While enjoying a sweet treat inside your home one day, you drop a crumb or two on the floor without noticing. After a few days pass by, you suddenly notice that you have an ant problem on your hands. Sugar ants can sneak up on you unexpectedly. And when it comes to sugar ant control in Florida, understanding the nuances of these tiny invaders is the first step toward maintaining a pest-free home.
Let’s talk about sugar ant control in Florida, including how to identify them and the signs of an infestation.
Understanding Sugar Ants: Ghost Ants and Pavement Ants
Did you know that there are several different types of sugar ants? Sugar ants are a colloquial term often used to describe a variety of ant species that are attracted to sweets and carbohydrates. Among these, ghost ants and pavement ants are the most common in Florida.
Ghost Ants
Ghost ants are aptly named for their pale color and the difficulty in spotting them due to their translucent legs and abdomen. They are tiny, with workers measuring around 1.5 mm in length.
Ghost ants will nest indoors or outdoors. This type of sugar ant enjoys spaces that provide moisture and food.
Inside, they might nest in wall voids, behind baseboards, and in potted plants. Outdoors, they are found in the soil, under stones, or in logs. Their diet primarily consists of sweets, but they will also eat insects. Their colonies will sometimes break up and nest in different areas, while they find one another by using odor trails.
Pavement Ants
Another type of sugar ant you’ll find is the pavement ants. Pavement ants are slightly larger and are characterized by their dark brown to black bodies. They earned their name from their preference for nesting under pavements, sidewalks, and building foundations.
In Florida, these ants are also drawn to the sandy soil and can often be found under stones, along curbs, or inside insulation. Pavement ants are omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of foods from sweets to proteins. If you drop an ice cream cone or popsicle on the sidewalk and forget about it, you might find yourself with a pavement ant problem. They’re also more likely to invade your home when temperatures drop here in the Sunshine State.
What are the Signs of Sugar Ant Infestation?
When you see a single sugar ant, it’s time to pay attention. That’s because one lone ant often means that other sugar ants aren’t far behind. However, some of the most common signs of a sugar ant infestation include the following:
Visible Ant Trails
On a quest to find food, sugar ants create visible trails that can often be seen leading from their nest to a food source. These trails are not just random ant movements–they are strategic paths marked by pheromones. This guides other ants to the food source.
In homes, these trails are frequently observed in kitchen areas, around sinks, along countertops, or any place where food particles are present. Spotting trails gives a clear indication of an ant pathway from their nest to the food source, highlighting an active foraging behavior.
If you notice these lines of ants, it’s advisable to follow them if possible. This can lead you to the entry point or even the nest itself.
Sugar Ant Nesting Sites
When it comes to pavement ants, nests can sometimes be identified by small mounds of soil or debris that the ants push to the surface when they excavate their underground galleries. In addition to these outdoor signs, pavement ants can nest indoors, under floors, or within walls, though these indoor nests are harder to spot. This is also true for Ghost Ants.
Ant Activity
An increase in ant sightings inside your home, particularly in kitchen areas or where food is stored, is a strong indicator of an active infestation. Sugar ants are attracted to sugary substances and other edible items, which they will actively seek out. If you start noticing ants frequently in areas where food is prepared or stored, it’s time to consider sugar ant control from the experts.
Meanwhile, increased ant activity can also include finding ants in pet food bowls, garbage bins, and even in appliances. It means that the sugar ants are not just passing through but have established a route that supports their colony’s needs. You’ll need to take immediate action to disrupt these patterns and eliminate the infestation.
Why are Sugar Ants so Hard to Get Rid of?
Having a hard time getting rid of sugar ants? These sneaky and persistent ants can be hard to get rid of, and there are several reasons why.
First, these ants typically establish very large colonies with numerous females that are ready for reproducing. Even as you set out the bait and traps, new sugar ant babies are being born–making it feel like you’re on a merry-go-round of an endless sugar ant infestation.
Another reason why sugar ants are so hard to get rid of is because they quickly adapt to their environment. We mentioned earlier that their colonies can split off into several groups. If you use a bait trap, you might only kill off part of the colony. Meanwhile, the living colony continues to reproduce while the infestation continues.
Preventing Sugar Ant Infestations
Do you have a sugar ant problem? Preventing sugar ant infestations requires a combination of sanitation, exclusion, and sometimes chemical control methods. Here are effective strategies to keep these pests at bay:
- Maintain Cleanliness: Regularly clean kitchen surfaces, floors, and cabinets to remove food residues and spills that attract ants.
- Store Food Properly: Use airtight containers to store food, especially sweets and baking ingredients that attract sugar ants.
- Seal Entry Points: Caulk and seal cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and other entry points to prevent ants from entering the home.
- Manage Moisture: Fix leaky pipes and use dehumidifiers in damp areas to reduce the humidity that ghost ants find attractive.
- Professional Pest Control: For persistent infestations, consider hiring a professional pest control service that specializes in ant control. Drive-Bye Exterminators can help you determine the type of ant that you have on your hands as well as how to get rid of them.
Call Drive-Bye Exterminators for Sugar Ant Control in Florida
If you need help with sugar ant control in Florida, Drive-Bye Exterminators can help you get rid of sugar ants. Breaking the cycle of the sugar ant infestation can be tough. But with our expertise, there’s help for sugar ant control in Florida. Trust us as the go-to exterminator for ant control, serving the Tampa Bay community since 2004 as a Tampa Bay Times’ People’s Choice Winner 4 Years in a Row!
