HOME REMEDIES TO GET RID OF SUGAR ANTS

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HOME REMEDIES TO GET RID OF SUGAR ANTS.

Here are the best home remedies you could use to get rid of a sugar ant problem in your home. They are totally natural, as opposed to the toxic ant killer sprays you could purchase at your local store:

• Bicarbonate of soda;
• Vinegar;
• Diatomaceous earth;
• DIY sachets with herbs and spices;
• Essential oils.

Read the post to learn how to get rid of a sugar ant infestation in your home.

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I surely remember those odd summer days when I would wake up in the morning only to find a trail of ants coming and going to and fro our kitchen. The horror as a child was almost too much!

I honestly can only laugh at my reaction now, cause ants are in almost all cases harmless, but they are certainly a nuisance!

I recall my mum muttering under her breath, probably blaming someone for leaving crumbs on the floor or a drop of honey on the counter top.

Well, the good news is that there are several different methods that are not only very effective at eliminating different types of ants, but that are completely natural and safe around your family and your pets.

To name a few, you could use:

• Bicarbonate of soda;
• Vinegar;
• Diatomaceous earth;
• DIY sachets with herbs and spices;
• Coffee grounds;
• Neem oil;
• Essential oils.

In this post will cover some of them.

IMPORTANT

Always follow the advice of your trusted vet before using any product on your pets.

While essential oils and natural ingredients are generally safe for dogs, some animals might be sensitive to some ingredients, or might develop an allergic reaction. Immediately stop any treatment if you notice any reaction, such as a skin irritation on your dog. Seek immediate help from your local vet if you are concerned about your pet’s health at any stage.

The same advice applies to you and the rest of your family. Although the natural ingredients used in the recipes below are generally safe, always consult with your doctor before using any product. Pay particular attention if you suffer from any condition, allergy or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Seek immediate advice and help from your trusted medical care provider if you are concerned about your health or that of your family.

What are sugar ants?

From Wikipedia :”The banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus), also known as the sugar ant, is a species of ant native to Australia. A member of the genus Camponotus in the subfamily Formicinae, it was described by German entomologist Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842. Its common name refers to the ant’s liking for sugar and sweet food, as well as the distinctive orange-brown band that wraps around its gaster.”

To be precise, the male sugar ants are black, while the females are the ones with the orange-brown band around their body. 

Sugar ants can range in size between 2 to 15mm.

Although these little black ants aren’t necessarily harmful to people, a sugar ant infestation is certainly a nuisance, and it is always best to treat it as soon as possible, before it becomes a bigger issue, and before you need to call in professional exterminators.

What causes sugar ants in your house?

As the name itself suggests, sugar ants are attracted by sweet foods.

Dirty dishes left in the sink, or crumbs from sugary foods such as cakes or biscuits, can easily attract these pests.

Sugar ants are always on the look out for sugary foods, and although they live outside, often they might venture into your kitchen in order to get what they are looking for.

In particular, if you have plants that produce nectar in your garden or patio, those plants attract sugar ants. Thanks to their extremely powerful odour receptors, these ants will then venture in your home through the smallest entries, such as cracks in the walls or near windows and doors. 

How do I know if I have sugar ants? How do you know if you have an ant infestation?

It is really not difficult to understand if you have an ant infestation in your home, as these pests are easily identified, due to their size and distinctive colours.

Generally speaking, they tend to behave like other species of ants, forming “ant trails” to and fro their hiding space, to collect foods and then bring them back to the ant nest.

If you suspect you have an infestation, first check your pantry and all your food containers, as sugar ants will naturally be drawn to those.

How do I find where ants are coming from?

Sugar ants are tiny little insects that can find small entry points to gain access to your home, and, before you know it, you might have a sugar ant problem!

Therefore, it is very important that you try to establish where they come from in the first place: it is pointless to try and get rid of them if they can easily get back into your home environment!

Ants can enter through doors, air vents, windows, cracks and holes in the house walls, under skirtings, etc.

A close inspection around your house will easily reveal the ants entry point. Just look for the ant trails!

As soon as you find the entry points, seal them with silicone or another suitable method, depending on the specific area.

Where do sugar ants make their nests?

As well as finding out where they come in, you will also need to discover where the ant colony lives. Indeed, it is very important to eliminate the problem at the source. Failure to eliminate the ants nest can lead to a re- infestation in your home.

Due to the fact that worker sugar ants are most active at night, it can be difficult to locate where the nest is.

However that are some common tell tales signs you could look for.

If the nest is indoors, check first around undisturbed places, such as basements, or behind appliances. 

Unfortunately, nests can also be located inside walls, and for those there is probably not much you can do.

On the other hand, if the nest is outdoors, it will appear as a large mound of soil and you will see ants trails coming to and fro.

