Sugar ants can be frustrating. Not only do they seem to take over your living space, but they are also tough to get rid of and once you do, it seems like they always come back!. The Portland Oregon area specifically, deals with a pervasive sugar ant problem so we understand how frustrating they can be.
What Are Sugar Ants
Sugar ants, also known as odorous ants for their strong smell, make up the vast majority of ant-related pest control problems in the Portland, Oregon area. Typically seen around the beginning of spring and before winter, these pests are a dark brown to black in color. Once you kill them around your home you’ll notice an odor which is where the name ‘odorous ant’ is derived from.
Springtime is a time for these ants to collect food to store away for the winter. Though this is their typical activity for the seasons, they can also be seen in your home during the colder months if they have made nests in the walls to protect them from the colder temperatures.
Where Do Sugar Ants Build Their Nests
Sugar ants build their nests mostly outside but are known to build nests within the walls of homes or buildings. Under driveways, sidewalks, or parking spaces, these pests are a dead giveaway once the dirt from above their nest becomes visible in small mounds through cracks and crevices. Depending on the environment, some sugar ants will occupy multiple nests at one time being able to relocate between each one because of the scent trails they leave behind. This is also how they communicate to other worker ants where food can be found.
Most people recognize these pests in their homes on their countertop, flooring, or inside cabinetry and you will know if you have a serious sugar ant problem if you also notice winged ants within these spaces. Winged ants are one sign that the ant colony is thriving.
Why Are Sugar Ants So Pervasive
The number one reason sugar ants are so pervasive is that they are unpredictable in their habits. Sugar ants feed on carbohydrates and protein but which one they choose as a food source will be dependent on the colony’s needs at the time. Sugar ants need carbohydrates for energy and protein for reproducing so the foods they will be interested in will depend upon whether they are foraging or nest building. This is why when ant bait is put out it is sometimes ignored because it doesn’t meet the colony’s needs at the time.
Another reason they ignore bait is because of their scent trails. Ants are like perfect little soldiers that only follow a set of specific orders. Worker ants follow the scent trails that are laid out to direct them to a food source which they will not likely deviate from. Only when a ‘scout’ ant comes along searching for other food sources will he likely come upon the newly set out bait and then leave another scent trail to direct worker ants.
Sugar ants are very picky about what they need and they will ignore everything else. Even when they take the bait back to their colony the amount they take back must outweigh the potential for them to produce new members which is why consistently treating your home for ants is key in getting rid of sugar ants. Once the number of ants in a colony becomes low enough they will not be able to thrive and therefore have to relocate the queen. Treating ants with minimum effort will not be effective in long-term ant control.
If you are noticing sugar ants in or around your home in the Portland, Oregon area call your local pest control company to come and help you get rid of them.
