Has it happened to you? Your house suddenly filled with sugar ants? That endless parade of insects that seems to know precisely where it’s going and clearly has no intentions of leaving. Only growing. And you’ve got company coming over this weekend! What are you gonna do?
If you’re like most folks, you scramble to the nearest home building or gardening store, hit the pest control aisle and grab the first thing you can find labeled “ant killer.” You buy it, bring it home, and, hopefully you’ve read the directions far enough down the label that you’re looking for where the ants have entered the house, but…where did the ants get in? It’s hard to tell, right? But use enough of the ant killer, and it seems it seems like it’s working, right? And it did, for a day or two. But here they come again. And again. And again. Ugh. So what do you do to get rid of your sugar infestation? Folks, that’s precisely why we’re here. To help you rid your home of pests, be they sugar ants, rodents, or a wide variety of other insects.
How did sugar ants get in my Washougal residence?
Don’t worry. Sugar ant infestations in Washougal are incredibly common. And an enterprising sugar ant doesn’t need much beyond soil and nectar- or glucose-secreting plants or trees to begin building a colony. These insects have incredibly sensitive glucose receptors on their antennae that draw them to your yard, and because they’re their in such close proximity to all the sweet treats inside your home, it’s only a matter of time before they find their way in.
All it takes is a small breach: a poorly sealed window or door, a small crack in your foundation, or a small hole where utilities enter the home for a colony of ants to make itself at home in your home. Once inside, they’ll be looking for those spots in your home that are dark, humid, and moisture-prone, making kitchens and bathrooms favorites of the sugar ant community. (Especially behind the walls and under the floors.)
Though a sugar ant infestation is an incredible nuisance that must be dealt with, sugar ants, unlike termite or carpenter ants, won’t cause property damage or cause you physical harm like those of the fire or pharaoh ant varieties. The sugar ants’ goal is singular: consume more sugar to make the colony bigger.
How do I get sugar ants out of my house?
Home remedies can work, albeit temporarily. But it takes more than a simple over-the-counter treatment to result in long-term ant eradication.
A big part of keeping ants out of the house is about limiting their opportunities to thrive. Have standing water on your property? Get rid of it. Have a kitchen trash filled with garbage and recycling? Empty it. Daily. Same goes for your dishwasher. Don’t leave it filled with dirty or clean dishes, since food waste, darkness, and humidity make it a triple threat. And make sure that anywhere food is consumed or prepared — above and below those surfaces — is regularly cleaned. Any food spills, crumbs, or sugary detritus is a sure fire way to make their sugar receptors tingle.
If you’re gonna go with a store-bought treatment (and we understand that you probably will at some point), go with bait vs. quick-kill. Bait treatments are designed to deliver poison to the heart of the colony, killing the ants at their source, whereas quick-kill is more likely to kill only the surface ants, and sometime might even fragment the colony into multiple colonies.
Whichever store-bought method you choose, please read any and all instructions that come with the product. Ant killers contain poison, and can be extremely harmful — especially to children and pets.
Do I need a professional sugar ant exterminator in Washougal?
If you want a long-term solution to your sugar ant infestation woes, then we do suggest a professional treatment plan.
Aspen Pest Control has ant infestation issues a thing of the past for thousands of residential and commercial property owners in Washougal and southwest Washington. We’re so confident in our approach, that we proudly offer homeowners a free re-service guarantee, meaning if your sugar ant problem comes back, we’ll come back, too — absolutely free of charge.
We offer free, no pressure estimates and same day service for no extra charge. Our results are 100% guaranteed and we use EPA approved products that are safe for your family and pets.
Discover why your neighbors in Washougal love Aspen Pest Control — call today!
