Have you’ve ever picked up a jar of sugar swarming with ants? It ruins a day! Having ants everywhere is annoying. They crawl out of cracks, pass-through windows, and walk around as if they own the place!
Overview
Why There Are Ants In Sugar Dispenser
What Ants Eat
Common Types of Ants Who Visits
How To Ant Proof Sugar Dispensers
Why There Are Ants At Sugar Dispenser
Ants are attracted to sugar-rich foods, especially sugar. Sugar is an edible form of energy that gives them instant power that they need. Much more, they like sugar-rich liquids such as sodas and juices.
Also, sugar is lightweight and easy for ants to transport to their nest.
What Ants Eat
Ants eat anything and everything. Outside, they feed on the honeydew that is produced by aphids and the like, the sap of plants and various fruits, dead animals, eggs of other insects.
When they get inside a home, they feed on everything they can get most in the kitchen. Crumbs on the floor, spilled juice, uncovered food, anything that is available. Even those food jars, containers that are not closed tightly are not safe from them. They are not picky eaters and love sweets such as candies, sugar, and juices. They are also attracted to foods high in protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Common Types of Ants Who Visits
Others would not seem to care what type of ants are there, meet some of the visitors common to so many households.
Odorous House Ants – They are dark brown or black, and they give off a rotten smell when crushed, so they are known as odorous ants. They love sugary food and the honeydew from other insects. They are known to make their home in exposed soil, but they also nest under floors and wall cracks inside homes. They do not pose a threat to the structures of homes or buildings, but they can contaminate foods.
Carpenter Ants – They also love honeydew, nectar from plants, parts of dead insects, and substances derived from other insects. They do not eat woods but dig it out to create holes and nests within it.
Crazy Ants – They named as such for their erratic movements. They are dark brown to black, to yellow-orange. They feed on a wide variety of foods such as grains, seeds, decaying matter. They are attracted to electronics and electrical boxes and outlets, which may cause significant damage.
Argentine Ants – Dark brown. They live in concrete walls, between timbers and boards. They can not dig deeper nests. Outside the home, they are beneath leaves or small stones. Argentine ants eat a variety of foods, including sweets, meats, dog and cat food, and sugary drinks.
Fire Ants – They are red and light brown. They thrive mostly in the soil and near moist areas like river banks, watered lawns, and pond shores. They like meats, greasy foods, dead insects, honeydew, plants, and seeds.
Leafcutter ants – These ants collect leaves but not to feed themselves but the fungus they farm. They can be a damaging agricultural pest by defoliating crops, and they can even defoliate a whole tree in less than 24 hours.
Pavement Ants – Make their homes on the sidewalk and under rocks. They enter houses for food. They like sugar most but also want greasy foods and meats.
Rover Ants – They nest along sidewalks, house edges, and trunk of trees.
Ghost Ants – Their heads are dark and pale or translucent legs and abdomen. They often get inside the house for sweets and lives in baseboards and flower pots. They give off a foul smell when crushed.
How To Ant Proof Sugar Dispensers
Sugar dispensers are not the only ones that should be ant proof, nor food containers, or kitchen but the whole house and yard. There are some things to remember always to keep ants away.
- Clean and vacuum all over areas regularly.
- Seal food, use tight seal food containers if possible, and hide leftovers.
- Take care of the garden.
- Keep moist areas such as kitchen and bathroom dry.
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