Sugar ants are a common nuisance among our Austin clients. The pest control professionals at Magic Pest and Lawn understand that sugar ant control and prevention is necessary so you can get back to enjoying your meals without any unwanted ant guests foraging for the leftovers! Nearly every Austin resident has experienced the fright of coming into the kitchen and seeing a swarm of ants covering a forgotten piece of fruit or an accidental spill of juice. In the Austin area, we often call this pesky household pest a “sugar ant” because these ants seem to be especially drawn to sweets. In actuality, “sugar ant” is more of a blanket term for ant species such as pharaoh ants, odorous house ants, carpenter ants, acrobat ants, and many more.

**Click here to learn more about how identify unique common household ants in your Austin, Texas home**

What Are Sugar Ants?

 Just because an ant is attracted to sugar, doesn’t mean it is a true sugar ant, just as if someone eats veggies, it doesn’t make them a vegetarian. (The true sugar ant species, also known as the Banded Sugar Ant, generally is found in Australia.) Sugar ants have become a frequently used term to describe a variety of species of tiny ants in your home that are attracted to sweets.

Sugar ant colonies can be found in suburban Texas areas, because they enjoy warm climates and the comfort of the indoors where there are often easy, reliable sources of food in your pantries, cupboards, and kitchens.

Most types of sugar ants are very small in size, generally merely 2mm to 5mm in length, depending on the ant species. They are nocturnal, so this can make sugar ant control tricky, because it is easy to miss sugar ant activity until it is too late.

Sugar ant bites are incredibly uncommon, and even if a sugar ant does bite, they are so small it generally does little damage to humans. However, the main reason sugar ants are so despised is because they are such a nuisance. Nobody wants ants contaminating their living spaces with possible diseases, and the sight of a swarm of ants on your countertops is enough to make anyone squeamish.  

Why is Professional Sugar Ant Control Important to Get Rid of Sugar Ants in Your Austin Home?

The answer is simple. There are countless ant species that can be labeled “sugar ants,” and in order to properly prevent and control ants in your home, you may need professional pest control experts to assist in proper identification of the sugar ant species. Each ant species can require a unique form of ant control, so when you need to get rid of sugar ants, not all ant control treatments will be successful if the true type of ant is not correctly identified.

Magic Pest and Lawn can help you with safe pest control treatments to get rid of sugar ants in your Austin home and help you enjoy your sweet treats without fear.