Do sugar ants bite humans? ARE SUGAR ANTS HARMFUL?

Sugar ants are not necessarily considered harmful to humans.

However, there are some things you should consider.

When in danger, these small ants will bite the attacker. Although the bites are not very painful, they could trigger an allergic reaction.

Furthermore, if you have a sugar ants infestation in your home, that can lead to food and water contamination, with all the related consequences that come to humans.

Lastly, sugar ants can potentially attract other pests in your home, like spiders or other harmful insects.

For all of the above reasons, it is always preferable to try and eradicate an infestation as soon as possible, just to avoid possible serious complications.

Can sugar ants damage my house?

Sugar ants do not cause structural damage to your house.

However, in their search for food, they will be able to eat through paper bags, carton and also thin plastic containers.

What will keep sugar ants away?

If at this point you are wondering what is the best way to get rid of sugar ants, well, just like with many more pests, prevention is often the best defence.

During the spring and summer months the sugar ants population is at its peak, so it is particularly important to follow simple guidelines in order to prevent an infestation.

There are just a few simple steps you can follow in order to try and prevent sugar ants to enter your home.

IMPORTANT

If, despite your best attempts at cleaning and disinfecting your home environment, you can’t get rid of pests after a few weeks, or if you suspect you have a more serious infestation, immediately call a pest control service in your local area.

Do no wait, as pests can cause serious health problems to you, your family and your pets.

KEEP YOUR HOUSE AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE

It goes without saying that keeping your house clean is the first and most important step to follow.

In particular, pay special attention to your kitchen and pantry, cause that’s where the food is stored.

If possible: 

• Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink for long;
• Swipe floors and carpets at least once daily to get rid of crumbs or any food accidentally spilled;
• Wash the floors at least twice a week, to keep them clean and free from dirt and other stuff that you might be bringing from outside;
• Go through your food cupboards and check that no box or container is left opened, and therefore exposed to insects. Seal what you can in plastic bags or plastic containers;
• Empty your garbage bins regularly and avoid overflowing them.

important

Always wear protective gloves when cleaning your home, car, or outdoor areas.

Do not handle any cleaning product or infested item without protecting your hands first!

INSPECT YOUR HOME 

Cleaning your home is just one way of trying to prevent a sugar ant infestation.

It is very important to inspect your house and look for possible entry points.

Look for holes or cracks in walls and around windows and doors, and seal them with silicone or another suitable method.

Carefully inspect air vents and clean them on a regular basis, according to the manufacturer instructions.

Look for potential entry points under skirtings and on window sills.

Seal whatever gap you find, as this will ensure that ants have no way of accessing your home.

How do you get rid of sugar ants?

Although there are many products you could get at your local grocery store or home depot, I would not recommend using any of those.

As you have heard me saying at least a thousands times in my posts already, I really try my best to discourage fellow mams from buying and using toxic chemicals at home.

Those products can potentially be very harmful if ingested or inhaled, and I don’t think they are worth the risk.

Especially when you could be using simple natural home remedies that are just as effective!

Let’s go through some of them!

IMPORTANT

Before applying or spraying any product on your furniture or upholstery, check the labels and cleaning instructions.

Do not spray or treat any expensive item, as you might possibly damage it. Leave costly items to the professionals!

Always test on a small, inconspicuous area first.

DOES BAKING SODA KEEP ANTS AWAY?

Baking soda is the perfect all natural ingredient to use to get rid of sugar ants.

In fact, it reacts with the acid in the ants body’s digestive system, creating CO2 and altering their body’s pH balance. Although this change would not harm a person, it is lethal for ants.

The reason why I like recommending baking soda as a natural repellent for ants (and other pests), is because it is perfectly safe around small children and pets, while at the same time very effective.

SPRINKLE BAKING SODA IN SMALL ENTRY POINTS

If you sprinkle baking soda in very small gaps and cracks around windows or doors, just enough to fill them, ants will not be able to enter your home through those little holes.

MAKE A MIXTURE WITH BAKING SODA AND POWDERED SUGAR

Sugar ants can recognise the smell of baking soda very well, and will try to avoid it at all costs. That is why it is best to use it mixed with other ingredients if you want it to be effective.

In order to trick the ants into eating baking soda, you will need to camouflage its smell with some powdered sugar.

Here’s a simple way of creating effective ant traps: in a bowl, mix equal parts of sugar and baking soda and place a little quantity of this mixture on a saucer or small lid near entry points. When the sugar ants come through the little gap in search of a food source, they will smell the sugar and eat it.

Most importantly, the worker ants will bring this “food” back to the nest to feed the other ants, and therefore will help you in killing and getting rid of the entire colony by exposing it to the baking soda.

