of our favorite options for dealing with sugar ants because it’s safe and effective against these little critters without being harmful to humans (or pets).
Just be careful not spray it on plants or animals! And definitely don’t spray vinegar directly into your mouth (unless maybe those are your only options).
Second, clean up after yourself after eating something sweet—especially sticky things like candy bars or cookies—since these snacks tend attract more than just non-sugar types of insects such as fruit flies too!
Flying ants can be quite annoying and hard to deal with, but fret not, we’ve got you covered. Our expert guide on getting rid of flying ants will provide you with excellent tips and tricks to get rid of these pesky insects for good
Use Boric Acid And Sugar
If you’d like to kill ants and deter them from coming back, boric acid is an effective option. Boric acid is a toxic powder that can be purchased at pet stores, garden centers and hardware stores. You can use it to make a paste with sugar that will stick to the ants when they consume it.
Mix two tablespoons of sugar with one teaspoon of boric acid powder or dust. You can also use honey or peanut butter instead of sugar if you prefer these sweeteners instead.
Apply this sticky paste directly onto areas where you see ants, such as under sinks or around garbage cans or countertops in your house (or wherever else these pests seem to be).
If needed, you can even place the bait directly on top of ant trails inside walls if necessary so long as there aren’t any other people living nearby who might come into contact with it accidentally (such as children).
Set A Bay Leaf Trap
You can keep ants away with bay leaves. Bay leaves are a natural repellent and they don’t kill the ants, so you won’t have to worry about them returning once they leave.
It is important that you place the bay leaves in areas where you see ants, instead of trying to cover every inch of your home.
If there are small holes in your walls or floorboards that lead into other rooms, this may be where the ants come from and placing a bay leaf trap there will help protect your whole home from becoming infested with sugar ants!
Ants in the kitchen can contaminate your food and make it unsafe to eat. Don’t let these tiny insects ruin your day. Read our guide on getting rid of ants in the kitchen to discover easy-to-follow tips and tricks on how to keep your kitchen ant-free.
Boil Water And Pour It Over The Ant Hill Or Around Your Property
To kill these ants, you must first find where they are located. This can be done by looking for the trails of sugar ants or by observing where they are entering your home.
Once you have identified the source of their infestation, you will want to prepare a mixture of water and sugar using the following ratio: 1 cup sugar + 1 gallon water = ant bait solution.
Next, boil some water in a saucepan or pot on your stovetop until it reaches about 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius).
Make sure that you do not boil alive any ants that may be in the boiling pan; however, if you do boil one accidentally, do not worry!
You can still use this mixture as an effective way of killing off entire colonies because boiling causes enough damage that it would eventually lead to death anyway (if only after several minutes).
Once boiled and cooled down slightly (but still hot), pour this solution onto any cracks or crevices where these creatures might enter through into your home.
You can also spray around perimeter areas where they might come up from underground habitats such as lawns or gardens with this liquid by using either a garden hose attachment or hand pump sprayer
Use Salt To Kill Them And Get Rid Of Them
You can use salt to get rid of sugar ants, but it takes time. Salt will kill the ants by drying them out. It will also make them move away from your property if you sprinkle it around your home to keep the sugar ants away.
Salt is easy to use, but it does take time for the sugar ant colony to die off after you’ve sprinkled salt on their nests and trails. You’ll probably have to reapply several times during the summer season before all of your problems are gone permanently.
Prevention is better than cure, and this holds true for ant infestations. Keep ants away from your home with our helpful guide on keeping ants away. With simple and practical methods, you can ensure that you have an ant-free home all year round.
Use Baking Soda To Kill Them — And With No Chemical Concerns
Baking soda is a natural ant killer, and it’s non-toxic to humans and pets. The only concern you should have is that baking soda can mess with delicate plants (it can cause leaf spotting), so you might want to avoid putting it directly on your plant soil or leaves.
To use baking soda against ants:
Sprinkle the baking soda around any areas where you see ants coming in and around your house — for example, near doors, windowsills or any other entrances/exits from your home.
If an ant trail goes into your house, sprinkle some of the baking soda directly over the trail (this will help kill off the entire colony).
You may need repeat applications if more than one application of sugar ants appear each year (for example, during spring season when they’re migrating back outside after winter hibernation).
Conclusion
Make sure you have all your supplies on hand before you start. Keep in mind that while these methods will work, they may not be the most effective way to get rid of ants in your home.
If there are large numbers of ants and they’re still coming back after several days, contact a professional pest control company for help.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources you can use to get more information on how to get rid of sugar ants:
Bob Vila: How to Get Rid of Sugar Ants A comprehensive guide with several methods for getting rid of sugar ants, including both natural and chemical options.
The Spruce: How to Get Rid of Sugar Ants This resource provides step-by-step instructions on how to eliminate sugar ants from your house, including tips on prevention and eradication.
Today’s Homeowner: Sugar Ants – Identification and Control This guide provides information on how to identify and control sugar ant infestations, including a variety of home remedies and prevention methods.
FAQs
What are Sugar Ants?
Sugar ants are a common name for several species of ants that are attracted to sugary and sweet foods. They usually build their nests in soil, decaying wood, and other dark, damp areas.
How do I get rid of Sugar Ants in my kitchen?
Keeping your kitchen clean and storing food properly is the best prevention method. However, if you already have a sugar ant infestation in your kitchen, you can use natural remedies, such as vinegar and lemon juice, or bait traps to get rid of them.
How can I prevent Sugar Ants from entering my home?
You can prevent sugar ants from entering your home by properly sealing food containers, cleaning up food spills, and keeping your house clean and free of clutter.
Can Sugar Ants harm humans?
Sugar ants are not harmful to humans, and they do not carry diseases. However, their presence in your house can be a nuisance and lead to contamination of food.
How long does it take to get rid of Sugar Ants?
The time it takes to get rid of sugar ants depends on the severity of the infestation and the method used. Typically, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to completely eliminate them from your house.
Hello! I’m Hellen James, and I write about how to keep pests from invading your home. For the last 10 years, I’ve been working in pest control and am excited to share my expertise with you!
