It doesn’t matter how common it is, an ant infestation just feels embarrassing. You strive to keep your home clean, and despite the effort, ants still find their way inside. It’s gross. And It’s frustrating. And it always seems to happen when you’re about to have guests over. So what do you do to keep these little buggers out of the house for good?

For starters, you call a professional. That’s what folks like us at Aspen Pest Control are here for. Sugar ant infestations in West Linn are an incredibly common occurrence, and we have the processes, experience, and commitment to service that’s made us a trusted name in local pest control.

How did sugar ants get inside my West Linn home?

You’d be surprised. All it takes is a small crack in your foundation or a gap under siding for ants to enter your home and begin establishing a new colony. Sugar ants have unbelievably sensitive receptors on their antennae for detecting glucose, the substance they crave more than anything else in the world.

Once they do get inside, they’ll seek out the dark, humid, and moist corners of your home — think bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens — in order to establish their colony and their pursuit of every source of sugar in your house.

Will sugar ants harm me or my West Linn home?

If there’s a silver lining to a sugar ant infestation, it’s that, unlike carpenter ants, termites or fire ants they tend to not do damage to people’s or pets’ physical well-being or property. Their driver is sugar, and the more they can consume, the better. Secretions from trees often contain glucose (like the basis of maple syrup), bringing with it ants. If you have a few of these trees on your property it’s usually only a matter of time until they’ve made their way indoors to where it’s warmer and more abundant for food. That’s where the harm of sugar ants really comes into play. They’re wonderful at inviting themselves over, and even more wonderful at making themselves feel at home.

Can I just get rid of the sugar ants myself?

There are a ton of store-bought treatment products on the market. Typically, these products fall into two basic categories: baiting and quick-kill methods. If you choose to go this route, please carefully read and follow all of these instructions included with the product. Over-the-counter they may be, but they still contain poisons. These poisons can be extremely harmful and even fatal for pets, children, and adults.

If we were to recommend a DIY method, we prefer baiting over quick-kill products. The quick-kill products are superficial in their effectiveness. They kill only the visible sugar ants, leaving those ants in the walls and underground (including the queens) untouched by the treatment. They can also cause colony fragmentation, turning one problem into multiple problems.

Baiting tends to be more effective, because it causes ants to take the poison back to the heart of the colony, killing the colony at its source.

How can I prevent sugar ants from getting into my West Linn home?

The best way to keep sugar ants from coming back to your home takes a little bit of effort and a lot of dedication. We’re busy people with a lot of things to take care of throughout the day. Sugar ants are perfectly (but perhaps unknowingly) willing to exploit this whenever they can. By taking care of a few simple things, you can decrease the chances of a sugar ant infestation in your home:

• Keep are food prep and consumption surfaces (above and below) free of food waste, crumbs, debris, and spills
• Don’t keep dirty dishes in your dishwasher, and empty it shorty after washing
• Empty your kitchen trash and recycling — as often as possible
• Fix broken window and door seals
• Rid your property of standing water

Should I seek a professional for my sugar ant infestation?

Want your West Linn home to be ant- and worry-free again? Call us today.  Aspen Pest Control specializes in exterminating sugar ant infestations for folks just like you.

We offer free, no pressure estimates and same day service for no extra charge. Our results are 100% guaranteed. We use EPA-approved products that are safe for your family and pets.

We’re so confident in our sugar ant removal approach, that we proudly offer a free re-service guarantee. If your sugar ant problem comes back, we’ll come back, too, absolutely free of charge.

Contact us discover why your neighbors in West Linn are loyal customers of Aspen Pest Control.