Dealing with the sugar ants problem at your house

When it comes to pests and insects, ants are probably the largest part of the group. Did you know that there are over 12000 kinds of recognised species of ants? What about that they are among the most social insects living in enormous groups and colonies, of millions of ants? And so, ants are everywhere, and they are the guests no one wants, but end up dealing with them.

Irrespective of where you live, you might have had an encounter with these frustrating bunches, feasting on the food crumbs and crawling around the house. There is no doubt that finding ants in your house, kitchen or living room can be frustrating. But, getting rid of them is a little challenging compared to other crawlers.

How to identify sugar ants?

There are so many kinds of ants, some are poisonous and dangerous, some have painful stings, while others are just an inconvenience, Speaking of sugar ants, as the name suggests, they are a group of ants that are attracted to sugary foods and sugar-rich products.

These ants are fairly small compared to others and have distinctive orange-brownish bodies with black heads. While being smaller to their ants, you may find sugar ants of different sizes within a colony. And this variation is driven by their role in the group. The worker ants are the smallest, while the soldier ants are comparatively bigger. The queen ant is the largest one in the group.

How and why do you find them in your homes?

Like most other small insects, sugar ants love to stay in moist and warm habitats. And our homes serve them perfectly, with an abundance of food sources and a comfortable climate. You might often find them nesting into old wood furniture, underneath rocks, in the soil or in cracks. Our homes have enough supply for ant food, like food crumbs, leftover food, stocked and unattended food etc. Apart from sweet food, sugar ants also feed on plants and other small insects.

How to protect your home from these unwanted invaders?

Ants are inherently aggressive and can be easily aggravated. And when bothered, they use their huge numbers to their advantage and charge the enemy. While the domestic sugar ants aren’t dangerous to humans, their bites can be painful and itchy. They bite and secrete an acid that would leave you with an itchy red mark for some time.

Due to their large numbers, you can’t run around smashing them or wipe them out of the house. But, you can surely take measures to get rid of them for good. Here are some tips and tricks from the insect control experts at Rove Pest Control

1.   Wipe of the food spills and litter

The food splits and crumbs, often go unattended, and this invites the sugar ants. So, try to keep your kitchen counter and house clean of any food spills, especially the sugary ones.

2.   Keep your containers tightly sealed

You might want to keep your cookie jars, candies and other containers tightly sealed. This would keep them out of reach of the ants and keep them away from your treats.

3.  Using kitchen ingredients to your rescue

You can use coffee grinds, cinnamon powder, and garlic to keep the ants out of the place. Acid in the coffee is harsh for the ants. While garlic and cinnamon powder act as a natural deterrent. You can also spray a vinegar + water mix around the area to work as a deterrent.

Author: WebEditor

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *