Get Rid of Sugar Ants In Your Kitchen For Good With Simple Tricks

Dealing with a sugar ant invasion in your kitchen can be incredibly frustrating. You go to make breakfast and suddenly notice a trail of tiny ants marching across the counter, gathering around any crumbs and sticky messes left behind. While ants themselves are harmless, having them continually contaminate your food preparation areas and pantries is a problem that needs to be fixed fast. The good news is you can get rid of sugar ants in your kitchen for good using simple, natural ingredients you likely have at home already.

Identifying That You Have Sugar Ants

Before you can get rid of sugar ants, you need to make sure that's the particular species invading your kitchen. There are a few key ways to identify sugar ants:

• They are very small, measuring between 1/16-1/8 inches long
• Color varies from black to light brown
• You'll notice them on counters, floors, or anywhere near sugary foods and spills
• They follow distinct trails along the floor or wall rather than moving individually

Sugar ants get their name from being attracted to sugary substances like syrup, honey, and jelly. They love sneaking into your kitchen to feast on any crumbs or spills they can find. You may spot trails leading from a food source back to cracks in walls or cabinets where ants are entering from outside.

Confirm It's Sugar Ants

If you aren't positive the ants invading your kitchen are sugar ants, you can do a simple test to confirm. Place a drop of honey or sugary liquid on a piece of paper near where you've seen the ants. If tiny black or brown ants flock to the sugar source and follow a trail back to their entry point, you can be certain sugar ants are the culprits.

Remove All Food Sources

Ants won't hang around if there's nothing for them to eat. That's why removing any and all potential food sources is key to kicking sugar ants out of your kitchen for good. This involves:

• Cleaning up any crumbs, sticky spots, or spills on counters, tables, and the floor
• Storing sugary foods like honey and syrup in airtight containers
• Keeping surfaces like countertops, sinks, and the stove free of leftover grease or residue
• Taking out the trash regularly so it doesn't accumulate
• Sweeping and mopping floors daily

Making the kitchen as spotless and crumb-free as possible removes access to the sugary stuff ants crave. They won't stick around long if their food supply disappears.

Seal up Food

Any bagged sugar, flour, chips, etc. should be stored in airtight, sealed containers. This deprives ants of their favorite sweet and starchy treats. Wipe jars of honey, molasses, syrups, and other sugary food with a soapy cloth after each use. This removes any drips or spills ants could detect.

Use Baking Soda and Powders

Baking soda and other kitchen powders make it unpleasant for ants to cross over, disrupting their trails. For sugar ants, simply sprinkle these along areas where you've seen them marching:

• Baking Soda - Sprinkle plain along ant trails or mix with powdered sugar to trick ants into taking it back to the colony.
• Talcum Powder - The fine texture irritates ants.
• Chili Powder - Capsaicin burns ants and deters them from crossing.
• Cornmeal - The coarse granules damage ant feet and cuticles.
• Coffee Grounds - Grounds block pheromone trails ants use to navigate.

Focus on sprinkle baking soda, talc, spices, or coffee around suspected entry points like cracks along the wall or openings around pipes. The powders disrupt the ants' trails and scent markers. Reapply anytime the powder trail seems disturbed or heavy ant traffic returns.

Mix With Powdered Sugar

For a sneaky trick, mix baking soda 50/50 with powdered sugar. The sugar attracts worker ants who will unwittingly carry some baking soda back home to share. This helps poison and kill off the entire colony over time.

Draw Barriers With Chalk and Petroleum Jelly

Here's an oldie but goodie home remedy - draw a line of chalk across the ants' path, then smear a layer of petroleum jelly on top. The chalk alters the texture so ants avoid crossing over, while the petroleum jelly barrier gums up ant feet and antennae.

Try this along countertops, windowsills, door frames, or any place ants enter your kitchen. As a bonus, the petroleum jelly smells unpleasant to ants, deterring them from approaching.

Use Masking Tape

Place strips of masking tape sticky side up anywhere you see ant trails. The tape becomes a trap that ants get stuck to when trying to cross over. It won't kill them off entirely but helps block their routes to food and water sources. Just be sure to place tape out of the way so it doesn't get covered in crumbs and residue.

Make Homemade Sprays

You can quickly whip up DIY sprays using ingredients already in your pantry to kill and repel invading sugar ants:

• White Vinegar - Wipe or spray full-strength vinegar directly on ants and along their trails to disrupt scent markers.
• Citrus Juice - Mix citrus like lemon, lime, or orange juice with water to spray.
• Peppermint Castile Soap - Add 15-20 drops of peppermint oil to water with a squirt of castile soap.
• Water and Soap - A basic mix of water and dish soap kills ants on contact when sprayed.

Use these homemade solutions as instant spot treatments wherever ants are spotted. The acidity, powerful scents, and soapiness help kill and repel invading ants.

Wipe Down Surfaces

Be sure to wipe kitchen surfaces periodically with your choice of homemade spray. This removes any pheromone trails laid down by ants to help them navigate back to food. Without those chemical scent markers, ants wander aimlessly and are less likely to return.

Use Liquid Bait Traps

Liquid ant baits contain ingredients that worker ants find irresistible. They transport the bait back to feed their colonies, unknowingly poisoning the queen and entire nest over time. Here's how to use ant bait traps effectively:

• Look for bait traps containing borax as the active ingredient.
• Place several small, open trays of liquid bait along ant trails and near entry points.
• Try to place baits between food sources and where ants are entering.
• It can take days or weeks for baits to fully eradicate an ant colony.
• Replace baits if they dry up before ants are gone.

The slow-acting nature of liquid baits gives worker ants time to carry it back to the heart of the colony. This delivers a toxic dose that destroys queen ants and larvae to prevent future generations.

Use Gel Baits

Gel-based ant baits work similarly and come in convenient pre-filled syringes for precision placement. Look for gel baits containing fipronil designed to attract sweet-loving insects like sugar ants. Apply small drops of gel near ant trails and entry points, replacing as the bait gets consumed.

Sprinkle Granule Baits Outside

Sprinkling granular baits outside around the foundation and garden areas can help intercept ants before they enter your home. Look for granules containing abamectin, an insecticide toxic to ants. Key tips for using granule baits:

• Try to sprinkle near suspected ant colonies and where they enter the house.
• Apply after rain or watering once area dries.
• Reapply every 3-4 days for 2-3 weeks.
• Sweep up any visible grains after treatment finishes.

The delayed toxicity of granules gives them time to carry the poison back to eradicate queens and future ant generations. This provides residual protection should new colonies try to gain access.

Call an Exterminator for Severe Infestations

For severe sugar ant infestations spanning your entire home or those that persist after trying remedies, it may be time to call in a professional exterminator. They have access to stronger chemical treatments and bait formulas than available to the average consumer. Professional extermination involves:

• Inspecting for points of entry ants use
• Sealing up cracks and crevices around the home
• Applying concentrated chemical sprays and dusts
• Placing commercial quality bait traps
• Follow up visits to re-apply treatments

Though pricier than DIY methods, exterminators have the tools and training to fully eliminate entrenched ant colonies. Confirm it includes follow-up visits if ants return between scheduled treatments.

Get a Professional Evaluation

Even if you want to tackle sugar ants yourself, having a pest control specialist inspect can pinpoint hard-to-find entry points. This allows you to focus treatments where ants are gaining access from outside. They can also identify the species to ensure you have sugar ants before investing in remedies.

Completely banishing sugar ants from your kitchen takes diligence even after successful treatment. Make ant prevention part of your regular cleaning routine:

• Store food, especially sugary products, in airtight containers.
• Clean up spills, crumbs, and sticky spots as soon as they happen.
• Take out trash regularly before it accumulates.
• Fix leaky faucets and pipes so water doesn't pool.
• Seal cracks and openings around windows and doors.
• Keep counters and floors clean when cooking.

Maintaining a spotless kitchen denies ants access to food and water. Monitoring for new trails or accumulations of ants allows you to quickly deploy targeted treatments before they spread.

Dealing with a sugar ant invasion can be frustrating, but armed with the right knowledge and ingredients on hand you can kick them out of your kitchen for good. Be diligent, and your reward will be an ant-free space to prepare meals.