What Are Sugar Ants?
In the Carolinas and Virginia, you may have heard the colloquial term sugar ants. Sugar ants are supposedly especially attracted to sweets. The truth is that pretty much all ants are sugar ants. You could say they all have a sweet tooth. These tiny pests are in a perpetual state of searching for food and water to supply the colony and help the queen keep laying eggs, so they can continue searching for food and water.
Sticky, sugary food puts off a scent that is particularly potent and attractive to ants. Once they catch that sweet scent, the colony will send scouts to check out the source of the smell. If you are paying close attention, you might just catch them gathering information to take back home before their big invasion later. You might think if you can smash them before they return, you will stop an infestation. However, ants are entirely too persistent to allow a little adversity to stop them from finding the food and water they need.
What Are Pharaoh Ants?
You may have heard of these little pests by their other name, pissants. Pharaoh ants got their name because they are believed to have plagued Egypt in the past. Unlike most ants, Pharaoh ants actually prefer to make your home their own. They prefer the safety and security of the indoors. That is a problem for you and your family.
While they contrast other types of ants in their desire to live indoors, they still enjoy the same sugary and greasy foods as the sugar ants.
How To Prevent Ant Invasions
The key to stopping an ant infestation is prevention. You want to outsmart them before they even see your house as an option. Here is how you can give yourself a chance against your battle with the sugar ants:
- Clean Up Spills: When we see ants, they are often carrying crumbs in their powerful jaws, but spilled juices and sodas are just as attractive to the tiny pests. If you spill something like a drink, clean it up thoroughly before the first scout finds it.
- Deep Clean: Some parts of your kitchen and home may not receive the cleaning attention they deserve. However, stove and oven grease, crumbs, dog food, and other spilled food that ends up behind your refrigerator and range will attract ants. They might be isolated to the places you cannot see for a time, but eventually, they will find their way into the rest of your home.
- Seal Food: The tab on your cereal box will not be enough to stop ants from smelling the sugary sweetness they desire. If you want to protect your home from ants, you need to make sure you seal food containers. This includes your dog food and treats as well. Ants are not so partial to people-food that they will avoid pet food.
- Vacuum Often: It may not be enough to sweep your kitchen. To ensure the tiniest crumbs do not attract ants, you should vacuum often.
- Beware of Moisture: Ants are not just searching for food. If there are drainage issues in your home, ants may come in to find water as well.
Even if you do everything right, sugar ants may still find their way into your home. Once they get in once, it may feel like there is little you can do to stop them. For ant infestations, you need a team of experts on your side. Rid-A-Bug Exterminating can help you get rid of these little pests and prevent them from returning. Contact the experienced exterminators at Rid-A-Bug for a fast and effective solution for your ant invasion.