Ant infestations are one of the most common pest problems around, and unfortunately, they’re also one of the easiest to overlook, at least at first.
They slip in through cracks, crawl along plumbing lines, and follow each other in perfect lines guided by trails set by their scouts. It might not seem like a big deal now, but behind that neat little column of ants is an entire colony operating with one goal: find food and bring it home.
For every ant you see, there’s a good chance dozens more are tucked out of sight, but with Burns Pest Elimination, you don’t have to wait for the problem to get worse before doing something about it.
Here’s the Good News
Yes, there’s actually some good news.
The fact that the ants you see are small is a reassuring sign that they are not carpenter ants, one of the most destructive species to find in your home.
Carpenter ants tend to be large, up to an inch in length, and while younger ants may be small, it’s still a good sign that you’re dealing with a different species. Unlike the ants that show up for sugar, carpenter ants are more likely to chew right into the structure of your house.
Just like termites, they burrow through wooden framing to build nests. But instead of eating the wood itself, carpenter ants dig through it looking for prey, like termites. The tunnels they carve out in the process can be extensive, and in some cases, the damage they leave behind can spread even faster than termite infestations.
Take that good news with a grain of salt (or sugar), because these small ants can cause their own big issues.
What Are Sugar Ants?
The answer isn’t as simple as you may expect.
“Sugar ant” is a term used to describe a broad range of small, glucose-loving ants. But there’s an issue—nearly all ants love sugar. Here are just a few of the many ant species that share the title:
- Odorous house ants
- Pharaoh ants
- Argentine ants
- Pavement ants
- Acrobat ants
- Little black ants
The banded sugar ant is the only one to actually hold the term in its name, but they are far from the most common cause of sugar ant infestation.
Why Do We Call Them “Sugar Ants”?
There are more than 12,000 species of ants worldwide, and even within the pest control industry, that’s a lot.
The truth is, several ant species share similar behavior. Many ants are small, and it’s easy to confuse one tiny speck walking along your counter with another. So, instead of thinking of “sugar ant” as the name of a specific pest, it helps to think of it as a description of behavior.
These ants are opportunistic. If they find sugar, they’ll come back for more, no matter which species they belong to.
Are Banded Sugar Ants in My House?
No. Interestingly, the only true “sugar ant” is not found in America at all. Banded sugar ants are native to Australia, and while a few may reach the United States in small numbers through produce and shipping containers, they almost never manage to form a colony.
However, even though the small ants in your home are sugar ants in name only, they still have a strong sweet tooth.
Sugar and Ants Always Go Together
Ants love sugar for the same reason as everyone else. It’s sweet, but more importantly, it’s energy-dense.
This matters when you’re feeding a growing colony. Workers are constantly searching for high-calorie foods to bring back, and with so many potential sugar sources indoors, like spilled drinks, open cereal boxes, or forgotten candy, they’ll come inside at the first whiff.
In fact, smell is critical to ants. Scout ants leave behind pheromone trails that act like invisible highways, leading them back to the colony even if they’ve traveled dozens of yards through tight corners and walls. If that scout finds food, the rest of the colony will follow the same path.
That’s when you have a problem. Even if you wipe down every surface and take out all the ants in sight, others may still be en route. Ants from nearby colonies can even follow those lingering trails long after you’ve cleaned up.
The Best Way To Get Rid of Sugar Ants: Contact Burns Pest Elimination
Sugar ant problems can snowball fast, especially when those scent trails are still active. Our treatments work to break those trails and seal up the gaps ants use to get inside in the first place. That means the ants you’re seeing now don’t come back, and the ones outside don’t get a reason to start exploring.
We take a proactive approach, identifying risk areas before the ants spread and tracking down the infestation at its source. Reach out to Burns Pest Elimination to request a quote, and let us help you cut off the problem before it multiplies.
