Don't Let Kitchen Pissants Bug You! Here's How To Remove Them

Pissants, also known as sugar ants, can be extremely annoying when they invade your kitchen. These tiny black ants love sweets and can quickly overrun your counters and cabinets in search of food. Getting rid of kitchen pissants takes some diligence, but is absolutely possible with the right techniques.

Identifying Pissants

Before implementing control solutions, it's important to confirm that the ants plaguing your kitchen are indeed pissants. Here are some identification clues:

• Size: Approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, very tiny
• Color: Dark brown to black
• Behavior: Follow scent trails along cracks, swarm food sources
• Preference for sweets and sugary substances

If you see throngs of miniscule black ants marching single file across your countertops and congregation around any food particles or spills, you can safely assume they are pissants.

Difference From Other Ants

Pissants can be differentiated from other common ant pests like carpenter ants and pharaoh ants by their tiny size, food preferences, and trailing behavior.

Finding Their Entry Points

Cutting off pissants' access is key for reducing indoor populations. Carefully inspect your kitchen to find and seal up any cracks or openings that ants could be exploiting to enter.

Inspecting for Cracks and Crevices

Problem areas to check include:

• Along floor edges and baseboards
• Under sinks and around pipes
• Near windows and doors

Pay special attention near areas where you frequently see ants trailing. Apply caulk or weather stripping to seal up any potential entryways.

Tracking Ant Trails

Follow pissants' pheromone trails to locate nests and main entry points. The ants will lead you back to where they're accessing the kitchen. Concentrate your sealing efforts near these known problem spots.

Removing Food Sources

Without access to sugary food and water, pissants struggle to survive indoors. Be meticulous about storing food properly and cleaning up any messes.

Storing Food in Sealed Containers

Keep pantry items like flour, sugar, syrups, and cereal in airtight containers. Refrigerate fruit, baked goods, and other sweets ants target.

Never leave dirty dishes sitting out, as leftovers or even just traces of food attract these pests.

Cleaning Up Sugary Messes

Immediately clean up any spills of juice, soda, honey, candy, etc. that pissants will swarm. Pay special attention under appliances where sticky messes can accumulate unnoticed.

Daily sweeping and mopping also helps remove crumbs and residue that serve as an invitation to ants.

Using Ant Killer Baits

Ant baits containing boric acid or other insecticidal ingredients provide effective control when placed strategically around the kitchen.

Placement Tips

Position baits:

• Near pissant entry points
• Along major foraging trails
• Under appliances and in secluded areas

Effective Bait Active Ingredients

Look for baits containing:

• Boric acid
• Fipronil
• Abamectin
• Hydramethylnon

These will safely eliminate pissant colonies when brought back to the nest.

Bait Station Types

Liquid gel baits, granular baits, and solid bait discs can all be effective. Match placement to areas with the highest pissant traffic.

Applying Sprays and Powders

In conjunction with baits, direct sprays and dusts provide added control.

Spraying Ant Trails and Nests

Insecticide sprays containing pyrethroids directly kill ants on contact. Target trails, nests found under appliances, and other concentrated areas.

Dusting Entry Points and Cracks

Puff boric acid or diatomaceous earth into cracks and crevices. This abrasive powder damages pissants' exoskeletons and deters entry.

Sealing up Entry Points

As a final step after addressing food and deploying chemical treatments, seal ants' entryways to prevent future invasions.

Caulk cracks and holes wherever pissants could get in. Ensure doors and windows are properly weatherstripped and use door sweeps if needed.

Calling an Exterminator for Severe Infestations

For very heavy ant populations, or if you're unable to successfully DIY, call a professional exterminator. They have access to more potent insecticides and can implement treatment plans targeting the entire home and surrounding exterior.

Stop problems before they start by:

• Eliminating moisture leaks
• Keeping the kitchen spotless
• Taking out trash frequently
• Sealing cracks and crevices

With diligence, you can definitively get rid of kitchen pissants and enjoy an ant-free space again.