How to Get Rid of Sugar Ants Fast Naturally

Sugar ants are tiny black or brown ants that love to feed on sugar and sweet food. There is a species of ant called the banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus); however, many people refer to Pharaoh ants, Pavement ants, and Little black ants as sugar ants. These small insects love to invade homes where they search out sweet foods, bread, and other fatty items. Sugar ants usually get into homes through window openings, cracks under doors, and seams between baseboards. They live in dark and damp places, especially under kitchen cabinets and sink units.

There are many effective natural ways to prevent sugar ants from infesting your home. And you may already have in your kitchen cabinet ingredients like vinegar, coffee grounds and lemon juice that can effectively control and, only if necessary, exterminate sugar ants. Some of these ants can bite or sting you and even spread disease.² Therefore, some people choose to exterminate ants that are in their home.

I would like to mention that many of the natural remedies for eliminating regular ants and flying ants can also help you to get rid of sugar ants. Usually, you need to use a combination of natural repellents and traps to completely get rid of sugar ants.

The benefit of using natural methods to get rid of sugar ants from your home is that although they are toxic to ants, most of them aren’t harmful to you, your family, or pets.

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Sugar Ants

Sugar ants are of course attracted to all sweet things. Therefore, many of the natural ant baits and traps include ingredients like sugar and honey to lure the ants. Ingredients toxic to ants are used in the mixture to get rid of them fast.

There are also ingredients that can be used as natural ant repellents to prevent them entering your home and food cupboards in your kitchen.

Here are some of the best natural methods to get rid of sugar ants for good.

Boric Acid and Honey

Boric acid is a natural insecticide which can be mixed with honey to effectively kill ants and their colony when they ingest it. Mixing boric acid and honey creates a bait to attract the ants which they then take back to their colony. The ants in the colony start feeding on the mixture and the boric acid poisons the ants.

You should treat boric with respect because it is toxic. It is a pesticide/insecticide and can cause harm if it is ingested so keep it away from children and pets.

To eliminate sugar ants, make a paste with 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of boric acid in a small bowl. Place this on a piece of cardboard and leave it where you see the ants. Replace the trap every few days. The boric acid and honey should help to destroy the colony of ants that are infesting your home. Keep putting down the bait until the sugar ants have disappeared completely.

You can also use boric acid to make a trap to get rid of German roaches.

Borax and Sugar

Borax is toxic to ants and you can mix it with sugar to make a bait and trap to eliminate ant colonies. This works similar to the boric acid and honey method because the sugar attracts the ants and the borax kills the sugar ants when they ingest it.

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral but you should not ingest it as there is an inconclusive evidence about its safety to humans.

Mix together ½ cup of sugar, 1½ tablespoon of Borax, and around 1½ cup of warm water to make a solution to eliminate sugar ants. Dip some cotton balls in the mixture and leave these on jar lids where the ants travel. The sugar ants will be attracted to the bait and they will carry this back to the colony which will eventually exterminate all the ants.

The leftover solution can be kept in a jar, but remember to clearly label the jar and keep it out of reach of children.

You can also make a dry solution of borax and sugar to get rid of ants that are invading your property. In an old container, mix together 3 parts sugar and one part borax. Place this mixture where the ants travel. They will pick up the borax and sugar mixture and take it back to the colony where it will exterminate the ants when they ingest it.

Vinegar

If you notice sugar ants in your kitchen you can use white vinegar as a natural pesticide to kill and repel ants. The acid in the vinegar kills the ants and the strong smell deters them from coming back into your home.

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the vinegar directly onto the ants and soon they will disappear.

To use the vinegar to prevent more sugar ants infesting your home, spray the solution at entry points and on ant trails. The vinegar destroys the pheromone trail and will stop ants from coming into your home and into your kitchen. Pheromones are a chemical secreted by ants which they use to create trails.

You can also spray the vinegar mixture directly onto worktops and tables in your kitchen to deter ants and disinfect those areas.

Vinegar is also an effective and natural way to get rid of flying ants in your home. Just spray the vinegar solution on the ants to kill them.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is another natural home remedy to get rid of sugar ants for good. Similar to vinegar, the acid in the lemon juice eliminates the pheromone trail and prevents ants from coming into your house.

Fill a spray bottle with water and the juice of 2 lemons. Spray this directly on the sugar ants to quickly exterminate them and then wipe the area with a clean paper towel. Spray the lemon solution on entry areas to prevent lots of ants coming into your home.

Diatomaceous Earth

Food grade Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural compound you can use to control sugar ants outside your property or inside your home. Diatomaceous earth has plenty of other uses and it can also help you get rid of roaches and fleas. DE is an effective non-toxic ant control substance because it causes the ants to dehydrate and die when they come into contact with the powder.

To stop ants being a pest in your home, sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of your property. However you need to be aware that DE is only effective at killing ants and other insects if it is dry. So, if it has been raining or if there has been dew, you will have to sprinkle more powder again when it’s dry.

You can use food grade diatomaceous earth safely inside the home to eliminate ants because it is completely non-toxic to humans and pets. So, sprinkle DE around the windows in your home, under kitchen cabinets, or anywhere else where you have noticed ants. You can also sprinkle DE around pet food bowls to prevent sugar ants from feeding on pet food.

You should notice that after a few days the ants will be gone from your home.

Coffee Grounds as a Repellent

Rather than throw out used coffee grounds, you can use them as a natural ant repellent. Some say that the strong smell of coffee repels sugar ants, others say that the nitrogen in coffee grounds burns the ants’ legs. Whatever the case, coffee is an excellent way to control ants naturally in your home and or outside without toxic chemicals.

Spread the used coffee grounds in areas where you have noticed ant trails in your home or where you think they come into your property.

Whole Cloves

Whole cloves are a natural insect repellent which also effectively repels sugar ants as they don’t like its smell.

Place the cloves where you notice pheromone trails around windows, baseboards, and other entry points to prevent them from getting into your home.

Essential Oils to Repel Ants

Many essential oils are excellent non-toxic natural insecticides that can kill off and repel sugar ants. Some of the best essential oils for controlling ants are:¹

• Clove oil
• Peppermint oil
• Tea tree oil (It’s also great for eliminating gnats)
• Lemon oil

Make a natural ant insecticide by mixing 8 oz. water in a spray bottle with ½ teaspoon natural soap and a few drops of essential oil. Shake well before use and spray the essential oil mixture in areas of your home where you see the ants. Repeat every few days until the ants are completely gone.

How to Prevent Sugar Ants Invading your Home

Once you have got rid of sugar ants completely from your home, you should take measures to prevent another invasion of ants.

Here are some ideas on how prevent ants from invading your home:

• Seal off cracks and holes where ants are entering your home.
• Clean kitchen worktops and surfaces from leftover food.
• Wipe up spilled sodas and other sweet drinks.
• Keep pet food in the refrigerator overnight.
• Use a natural ant repellent around your property to stop ants infesting your home.

If you just want to get rid of flying ants, please read my article on how to get rid of flying ants quickly and naturally.

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