--- title: 5 Tips for Dealing with Repeated Sugar Ant Invasions description: Sugar ants can invade your rental properties if you aren't careful. Try these tips to get rid of sugar ants and prevent another invasion. image: https://www.hometeampm.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/2020-12-08%20image%202.jpg --- [![Group 5068](https://www.hometeampm.com/hubfs/Group%205068.svg "Group 5068")](https://www.hometeampm.com) - [About](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/about-hpm) - [Our Company It’s been over 20 years and our goal hasn’t changed](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/about-hpm) - [Our Team Meet the Home Team Property Management Team](https://www.hometeampm.com/our-team) - [Why Choose Us No matter your property management goals, we will get you there](https://www.hometeampm.com/why-choose-us) - [Careers Take a look at our open positions and feel free to submit an application if your experience is a match](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/about-hpm) - [Vendors We are continually seeking out qualified, professional vendors to fulfill goods or maintenance contracts](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/vendor-relations) - [Connect With Us Reach out to our expert team to see how we can assist you with your property management needs](https://www.hometeampm.com/contact-us) - [Testimonials Read HomeTeam Property Management client testimonials here](https://www.hometeampm.com/testimonials) - [MANAGEMENT SERVICES](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services) - [Residential View our residential property management services](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/residential-management) - [Commercial View our commercial property management services](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/commercial-management) - [Marketing View how we market your property to prospective tenants](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/marketing) - [Accounting We specialize in complete financial services for our property owners](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/accounting) - [Maintenance Property maintenance is one of the most important aspects of maximizing your investment](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/maintenance) - [Leasing Our leasing department utilizes the latest in application and credit screening procedures](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/leasing) - [Free Rental Analysis Get a free rental valuation of your investment property](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services) - [Get a Quote Learn how much it would cost to manage your property](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/getting-started) - [OWNERS](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners) - [Marketing Your Property Learn how we market your property to ensure the maximum exposure to qualified buyers](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/marketing-your-property) - [Renting Your Property We provide you with guidance on how to ready your property to compete in the ever-changing rental market](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/renting-your-property) - [Maintaining Your Property The best approach to maintenance is preventative maintenance, and this is HomeTeam Property Management policy](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/maintaining-your-property) - [No - Eviction Guarantee We are so confident in our tenant selection process that we include a No-Eviction Guarantee](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/no-eviction-guarantee) - [Free Rental Analysis Get a free rental valuation of your investment property](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners) - [Owner Portal Login Sign-in to monitor your account](https://hometeam.appfolio.com/oportal/users/log_in) - [Get a Quote Learn how much it would cost to manage your property](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/getting-started) - [TENANTS](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants) - [Rental Search Find your next place to live in San Diego](https://www.hometeampm.com/properties) - [Tenant Portal Login Sign-in to monitor your account](https://hometeam.appfolio.com/connect/users/sign_in) - [Pay Your Rent Paying rent on time has never been easier](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants/pay-your-rent) - [Future Tenants Important information for tenants wanting to lease a property from HomeTeam](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants/future-tenants) - [Move Out We want your move-out to be a pleasant and successful one](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants/move-out) - [Notice To Vacate Moving out? 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They don't bite, they don't clear big ugly patches in your yard, and they don't bore dangerous holes into the wood. However, they can completely ruin a pantry. Once they colonize your home, you will never get rid of them. So, while sugar ants are one of the least offensive of the insect home invaders, the last thing you want is for them to feel at home in your walls drinking your water, eating your pantry goods, and filling your home with swarms of workers. Ants are an issue for both tenants and investment homeowners. If you rent to locals, it's vital to provide a home that does not harbor pests. If you rent your residence, it's also important to take steps that discourage pests from trying to move in. Today, we're here to help you keep ants out and stop them from returning to your rental home. Here are seven solid tips that will discourage invasions and kill colonies. ## 1) Seal Up Your Pantry Goods While sugar ants are capable of finding food outside, the concentrated collections of food we keep in our pantries is like a vault full of infinite money for an ant. Workers only have to follow a single chem trail to your sugar canister and back to feed more baby ants than their queen could possibly produce. But what may be a bonanza for them is completely gross for you and your family. Therefore, the primary step to keeping a colony of ants from trying to take over your home is not to encourage them. Keep all your pantry goods sealed tightly and clean up any spills immediately so as not to create a 'lake' of food for ants to return to. If you've got some old jars or plastic containers, double-check to make sure the seal is still solid by shaking water inside them. If the plastic or rubber has aged too much, you may need new storage containers that can maintain a seal. ## 2) Fill Cracks in Walls, Floors, and Cabinets Sugar ants do not tunnel through walls the way mice or termites do, which means they have to get into your house somehow. They are tiny, so any little crack could be a possible way in. If you're handy with putty and caulk, you should be able to seal up any little crack you find that could be letting the ants in. This is a sure thing if you actually find a crack that has become a part of an identifiable ant trail. Check your cabinets, walls, floors, windows, and doorframes to make sure that your home is almost as well sealed as your flour, sugar, and dry pasta. ## 3) Wipe Down Surfaces Constantly As we mentioned when talking about your pantry, ants come for the food. They are more likely to stay if a food source is always available in the places their chem trails leave. This means that if you're a bit of a messy chef, as most chefs are, the little drips and puddles caused by moving pots, pans, and spoons around constantly can form a regular feeding ground for ants. Wiping up your counters, appliance faces, and the outsides of your cabinets is the best way to make sure not food remnants are drawing ants. Being diligent can also eliminate chem trails left by previous ants, so fewer will keep coming back. ## 4) Spray Your Home Perimeter In the rare moment when you have no ants or only a very few ants inside your home, your main priority should be keeping them outside where they belong. The best way to do this is by creating a complete barrier between your home and the ground outside with a line of poison. This way, any ants or other creepy crawlies that try to cross your perimeter will perish before they get a chance to discover food or send word back to their numerous little friends. While you can create a perimeter with consumer bug spray, your local pest control service can lay down a formula that will last for about 6 months which will reduce the number of times you have to re-spray to keep the bugs at bay. ## 5) Use Bait Poison for Indoor Colonies Bait poison, on the other hand, is the most effective and sometimes only way to get rid of a colony of ants that has taken root inside your house. This is because ants are run by a queen that can make an infinite number of new workers wherever she is holed up as long as a few workers remain to bring her food. To get rid of a hidden ant colony, you'll need to have the workers bring the queen poisoned food so ant production stops and the colony dies. If you fight back seasonal sugar ants, these tips can really help you keep your home and pantry clear of the pesky little bugs. Even more importantly, these tips keep the inside of your home clean and poison-free except for childproof traps in key locations. Renters should take steps to protect foodstuffs, while landlords and property managers take care of repairs and arrange for perimeter treatment. For more ideas on how to keep pests out of your properties, [contact us today](https://www.hometeampm.com/contact-us/south-bay-office/)! ![icon](https://www.hometeampm.com/hubfs/Home_Team_2022/Group%205168%20(1).svg) #### SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE THE LATEST NEWS Stay in the know with the latest news form the leaders in property management ### Subscribe Here! ### Popular Posts #### The Great Pet Debate: To Allow Pets In Your... | HomeTeam Property Management | 30 January 2020 When you become a landlord, it is up to you to decide what you will... [READ FULL POST](https://www.hometeampm.com/blog/great-pet-debate-allow-pets-in-apartment) #### What Counts as a Rental Home Maintenance... | HomeTeam Property Management | 11 November 2020 Tenants are often shy about calling for repairs from their landlords... 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