How to Get Rid of Sugar Ants in a Fridge

Print this articleRelated Searches:Get rid of sugar ants in the fridge with a few simple steps.Having ants in your fridge can ruin many meals. Sugar ants can take over a kitchen and refrigerator quickly and can be difficult to remove once established. Although sugar ants don't bite or sting, having them in your food can raise health concerns and at best is just unpleasant. Get sugar ants out of your refrigerator and enjoy your food again.

Difficulty:ModerateInstructions Things You'll NeedBroomMop and pailSoap for cleaningAirtight containers for foodBorax1Clean your house to get rid of sugar ants in the fridge.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Keep your house, especially your kitchen, clean to deter sugar ants. The best way to get rid of sugar ants is to make your home as unattractive to them as possible. Wipe all counters down and mop the floors. Clean up any old, stuck-on food that may be on tables or the bottom of chairs. Sugar ants flock to food stains on clothing, so keep your laundry caught up as well. Don't forget to wash out all of your trash cans.

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Clean your refrigerator thoroughly from top to bottom. Wipe down all surfaces in the refrigerator. Take out crisper drawers and wash them with soap and warm water. Wipe out the inside of the butter cooler and egg holders if your refrigerator has them. Use a butter knife to scrape up old, dried-up food or spills if necessary. Defrost your freezer if needed and clean all surfaces. Wipe down the outside of your refrigerator. When you are finished, the refrigerator should be spotless inside and out. Wipe any cabinets where you store nonrefrigerated foods and make sure they are crumb-free.

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Store all refrigerated food in airtight containers, especially sweets; if possible avoid storing sweets at all until the infestation is gone. Close all jars, cartons and bottles tightly. Wipe down the outsides of jars and bottles to remove any of the food product that might have spilled or dripped out. Also store nonrefrigerated foods that have been opened in airtight containers to avoid attracting sugar ants to other places in your kitchen..

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Clean up spills immediately. Wiping up spills is especially important in the fridge if you want to get rid of sugar ants. However, don't neglect spills in any part of the kitchen or pantry.

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Use borax to get rid of sugar ants in your refrigerator. Mix one tablespoon of borax with some water in a small container. Make sure the container is clearly labeled so no one will accidentally drink it -- this mixture is toxic and should be used with caution. Place the container by the refrigerator in the place the sugar ants use most to enter the fridge. This method has the best chance of killing the queen sugar ant, which will stop the infestation.

Tips & Warnings

Use only slow-acting baits, such as borax. Fast-acting baits will make sugar-ant infestations worse instead of better -- the ants will breed more in response.

ReferencesOrkin: Sugar AntsHousehold Pests: How to Get Rid of Sugar AntsPhoto Credit PhotoObjects.net/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images;Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images;Read Next:

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