Sugar ants as the name suggests, are ants that are drawn to sugar and sweet substances. Not to mention, they are a health hazard for every property. Sugar Ants spoil food and beverages with the germs and bacteria they carry on themselves which leads to health disorders and illnesses in people.
The banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus), also known as the sugar ant, is a species of ant native to Australia
These pests are also capable of causing damage to buildings by way of their nests. Their chewing habits can damage wiring and insulation in properties. If you have found a colony of sugar ants in your home, read this blog to know about ways that can help you get rid of these pests:
Essential oils such as peppermint, lemongrass, orange and cinnamon can be used for repelling these ants. Dilute a few drops of any of these oils in a few cups of water and then spray this solution on areas that are infested with these ants. The fragrance of essential oils irritates ants and hence causes them to leave your property.
Sprinkling coffee grounds on entry points such as window sills, door frames, edges of walls, inside cabinets, etc. can help in repelling sugar ants to a large extent. The coffee grounds won’t necessarily kill them but will act to repel them and hence drive them away from your property to find a home elsewhere.
Mix vinegar and water to eliminate any pheromone trails created by sugar ants to attract more ants from their colonies to the particular spot where there is food. Sprinkle this solution alongside baseboards, window sills, ledges, door thresholds, and all other surfaces that ants come in contact with. Do not forget to syringe this solution into the nests.
Diatomaceous earth can work excellently in getting rid of sugar ants from any part of the property. This chemical works to cut the exoskeleton of the ants, sucking out its moisture which will dehydrate the ant.
You need to make sure that the type of diatomaceous earth is an ant-specific one. Some industry-grade versions of this chemical consist of added harmful chemicals that can be dangerous for humans as well as your pets.
Mix powdered sugar and baking soda for attracting and exterminating ants. Sprinkle this mixture near openings of nests, cracks and crevices that house ants, and also in other places where ants roam about. They would not be able to differentiate between sugar and baking soda.
Hence, they will end up taking back this mixture to their nests where it will be consumed by the other ants too. This will work to eliminate the whole colony.
Bait stations can be another effective way to trap sugar ants. The bait stations are laced with a sweet liquid that is toxic and can kill whole colonies of ants in a short time.
Borax is a chemical that has an impact on the digestive system of ants which hampers proper digestion of fats, sugars and proteins. That leads to their death due to starvation. This chemical can be used by lacing ant traps with sugar granules.
Insecticides are easily available in hardware stores and are efficient in eliminating sugar ants. Insecticides cause ants to die almost instantaneously.
Homeowners and apartment-owners experience a great deal of annoyance when there are sugar ants roaming around inside homes. Do not wait for the ants to cause significant damage in your home.
Other than following appropriate cleanliness measures you also need to call a pest control professional specializing in ant control and removal. They have the required equipment and products that would work in extermination of ants in the most effective manner.
