‘Sugar ant’ is a nickname, not one ant

In Australia, “sugar ant” usually means the banded sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus), but other ants share the name, so check which one you have before you leave, block, bait or report it. This native ant has a black head, orange legs and usually an orange band across its abdomen. The Toohey Forest Environmental Education Centre calls it a common sight in Brisbane backyards.

The Victorian Department of Health says carpenter ants, one of the most common and widespread ant groups in Australia, are sometimes called sugar ants. Small household ants such as the black house ant and the white-footed house ant also prefer sweet foods, so a trail to the sugar bowl is not always a banded sugar ant.

For the small black ant often found indoors, see the black house ant guide. Unsure they are ants at all? Read white ants and termites.

A quick check: banded sugar ant, small trail ant or suspected fire ant

Check several rows, not just one.

Treat the check as a guide: the Queensland Government notes that fire ants look like ordinary house or garden ants. If the fire ant column matches, leave the nest alone and report it. If you cannot place a household ant, a pest manager can identify the species.

Suspected fire ants: who to report them to

Report suspected fire ants to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. Business Queensland asks anyone who finds suspect ants or a nest to report them, and the Queensland Government says to try to report within 24 hours. Bob Gunn’s pest control booking is for household ants, not suspected fire ants.

1. Keep people and pets away. The Queensland Government says fire ants are extremely aggressive and should not be touched.
2. Leave the nest and soil alone. Do not touch, dig or disturb the nest; report it first. Healthdirect says destroying ant nests can increase your risk of being bitten or stung, and Business Queensland says fire ant biosecurity zones restrict the movement of materials that could spread fire ants.
3. Take a photo if it is safe. The fire ant report form asks for a photo or video of suspect ants and nests.
4. Report it through the online fire ant report form or on 132 ANT (13 22 68).

If you think someone is having anaphylaxis after an ant bite or sting, healthdirect says to use their adrenaline autoinjector immediately, then call triple zero (000).

Why they have come inside now

A trail of ants inside leads to food or water that a forager has found and marked. Victoria’s health department explains that ants use pheromones to leave trails to food sources.

White-footed house ants trail to water as well as food: the same fact sheet says they enter houses through small cracks and form trails to a suitable food or water source.

The Victorian guidance also notes that ants may change nest site in adverse conditions, and that pet food left outside can draw ants close to the house.

Leave, block, bait or report: what to do for each

The right action depends on where the ants are and which ant it is. Only a handful of Australia’s ant species are pests, mostly introduced ones, says the Victorian health department.

Finding the nest

Follow the trail back to find the nest and where ants get in. Banded sugar ants are active at night, so use a torch after dark and look for a ring of loose soil. Black house ants may lead you to path edges, ceilings or cavity walls. If a trail ends at a lawn mound with no obvious entry hole, do not dig: report it as a suspected fire ant nest. Pantry habits are in 7 ways to prevent ants from taking over your kitchen.

Why spraying a trail can disappoint

Spraying only the ants you can see leaves the nest untouched, and Victorian health guidance says treating the nest directly usually gives the most effective control. Nests hold from a few dozen to millions of ants, and nearly all colonies have one or more queens.

Baits work differently: workers carry the bait to the nest and share it, which can eliminate the entire colony when it succeeds. The same guidance calls space sprays of limited use. For Pharaoh’s ants, spraying fragments the colony into new colonies. Surface sprays on nests, travel routes and entry points, combined with good hygiene, can still give long-term prevention.

Do sugar ants bite or cause damage?

Banded sugar ants do not sting, but they can give a painful bite, made worse by a spray of formic acid, according to the Toohey Forest Environmental Education Centre. Healthdirect says an ant bite can cause itching, redness, swelling and a hot feeling, and local reactions last less than a day.

Fire ants are different: healthdirect says they can both bite and sting, and the stings can cause an allergic reaction. Business Queensland says the burning, itching sensation can last up to 1 hour, and small pustules may form several hours later.

Sugar ants do not damage houses the way termites do. Victoria’s health department says ants are not related to termites, and that carpenter ants, the group sometimes called sugar ants, rarely cause structural damage. The real cost is food: pest ants gather where food is prepared and have the potential to spread disease.

When professional treatment makes sense

Consider a pest manager when:

• Trails keep returning after cleaning and baiting.
• Ants are coming from wall cavities, ceilings or subfloors, or trails appear in several rooms.
• Ants gather around power points. Singapore ants nest in power sockets and chew wiring, the Victorian fact sheet warns, so leave electrical fittings alone.
• You cannot find the nest or reach it safely.

The Victorian protocol sets out the usual professional steps: inspect the house and yard, follow trails to nests and entry points, identify the species, and treat the nest directly where possible, with follow-up treatments for severe infestations.

Bob Gunn Termite Solutions’ Pest Control Service covers ants, along with cockroaches, silverfish and webbing spiders. Quotes are free; phone (07) 3286 9877. See ant control, or residential pest control and the Brisbane and Ipswich pages for the wider household service.

Next steps

Once you have named the ant, read how to get rid of ants the right way. If household ants keep coming back, see Bob Gunn’s ant control page. Suspected fire ants are reported online or on 13 22 68, not booked.