BAKING SODA CAN SOOTHE AN ITCHY ANT BITE

Baking soda is also excellent when used to soothe an itchy bite.

For this purpose, simply put a tablespoon of baking soda in a small bowl and add a few drops of water. Add just enough to make a thick paste. If you realise you have added to much water and the mixture is too runny, simply add a bit more baking soda till you reach the right consistency.

When the paste is ready, apply a little on the itchy bite and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before removing it.

This natural remedy is very effective and completely safe to use.

Will vinegar get rid of sugar ants?

Vinegar is another all natural ingredient that I use daily in my home.

It has excellent cleaning, disinfecting and deodorising properties, making it an ideal ingredient to use safely around your family.

I love using it neat or diluted to replace all sorts of cleaning products, from floor detergent, to fabric conditioner, to glass cleaner, to all purpose cleaner.

When it comes to fight an infestation, the strong odor of vinegar will break down the pheromones trail left by the sugar ants, and therefore will disrupt them and prevent them from coming back into your home.

MAKE A DIY ALL PURPOSE SPRAY WITH VINEGAR

When trying to get rid of any type of pest infestations, you could grab a glass spray bottle and fill it with plain distilled white vinegar. If you are not too keen on the strong smell of vinegar, you could add just a couple of drops of essential oils (for example, lemon or wild orange) to it.

Shake well before each use and apply on kitchen countertops or to clean steel appliances or glass and windows. Not only this mixture of vinegar and essential oils will repel pests, but it will make cleaning your home an easy and quick task

IMPORTANT

When I make this all purpose spray, I normally fill the spray bottle entirely with vinegar and I only add a couple of drops of oils. However, if you find the strong smell overwhelming, simply add a cup of water to a cup of vinegar, in order to dilute it.

Bear in mind that this diluted mix contains water, and therefore will spoil fast. Make sure to discard the contents of the bottle after 2 weeks max.

You could check this post for tons of DIY recipe to clean your entire home.

Here I share how I look after my home using simple and inexpensive all natural ingredients!

importaNt

When using vinegar around your home, always test on an inconspicuous area first. Vinegar can damage natural stone counters, like granite for example, so avoid using it on those materials.

USE A VINEGAR SOLUTION TO CLEAN YOUR FLOORS

Vinegar can be safely used also to wash your floors.

Next time you will need to mop your house, swap the liquid detergent with vinegar. Fill your bucket with warm water, and add a cup of white vinegar. Wash your floors as per normal.

If you have never used vinegar on your floors before, test on a small inconspicuous area first! 

diatomaceous earth 

An alternative ingredient to bicarbonate of soda is diatomaceous earth.

This is a natural ingredient easily found on line or at your local home depot.

In simple terms, diatomaceous earth will kill pests and small insects by dehydrating them. This is a “mechanical pesticide” and it is 100% natural.

I have written several posts on how you can use diatomaceous earth in your home to get rid of pests, so please feel free to check them.

Generally speaking, you can use diatomaceous earth by sprinkling it around your home, paying particular attention to possible entry points for the ants.

This method will prevent ants from getting into your home, but will not rid of the problem entirely. Unless you are lucky enough to locate the nest! In that case, apply diatomaceous earth directly on the nest and on its surrounding areas in order to exterminate the entire colony.

Safety tips to use diatomaceous earth

Although the food grade type of DE is safe to use around people and pets, you should still use this ingredient with caution. Particular attention should be paid to indoor use.

Food grade DE can potentially irritate your airways, and cause shortness of breath, so it is very important to avoid breathing it in. You should also avoid exposure to your eyes and skin.

Always avoid direct contact with it by wearing a protective dust mask, glasses and gloves.

Follow the application instructions provided on the package at all times.

Which is better to kill ants: boric acid or borax?

I personally have mixed feelings about using borax or boric acid around my family, and I’ve never tried them. Therefore, I can’t really recommend either of the 2 ingredients.

However, there are plenty of online resources that do favour using these types of ingredients, so a quick web search will show you how to use them safely.

Bear in mind though, that borax is commonly used in cleaning and laundry, while the boric acid is generally used as a pesticide. Furthermore, borax is relatively safe to use, while boric acid is toxic!

USE CLOVES AND BAY LEAVES TO REPEL ANTS

The humble cloves and bay leaves are very effective at repelling several types of insects and pest, including sugar ants.

For a simple and pretty idea, grab a small sachet or cheese cloth and fill it with either whole cloves or bay leaves. Tie a knot on top, to keep the sachet closed and avoid spilling, and place it near windows or inside drawers or cupboards.

The strong scents coming from your DIY sachet will repel ants effectively, while at the same time will deodorise your home beautifully! 

WHAT HERBS AND SPICES REPEL ANTS?

