It is common for homes in most of the United States to have grease ants, which are also known as thief ants. They usually live in kitchens. These insects prefer to eat greasy substances, including fatty foods like meat, cheese, seeds, and dairy products. This is how they got their other common name, “thief ant.” They also eat the larvae and pupae of other ant species or even steal the food that other ant species collect. They don’t bite people, and they don’t usually spread disease, but it is possible for them to do so because they walk on surfaces used for food preparation.
Review these three methods to help you get rid of grease ants and keep them away for good.
It’s frustrating enough finding ants in your kitchen. But when those ants invading your counters and cabinets are extra tiny and yellow? It can be even more annoying trying to get rid of them. Fortunately, there are effective methods to identify, remove and prevent future invasions of those pesky little yellow kitchen ants.
Common Tiny Yellow Ant Kitchen Invaders
Not all ant species are attracted to kitchens But some notorious tiny yellow ant species frequently end up scurrying through our homes in search of food, Here are some of the most common offenders
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Pharaoh Ants (Monomorium pharaonis): Pharaoh ants are tiny, yellow ants that are notorious for invading kitchens and pantries. They are attracted to both sweet and fatty foods.
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Crazy Ants (Paratrechina longicornis): Named for their erratic and fast movements, crazy ants can infest kitchens. They have long legs and golden brown bodies around 1/8-inch long.
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Acrobat Ants (Crematogaster spp.): These yellowish-brown ants get their name from their habit of raising their heart-shaped abdomen over their body. They trail along surfaces and can nest in kitchen walls.
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Thief Ants (Solenopsis molesta): Also called grease ants, these tiny ants crawl everywhere in kitchens seeking fatty and oily substances. They are yellow to light brown.
Signs of an Infestation
Watch for these common signs that tiny yellow ants have moved into your kitchen:
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Small ants roaming on kitchen counters, floors, walls, and in the pantry. They may crawl erratically and quickly.
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Trails or lines of ants traveling along the same paths repeatedly.
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Ants gathering around pet food bowls, crumbs, spills, garbage cans, etc.
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Nesting inside cabinets, cracks, crevices, walls, and openings leading outdoors.
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Winged ants emerging and swarming (a sign of established nests).
Removal Methods
Once you confirm an infestation, act quickly with these removal tactics:
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Clean counters and floors thoroughly since ants are attracted to food residues and spills.
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Locate and eliminate entry points like cracks and crevices so ants can’t get back in.
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Use natural repellents by sprinkling cinnamon, coffee grounds, or citrus peel oil where ants are seen.
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Wipe surfaces with vinegar or lemon juice – ants hate the smell.
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Apply boric acid or diatomaceous earth in targeted areas, avoiding contact with food.
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Bait with borax or commercial ant baits. The ants take it back to the colony and queen.
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Directly spray ants and trails with soapy water, essential oils, or insecticidal sprays.
For severe infestations, contact a pest control professional who can locate nests and target treatments more comprehensively both indoors and outdoors.
Prevention Tips
Once the kitchen ants are gone, make your home as unattractive as possible to invading ants in the future:
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Store all food in airtight containers and keep counters, floors, and the sink spotless.
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Quickly clean up any spills, crumbs, and leftovers after meals.
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Take out the garbage frequently. Ants are attracted to odors.
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Fix any water leaks like under the sink, which attracts ants.
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Caulk and seal potential entry points like cracks and crevices.
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Keep dish sponges and cloths clean and dry since dampness appeals to ants.
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Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in out-of-sight areas ants may access.
With persistence and prevention, you can get rid of those pesky yellow kitchen ants for good and enjoy ant-free meals again!
FAQs About Tiny Yellow Kitchen Ants
What attracts tiny yellow ants to kitchens?
Tiny yellow ants invade kitchens attracted by three main things – food, water, and shelter. They look for sugary, greasy, or starchy food residues. Moisture from spills, leaks, and damp areas draw them in. And cracks and openings allow them to enter and nest.
Why do I keep getting yellow ants in my kitchen?
If small yellow ants keep returning to your kitchen despite your removal efforts, there are a few likely reasons:
- There is an untreated nest indoors or outdoors near the home.
- Entry points like cracks and crevices have not been sealed up.
- Food spills or open pet food bowls continue attracting ants inside.
- Presence of moisture from leaks or standing water.
How do you find where yellow ants are coming from?
To trace yellow ants back to their entry point:
- Follow ant trails carefully along countertops or walls.
- Use a flashlight to illuminate cracks and gaps along the trail.
- Seal up any identified entryways with caulk or other fillers.
- Place glue boards or other traps at suspected access points.
What kills yellow ants instantly?
For immediate ant control:
- Directly spraying ants and trails with soapy water, vinegar, essential oils, or insecticides will kill them instantly.
- Dusts like diatomaceous earth will immediately dehydrate ants upon contact.
- Drenching ant nests found indoors or outside with boiling water will kill ants inside.
With some diligence, you can keep tiny yellow ants from continually invading your clean kitchen. Deploy a combination of removal techniques and emphasize good prevention habits for the best long-term control.
How to Prevent Grease Ants
Several simple steps can make your home unattractive to grease ants:
- Clean up: The best way to keep grease ants away is to keep your kitchen floors and counters clean. Clean up spills right away, and use a disinfecting cleaner to clean the floors and countertops often. To get rid of grease ants, wipe down surfaces with a solution of white vinegar and water.
- Take away food sources. Don’t leave open foods on the counter; put them in the fridge or cover them with pest-proof containers. Pet food should not be left out overnight or even during the day after a meal. Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink after eating; wash them right away.
- Seal entryways: To keep ants from coming inside from the outside, caulk or otherwise seal all possible entryways that you can find. These tiny ants can get in through the tiniest cracks, so this might be hard to do, but it’s worth a shot.
Use Chemical Ant Killer on Outdoor Colonies
Neither homemade borax bait nor commercial baits are very effective on outdoor grease ant colonies. In this case, the best thing to do is to try to find the colony and then spray it directly with an ant-killing pesticide. To locate a nest, follow the trail of ants backward from the food source. It may take a very good soaking—or repeated applications of contact pesticide—to fully eradicate an outdoor colony.
Treatment is only needed if the colony is close to the house and there is a good chance that the bugs will move inside. Isolated outdoor colonies of grease ants harm no one, so there is usually no need for treatment.
If you use contact pesticides, be careful not to kill any good bugs that they touch, like ladybugs or honeybees. Opt for a pyrethrin-based pesticide if you prefer not to use toxic chemicals. Pyrethrin comes from natural chemicals in chrysanthemum flowers. It kills ants on contact but doesn’t hurt people or pets too much.