How can I get rid of Sugar Ants?!

Dixietrink82
Dixietrink82 Posts: 33 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hey Everyone,

I have sugar ants (those tiny little ones) and they are driving me nuts! How can I get rid of them? They are coming in my slider door and my cats go in and out at that exact place...so I'd like to avoid chemicals if possible.

I need help!!!
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Replies

  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    instant grits is a non-chemical solution for ants.

    I do not know whether piss ants ((thats what my mom calls those) will eat them. but it works really well for fire ants.

    Just pour out a little pile near their area. They bring it back into the nest to feed their qeen, the grits swell up and rupture her, and the ants, now queenless, move on.
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
    Sprinkle cinnamon around. They don't like it for some reason and its non-toxic!
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    polls_ant_burning_0646_625379_poll_xlarge.png



    (I know. zero help. but, well, I couldn't help myself.)
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,177 Member
    with all the sugar they eat I can't see them living very long anyway, wouldn't worry about it.
  • jenaissance
    jenaissance Posts: 302 Member
    cinnamon really works!
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 549 Member
    I wound up going with chemicals. But essential oils work ok, you just have to do them often. I used eucalyptus and peppermint, they won't cross over any surface you wipe with the oil. They only last a day though. The chemicals last weeks.

    Cinnamon and pepper work too, but for vertical surfaces, they don't help.
  • ValRAAAAY
    ValRAAAAY Posts: 270 Member
    with all the sugar they eat I can't see them living very long anyway, wouldn't worry about it.


    BAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!! :-)
  • ctprofessional
    ctprofessional Posts: 63 Member
    Sprinkle cinnamon around. They don't like it for some reason and its non-toxic!

    I use cinnamon for ants, its awesome!
  • pat6250
    pat6250 Posts: 90
    wipe down the area where they come in with vinegar. Repeat as needed. They won't cross it.I just read that if you put corn meal near their nest, ants will eat it, then die because they can't digest it. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to.
  • california_peach
    california_peach Posts: 1,809 Member
    Cinnamon works. It burns their little *kitten* feet. But the best thing to do is call an exterminator. For our house, they just spray outside and seems to work just fine.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    :grumble: My house has been invaded by them this Spring and I can not find where they are coming in...Thanks for asking this question and I am going to try some of these options as I do not want to spray where my grand baby might get into it.
  • citydwellers
    citydwellers Posts: 40
    Baby powder works wonders. I direct a preschool every year we have ants come in one specific classroom. I simply spread the baby powder across the "path" the ants seem to take and they never reappear! It's awesome! Plus our room spells baby fresh :)
  • ronkoscelnik
    ronkoscelnik Posts: 9 Member
    I didn't look where you live but as an exterminator i can tell you the materials we use now are very safe around pets, plants, and people. yes technically they kill stuff thus they are "toxic" but they are made and mixed to be very safe for everyone. The EPA regulates everything we use and how we use them. If you want them to go away quickly call a professional. if you can stand to fight them a while go with the home defense and treat the whole kitchen, door jam, and exterior.
  • 1grammie
    1grammie Posts: 163
    Thanks for all the suggestions. I was invaded this spring and resorted to chemicals which worked but will try the non chemical suggestions next time.
  • nemsmom
    nemsmom Posts: 48
    Depending on where you are it can be a forever battle. You have to keep up on making sure there is nothing they can get, water is a big one! We lived somewhere once that had a horrible problem, we had to dry out the sinks every time we used them! There was something they sprinkled around the building every so often that really helped though. I will have to ask my Mom what it was, but I think it was a chemical.
  • thefoodnerd
    thefoodnerd Posts: 27 Member
    I heard peppermint extract and/or oil works for repelling ants! But try and find the source and get some ant killer. :P
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
    Please consider non-lethal solutions. What did they ever do to you?
  • PegasusDeb
    PegasusDeb Posts: 665 Member
    I used cornmeal. It seemed to work, but these were outside, right outside my back door. Once the cornmeal gets wet, you have to replace it though. I hate them little bass turds too.
  • TEE1966
    TEE1966 Posts: 21
    Ants do not like chalk; I read it on the internet a few years ago, as I had a problem as well. Take white chalk and rum it outside your side door, they will not pass over it.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    Hey Everyone,

    I have sugar ants (those tiny little ones) and they are driving me nuts! How can I get rid of them? They are coming in my slider door and my cats go in and out at that exact place...so I'd like to avoid chemicals if possible.

    I need help!!!

    they suck and honestly its a losing battle. they usually last for a couple weeks and then go away. just try to clean up after yourself and keep things in airtight containers
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    oh and sorry...but i raid the crap outta em.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Please consider non-lethal solutions. What did they ever do to you?

    I'm hoping this is the invisible sarcasm font?
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    if you want a lethal solution.. TERRO is like CRACK to ants. Once they find it they (and ll their little buddies) party it up for a couple of days and then they're gone. They also love sharing and will bring it back with them, which kills off the whole nest. :) i mean... :(
  • gatorgirlyyy
    gatorgirlyyy Posts: 349
    Where I live in the South they are a big issue in my household every spring and summer. My family always keeps Sevin Dust on hand. Seriously, it works wonders.

    Here's a link. I wish you the very best of luck!

    http://www.gardentech.com/sevin.asp
  • sarafit926
    sarafit926 Posts: 62 Member
    Mix borax with sugar in a little dish on your counter (or wherever the ants are). They'll flock to the sugar, take it (and borax) back to their nest, and die. The only bad part about this is it gets really gross for the first day while the ants are all like "Heyo! Check out this free sugar!"
  • DivaDiane
    DivaDiane Posts: 73
    I've also read about wiping down the area with white vinegar, but haven't actually done it myself. I do make sure all food items are in sealed containers--no chip clips or folding down cereal liners for me.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    yeah if you have chip clips..you are probably eating ants. lol
  • tonyacoursey
    tonyacoursey Posts: 404 Member
    Comet, sprinkle it around the perimeter. We use it around the tent when we go camping and they won't cross it!
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
    Terro pre-filled bait traps.

    I tried borax, cinnamon, bleaching everything, sprays, etc. This stuff is the only stuff that worked. I dealt with ants every spring until hot hot summer for 8 years in my house. I bought the outdoor traps and the indoor traps last year, put them outside in the places i thought they were coming in, and inside where I saw them and i haven't had any ants since!! All of the windows are open this year and NO ANTS!!
  • DyannAlvarez
    DyannAlvarez Posts: 162 Member
    Professional pest control should take care of the problem and not hurt your cats. Unless your cats are especially sensitive to household chemicals they should be fine. (We own a pest control company in Phoenix, AZ and are asked this question all the time. I'm quite comfortable with this answer - I have a little dog and she's my baby! We spray around our house when needed and I don't worry about her.) Good luck!

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