There’s something special about Battle Ground, Washington. The town boasts over 200 acres of public park space and a historic, bustling Main Street that is lined with charming local shops and restaurants.
The streets of downtown Battle Ground bustle with activity. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual.
Despite the city’s inviting demeanor, its residents draw the line when it comes to a certain type of visitor of the insect variety. We’re talking about sugar ants.
What are sugar ants?
Sugar ants, also known as odorous house ants, are a species of ant who get their primary source of energy from glucose, or sugar. These ants have sensitive receptors in their antennae, which allow them to easily locate sugary substances. Unfortunately for homeowners, sugar ants are adept at locating sugar both outside and inside the home.
Sugar ants are very hardy insects. The foragers are able to continue to seek out food even if they have mangled or missing legs. The queen is still able to lay even with a crushed abdomen.
Adding to their adaptability, the sugar ant is able to thrive in almost every environments. Even when homeowners eradicate colonies in the home, there is likely a colony outside that will soon move indoors.
How do sugar ants get indoors?
Due to their diminutive size, sugar ants have a relatively easy time finding their way inside homes. Most commonly, the ants will find entry through cracks or broken seals around windows and doors, small cracks in foundation, and some will even hitch a ride in on house plants.
Once indoors, the ants commonly take up residence in bathrooms and kitchens or other areas where moisture is plentiful.
Are sugar ants harmful to people or property?
Sugar ants are not considered to be a dangerous pest when it comes to direct harm done to the human body. Sugar ants in the Northwest for example, have never been documented to carry disease. These small home invaders, however, can cause a great deal of psychological distress especially when homeowners have tried treating the ants themselves and have been unsuccessful in their efforts. For some people, the stress caused by an ant infestation in the home can be quite severe.
Fortunately, sugar ants are generally not a pest that that will cause significant property damage. Calls to exterminators for help with ants sometimes include complaints about sugar ants ruining GFCI outlets, coffee makers, telephones, smoke alarms, and other similar items. Damage done by sugar ants to small property can be very aggravating to homeowners and in the case of a smoke alarm, can sometimes be dangerous.
How do I keep sugar ants out of my home?
The best way to tackle a sugar ant problem is to take take precautions in preventing one from taking hold in the first place. The following tips can help to make your home less inviting to the sugar seeking critters:
- Take out household trash: Remove food waste from inside the home on a daily basis
- Put a “mini moat” around your pet’s food: Fill a shallow pan with water and place your pet’s food bowl in the water. Ants will not swim through the water to get to the food.
- Wipe countertops regularly: Keep surfaces crumb and spill free
- Don’t keep dirty dishes in the dishwasher: The combination of moisture and food attracts sugar ants. Run the dishwasher immediately upon loading.
- Don’t stack firewood near the home: And keep firewood outside until you’re ready to start a fire.
- Maintain your lawn: Keep your lawn mowed and ensure that vegetation is cut back at least one foot from the exterior of your home.
- Don’t use spray ant repellents: These products simply don’t work well for long term ant control. They often fracture the colony and drive more ants indoors! Avoid using repellents
- Don’t allow standing water to accumulate: Sugar ants are attracted to moisture
How do I get rid of sugar ants?
There are two common DIY methods for treating a sugar ant infestation; baiting and quick kill treatments. As we mentioned above, quick kill treatments are a short term solution and can exacerbate the problem, so baiting is the best option for do-it-yourselfers.
Ant bait works when the forager ants take the ant back to the colony, eliminating the infestation at its root. It’s important to note that bait purchased at hardware stores is often not as strong as professional-grade products and may not be as effective as professional-grade options.
BE CAREFUL! Ant killers, baits, and other store bought ant control treatment products contain poison. These products can be very harmful to children and pets. Be sure to read warning labels and follow all instructions prior to using.
Who can I call for ant control in Battle Ground, WA?
Professional exterminators provide the best solution for complete and lasting sugar ant control. Aspen Pest control has successfully treated many hundreds of homes in Battle Ground for sugar ants.
The Aspen Pest Control team employs treatments that are designed specifically for eradicating the a sugar ant colony at its source. We’re proudly offer homeowners a free re-service guarantee. If the ants return, we also return, and this the treatment is free of charge.
We proudly serve our Battle Ground neighbors, including commercial and residential properties.
We offer free, no-pressure estimates. Same day service is no extra charge. Our results are 100% guaranteed and we use EPA approved products that are safe for your family and pets.
Contact us discover why your neighbors in Battle Ground are loyal customers of Aspen Pest Control.
