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Eliminate and prevent Sweet/Sugar Ants


Sweet ants aren’t so sweet!!

Sweet Ants
Sweet/Sugar Ants

These pesky little ants can be a real annoyance when they decide to come into your home! Hopefully we can offer you a few easy, cheap and effective ways to eliminate these from your home.  Not only can the sweet ants be difficult to get rid of, many people find them embarrassing as a sign their home is not clean.  While it is true they are attracted to sweets, there are a variety of reasons they have chosen to enter your home.

So without further ado, here are some of the tips we have found to be the most effective for both eliminating and preventing these ants from entering your home.

Vinegar for trails

As these ants can detect even the slightest amount of food, it is extremely important to keep surfaces clean. After every meal and/or food preparation in the kitchen, clean the surface to remove all residue. What’s more, once you have see the ants, it is important to know that as they move, they leave a trail of their own scent for others to follow.  This trail must also be eliminated to prevent others from following the scent right back into your house.  One of the most effective and safest ways to do this is to use a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar.  Simply spray the area and wipe it down thoroughly. Not only will the vinegar remove the scent, but the acidic residue will act as a natural deterrent.
White Vinegar


Diatomaceous earth
If you do not have some of this product around your house, you should definitely get some! The product itself is completely natural and safe. It is just the fossilized remains of Diatomes, which are small hard shell organisms in the oceans. These are used in a variety of products from toothpaste, to cat litter, and often used in dealing with pests around the home.  As the product is completely non toxic to people and pets, it is extremely safe to use around the home.  We recommend sprinkling this around the entire perimeter of your home. In addition to ants, this will also help keep grubs and other insects out of your home!
Diatomaceous Earth

Coffee grounds, Cloves and Bay Leaves
For most homes the above two remedies are often all that is needed to eliminate and prevent the return of the ants. However, sometimes they can be more persistent, and you may need to take some additional steps. There are a few other natural substances that you may already have in your kitchen that can also help you rid yourself of these pests.  There are certain odors created by used coffee grounds, Cloves and Bay leaves that act as a natural repellent to sweet ants.  By placing these along points of entry where you believe the ants are coming in, you can further discourage their invasion of your home. Often these locations are at baseboards, windowsills, and doorways.
Used Coffee Grounds


Attack the Source!
If you have tried all of these other remedies but are still experiencing problems, you may want to take a careful look around the outside of your home to locate the ant colony or colonies. A sweet or sugar ant colony will look like a mini volcano of sand or dirt. These are often found along foundation walls, in cracks on concrete, in flower beds, or just anywhere in the yard. We will include some pictures below of common sweet ant colonies. Once you have found the colonies, if you follow these 3 steps you will be sure to eliminate them. First, flood the colony for several minutes with water, next pour a cup of household bleach on the colony, and then, sprinkle some baking soda around the colony.

Ant Colony

Ant Colony

Ant Colony

Ant Colony

There you have it! Follow these steps and you should be able to rid your home of the annoying little ants!
We at Expert Home Inspections want to make sure you are able to enjoy your home to its fullest, and do so without breaking the bank! Be sure to check out the rest of our blog and our website at www.expert-home-inspections.com/resources for more ways, tips and tricks to cost effectively take care of your home.

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