How To Get Rid of Sugar Ants In Your Home

In Florida, one easy way to pick out tourists from locals is watching how people eat lunch. Rest a half-eaten banana on the picnic table? Tourist. Wipe up a drip of jam immediately? Local.

That drip may attract invasive sugar ants, which are a huge hassle to have in your home. Below are some ways to get rid of them.

But please keep in mind that outside of your house, many species of native ants are important members of the natural world. Some even protect endangered butterflies and plants. So let those be, says Josiah Kilburn, who runs an ant research project at Morehead State University in Kentucky.

“You should not kill an ant outside unless you can confirm it is invasive,” Kilburn says. “Killing native ants only perpetuates the invasive pest species they compete with.”

To find which species are native, Kilburn recommends asking the community on iNaturalist or sending him an email. “I will gladly answer!” he says.

About the Experts

Mark Hoddle, Ph.D. is an entomologist at University of California, Riverside. He runs a research program focusing on controlling sugar ants in commercial citrus orchards.

James Trager, Ph.D., an entomologist with the Myrmecological News Blog, is writing a guide to the ants of Missouri.

Eric Braun is a board-certified entomologist and technical service manager for Terminix.

Walt Cline runs DIY Pest Control and has been licensed in pest control in Georgia since 1982.

Josiah Kilburn runs a research project at Morehead State University about the ants of Kentucky.

What Are Sugar Ants?

Sugar ant is a generic term used to describe the tiny ants that raid the spilled soda, honey and birthday cake left on our counters. Worldwide, thousands of ant species feed on natural sugars produced by plants and aphids. The ones you’re most likely to find in your home searching for human-made sweets include:

• Carpenter ants;
• Argentine ants;
• Crazy ants;
• Ghost ants;
• Odorous house ants;
• Immigrant pavement ants;
• Valentine (aka acrobat) ants;
• Pharaoh ants;
• Fire ants, although these are less common.

“A notorious sugar ant is the Argentine ant, a globally invasive pest,” says Hoddle. “This ant species forms long, linear trails from its underground nests to the food source.”

What Causes Sugar Ants in the House?

Sweet-tasting and protein-rich foods attract sugar ants. Water can, too, especially when it’s hot outside.

“Most ants prefer starches [sugar] during the summertime and proteins in the springtime,” says Cline. “Spring ants have to restore and build up the colony from a long winter, and protein is needed for this.”

Do Sugar Ants Bite?

No. All ant species can bite and some can sting, but it’s unlikely the ones in your house will do much of either. The exception: Fire ants, which will definitely bite.

“Most small ants do not bite, and if they did bite their mandibles are so small you would likely not feel it,” says Braun. “But larger ants, such as carpenter ants, give a little bit of a pinch.”

Some house ants also produce noxious scents. “However, most ants that enter houses are shy when interrupted from their feeding, and usually flee rather than act aggressively,” says Trager.

How To Get Rid of Sugar Ants

Sometimes it’s enough to clean counters frequently, empty trash cans regularly and store any food ants are attracted to in airtight containers. This includes pet food.

“As long as these guidelines are followed, a loan ant wandering in one’s house should not be cause for alarm,” says Trager. “Most likely she — yes, all forager ants are genetically female — is just searching for a treasure trove of food, which she won’t find, or perhaps is just lost.”

If that doesn’t work, here are some other strategies to try. Identifying the species can also tailor your strategy, because not all of these approaches work on all species.

Bait pesticides

Many pest-control experts use slow-acting non-repellent liquid or dust-based baits like Termidor or Taurus, which are sprayed on the outside of the home. Some species also respond to small indoor bait traps like Terro.

Either way, Hoddle says, “Ants eat the toxin-infused sugar matrix, return it to the nest and feed it to nest mates, including the reproductive queens. After a day or two, if the ants are taking the bait, colonies collapse and die as the toxin reaches a lethal concentration in the nest.”

If you go with small liquid baits, Cline recommends changing baits often, because the liquid tends to harden quickly.

Also:

• Choose a starch (sugar) or protein base, depending on the ants’ preference.
• Apply it along the interior or exterior perimeter.
• For some species, non-toxic diatomaceous earth can also work.
• Baits that aren’t slow-acting might work for a while. But they’ll ultimately kill the worker ants too quickly, before the pesticide becomes concentrated enough in the nest.

Most of these products claim to be safe for pets and children if you follow the manufacturer’s directions. That often includes only using them outdoors, avoiding contact with skin, not inhaling them, and keeping kids and pets far away until they’re dry.

“It’s important to always be cautious of where materials are applied,” says Braun. “Always obey labels, and ensure safety is the number one priority with applying products.”

Exclusion

Inspect the outside perimeter of your home for potential nests and ant entry points. Use caulk to plug any holes. “Keep in mind when looking for areas that ants can access, you will be looking for very, very small holes,” says Braun.

After sealing an ant entryway, pour a 50-50 mixture of dish soap and water over the ants’ trail to kill any in transit and remove pheromones. This was an old trick of Kilburn’s dad, and Kilburn researched the science behind why it works.

“You can also apply an insect slip barrier [made from Fluon, a Teflon-derivative chemical, or baby powder mixed with isopropyl alcohol] to whatever surface they would need to climb to access the sugar,” says Kilburn.

FAQs

What scents keep sugar ants away?

Essential oils of mint, catnip and cinnamon, as well as household disinfectants, vinegar, air fresheners and insect repellents, can have some effect. But they tend to be weak and wear off quickly, says Hoddle.

Does vinegar kill sugar ants?

Only by drowning them in the liquid, Hoddle and Kilburn say. It can, however, repel them. In some cases, it can also prevent ants from recognizing one another.