Sugar ants, also known as odorous house ants, are nuisance pests that enter homes nationwide. Although they do not bite, they invade homes in the thousands looking for food, especially after periods of rain. Unlike other ant species, sugar ants are tiny in stature; and live in colonies with multiple queens that live harmoniously. The colony will use the queens to guarantee reproduction and protect the colony. Occasionally, a queen will leave with working ants to establish a new nest. This process is referred to as budding. Effective Pest Services delves further into sugar ants below.
Sugar Ant Identification
Ant species can be challenging to identify with an untrained eye; that being said, sugar ants well know for their small size, typically 2.5-3mm in length, black to dark brown coloring, 12 antennae segments, and distinctive rotten coconut smell when crushed. Since sugar ants have similar traits to other ant species, contact your Effective Pest Services experienced technician for definitive identification.
How Do You Know if You have a Sugar Ant Infestation?
Active trailing is one of the most common and apparent signs of a sugar ant infestation. Unless you notice active trails, you may not even realize you have an issue with sugar ants, even if the nest is inside your home. Sugar ants are often found under stones, around walkways, and beneath planters and stacks of wood. If you see sugar ants in your home during winter, this could indicate the colony has moved inside, where it’s warm and dry with a constant food source. When sugar ants nest inside your home, they prefer warm places under flooring, around copper pipes, and close to water heaters.
Why are there Sugar Ants in My Room & Home?
There are several reasons that sugar ants may choose to enter and infest your home, including a nearby nest that has become too large (budding), the arrival of cold or warm weather, a sweet food source, and recent rainy weather or frequent watering.
What is the Best Defense for Sugar Ants?
Protect your home from sugar ants by sealing them out. Seal up cracks around windows, exterior doors, baseboards, and bathrooms. Check that your exterior sweeps and window screens are undamaged, adequately secured, and fit tight. Regardless of the type of pest infestation, eliminating food sources is essential to ensuring your home is pest-free. Just as their name implies, sugar ants love anything sweet. Clean up food spills quickly; once sugar ants find a food source, they will send out a signal to the other ants. A few crumbs left on the counter can promptly become an open invitation and a delicious buffet.
Pest Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal & More in Wellington, Fort Collins, Timnath, Greeley, Longmont, Boulder, Johnstown, Berthoud, Estes Park & Loveland, CO | Northern Colorado
Sugar ants are budding ants with multiple queens, making them hard to get rid of with insect spray and other over-the-counter methods. Your experienced, Effective Pest Services technician will positively identify the ants before applying a specific treatment protocol to rid your home and the surrounding area of pesky sugar ants. To learn more about sugar ant identification and removal, and to schedule an appointment for your Northern Colorado home or business, contact the experts at Effective Pest Services today.