If you are planning on making a DIY sachet to repel ants, you might consider filling it also with some herbs and spices that naturally keep insects at bay.

Again, if using these natural remedies, your home will be pest free and will smell lovely!

You could use any of the following herbs and spices:

• Whole cloves;
• Cinnamon sticks;
• Peppercorns;
• Rosemary leaves;
• Fresh or dried thyme;
• Garlic; 
• Lavender flowers;
• Lemongrass. 

Feel free to create a mix of your choice, according to your taste.

For better results, you could add a couple of drops of essential oils into the sachet.

Place the sachet on a little saucer or a small bowl, and place near windows and doors, or in cupboards and drawers.

WHAT ESSENTIAL OILS REPEL ANTS?

A great way to repel or get rid of ants is to use essential oils.

Provided you only buy high quality, 100% natural and adulterated, essential oils are absolutely excellent as natural repellents.

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In this blog post, I’ve written about all the oils you can use to repel and fight different types of bugs and insects, so feel free to check it.

Here’s a natural ant repellent recipe for you.

NATURAL ANT DETERRENT 

In a 120 ml spray bottle add:

• 30-40 drops of peppermint oil;
• 1/4 cup of witch hazel.
• Fill the rest with distilled (or cooled, boiled) water.

Shake well and spray the ants’ entry points in your home.

For best results, spray near door frames and windows.

The smell of peppermint will deter ants (and other insects, such as spiders) from entering your home.

Dispose of the mixture after 2 weeks max.

N.B.= Oils can eat paint, so test on a small area first. 

What essential oils will keep ants away? What scents do ants hate?

There are several oils you could use to repel ants and other annoying bugs.

Feel free to mix and match them according to your taste.

For example:

• Peppermint oil;
• Lemon oil;
• Cinnamon oil;
• Rosemary oil;
• Geranium oil;
• Lavender oil;
• Thyme oil;
• Tea Tree oil;
• Lemongrass oil;
• Terrashield (Doterra outdoor blend);
• Clove oil;
• Black pepper.

How do I get rid of ants permanently in my house?

Now that we have covered some of my favourite natural remedies to get rid of a sugar ants infestation, let’s go through the step by step process.

INSPECT YOUR HOME

The very first step you should take is to carefully and thoroughly inspect your home. You will ned to identify where the ants are entering your home, and, if at all possible, where the nest is located.

Look in the obvious places such as the kitchen or the pantry, but do not forget to check your bathrooms or laundry room (if you have one). Sugar ants are always looking for food and water sources, so those rooms would be an ideal place where to start looking.

Moreover, look in those dark places where ants could gather undisturbed, such as behind appliances or furniture.

get rid of all ants already in your home

By using any of the natural methods described above, make sure to get rid of all ants already present in your home.

SECURE ALL FOOD IN YOUR KITCHEN

Have a look at your pantry and cupboards and drawers, and make sure to place all food into safe containers that can be sealed completely. It is very important you don’t leave any open paper bag around, or that could possibly attract more ants.

CLOSE ALL POSSIBLE ENTRY POINTS

Remember: you don’t want to go through all the efforts of getting rid of ants, only to have them come back the next day!

Make sure to seal all entry points with silicon, or another suitable material.

keep your house clean

Try to keep your house as clean as possible, in order to avoid a new ant infestation: 

• Keep your kitchen sink clean and free from dirty dishes and food left overs;
• Clean kitchen countertops daily, and immediately after spilling sweet foods, such as sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.
• Hoover floors and carpets daily, to make sure there’s no crumbs on any surface;
• Wash floors on a regular basis.

IF POSSIBLE, ELIMINATE THE NEST

Finding a nest is often not an easy task, especially if the colony is hiding inside your walls.

However, in the lucky event you were indeed to discover the location of the nest, it is very important to get rid of it.

You could use bicarbonate of soda or diatomaceous earth on and around it in order to kill all ants.

Alternatively, and for very large nests, it is probably best to call in a specialised pest control company.

home remedies to get rid of sugar ants: conclusions

Ants are most certainly an annoyance when they come into our home and create all sorts of gross issues in your kitchen!

Thankfully there are so many natural preventative measures you could use instead of reaching for a commercial toxic ant killer spray.

I do hope you will find this post useful.

Please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know if you have successfully used any of the above methods, or one I haven’t touched on. I’m always happy to learn new skills and tips.

IMPORTANT: when using Essential Oils, make sure to use only CPTG Certified, Pure, Tested Grade ones, like Doterra Essential Oils. The content of this blog post and any information provided here has not been evaluated by any government entity or medical practitioner. It is NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, illness or condition. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for medical counselling. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffering from any medical condition or illness or injury, you SHOULD consult a qualified healthcare professional before using any product.

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