How to Get Rid of Those Annoying Tiny Sugar Ants

I think it is safe to say that at one point or another we have all experienced the rath of tiny ants. At some point in everyone's life we leave something sweet out and before you know it tiny ants have overtaken your tasty treat. Usually one's first experience is as a child. As most parents know children and ants go hand in hand. Ants must love kids because they just leave crumbs everywhere to feed a growing colony. Although typically the kind of ants I will be discussing in this article are not harmful, they can be very annoying, and it is possible that they can carry dangerous diseases, so it is important that we all learn how to effectively manage those pesky ants to keep them out of our kitchens and homes.

What makes ants so tough to battle is that they come in large numbers. Unlike other pests like spiders, crickets, box elder bugs, or beetles, ants are members of large colonies. They work together to support each other. When ants march into your home they do so because they probably have been told by other ants that there is something tasty there by the means of pheromones. Ants are great communicators. So you may be able to kill a few ants or maybe as many as a few hundred but the colony can consist of thousands of ants. So after you kill a few they keep coming back for more food. Also, if the queen gets word that ants are being killed she will increase her production, meaning she will lay more eggs. So in reality you have killed a few ants but the colony has grown to be even larger.

The key to keeping these ants out of your home is two fold. First, don't let them get it. By this I mean find out how they are coming into your home and seal it off. This can be very difficult to do because ants are excellent at finding the tiniest little crack or opening to sneak into your home. Second get rid of the colony. The best way to keep ants out of your home is to knock out the entire colony. If you can locate the colony this is easy, just pour boiling water down on top of the colony. Or if you do not want to kill the ants use a shovel to dig up the colony and move it. This can be very difficult, and you may leave behind the queen, it is hard to tell where the colony is underground. You can also use most any pesticide, just spray it down into the tunnels, but be sure you use enough to wipe out the queen.

One of the easier ways to wipe out a colony is to use baits. Baits work if the ants want to eat it and if they pick it up close enough to home that they do not die before that can take it back to the colony. One bait that you can buy at your hardware store is Tero, it is very effective. Just place the bait stations out where you see the ants.

The products below also are very effective at eliminating ants, Termidor is a product used by professionals that is the most effective ant product. When using any product be sure to read the labels and follow them precisely as that label of pesticides is the law. Good Luck.