Dealing with sugar ants in your kitchen? If these tiny pests are marching across your countertops and sneaking into your food, you are not alone. Sugar ants are a common nuisance. They can contaminate your food, trigger allergies, and make your kitchen feel far from clean.

This blog is here to break down simple, effective ways to get rid of sugar ants for good and take back control of your home.

What are Sugar Ants?

Sugar ants are small ants that love to feast on sweet foods, hence their name. Usually measuring between 1/8 and 1/4 inches in length, sugar ants are frequently confused with other ant species, including the dreadful carpenter ants.

There are several types of sugar ants, including odorous house ants, pharaoh ants, and pavement ants. Sugar ants are drawn to sweet foods and sugary scraps, as well as fats, proteins (which they obtain by consuming other insects), and plant pollen.

When they locate a food source, they transport the food back to their nest for the entire colony to consume.

How to Get Rid of Sugar Ants: 9 Effective Solutions

• Apply Water Spray & Dish Soap

  Using a solution of dish soap and water is one of the easiest yet most efficient ways to get rid of sugar ants in the house.

  How it Works:

  • Fill a spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish soap.
  • Directly mist the ants you see with the mixture.
  • The ants are coated in soap, which suffocates them and so lowers their population.

  This approach is environmentally friendly and safe for your house.

• Apply a Solution of White Vinegar

  Many people do not consider vinegar, a common household item, to be an effective ant repellent. But guess what? It is one of the most effective weapons against these intruders!

  How it Works:

  • In a spray bottle, combine equal parts white vinegar and water.
  • Spray the impacted areas, paying special attention to entryways and countertops.

  Ants find it more difficult to communicate and navigate when the strong vinegar smell interferes with their pheromone trails.

• Use Essential Oils Such as Lemon, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Tea Tree

  Oils like peppermint, tea tree, and lemon eucalyptus act as natural repellents. Not only do the ants dislike the scent, but many essential oils possess insecticidal properties, effectively reducing the population.

  How it Works:

  • In a spray bottle, combine a few drops of essential oil with water.
  • Spray the mixture around the home, especially where you’ve noticed ant activity.

  Essential oils have two uses: they repel ants and smell amazing.

• Pour Boiling Water Into Ant Nests

  If you can locate the ant nest, it’s good for you! Now, boiling water can be the best way to get rid of sugar ants.

  How it Works:

  • Boil a kettle of water.
  • Directly pour the boiling water into the nest and throughout their pathways.
  • The extreme heat will kill ants on contact.

  This method is highly efficient. A single application can provide immediate results. Sometimes, you may need to repeat it several times for full effectiveness.

• Employ Ant Baits Based on Boric Acid or Borax

  A well-known insecticide that works well against a range of pests, including sugar ants, is boric acid.

  How it Works:

  • Combine boric acid, sugar, and water to make a bait.
  • Put the bait in well-chosen spots away from kids and pets.

  The entire colony is essentially poisoned when the ants eat the bait and bring it back to their nest.

• Install Sugar and Baking Soda Traps

  This is a delightful solution to your sugar ant problems.

  How it Works:

  • To make a bait, mix equal parts sugar and baking soda.
  • Ants are attracted to the sugar, while baking soda acts as a toxin when ingested.
  • Place the bait in areas with high activity.

  This method is one of the excellent natural ways to get rid of sugar ants that won’t harm your environment.

• Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

  Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural powder that can be effective against sugar ants.

  How it Works:

  • Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth in areas where you’ve seen ants.
  • The tiny particles scratch and dehydrate ants when they walk over them.
  • As they tread through DE, ants lose moisture and eventually die.

  The best part is that DE is safe to use around pets and children when it is food grade.

• Try Natural Deterrents

  You can get rid of sugar ants in the kitchen or pantry by using the solutions present in the kitchen itself! Let’s examine a few successful deterrents:

  • Coffee Grinds Scatter spent coffee grinds around the entrances. Ants tend to stay away from the odor.
  • Bay Leaves Store dried bay leaves in the kitchen drawers or pantry. Ants are successfully repelled by their aroma.
  • Black Pepper Ant trails may be disturbed and deterred by sprinkling ground black pepper.
  • Cucumber Peels The presence of cucumber peels repels ants. Put them in the vicinity of the impacted locations.
  • Lemon Juice Because lemon juice is so acidic, it can interfere with the ants’ scent trails. Combine with water and mist.
  • Corn Starch Like baking soda, cornstarch can be used as a trap, but it may take longer to see results.
  • Neem Oil Known for its numerous benefits, neem oil can deter many pests, including ants, when diluted and sprayed in nests or routes.

• Buy Commercial Ant Bait Stations

  If DIY methods aren’t your thing, several commercial options are available on the market.

  How it Works:

  • Purchase bait stations that entice sugar ants to come in, consuming poison meant to eliminate them.
  • Place the bait stations near ant trails and nests.
  • Be patient! It can take a few days to see results as the bait works its way through the colony.

  Quality commercial baits can provide substantial long-term solutions if used correctly.

• Consult a Professional Pest Control

  Sometimes, the ant problem requires more than a DIY approach.

  How it Works:

  • Contact pest control professionals to assess your situation.
  • They will come for an inspection to identify the type of ant and provide tailored solutions.
  • In the end, you just need to give them the go-ahead, and voilà, your ant issues will be gone for good!

  Professionals have access to advanced treatments and preventative measures. By seeking professional help, you can find resolutions faster.

What are the Differences Between Carpenter Ants and Sugar Ants?

Something common between carpenter ants and sugar ants is that you can use ant gels, baits, Lysol, alcohol, diatomaceous earth, and borax to get rid of both of them. Otherwise, the differences between them are quite significant. Let’s understand through this table:-