How To Deal Very Tiny Ants Around Kitchen Sink?

It can be incredibly frustrating to continuously find very tiny ants gathering around your kitchen sink despite your best efforts to get rid of them. You sweep up the stray ants and wipe down the counters, only to discover fresh new ant trails the next day.

If you’re tired of dealing with persistent tiny ants infiltrating your sink area, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide will cover everything you need to know about exterminating small ants around your kitchen sink for good.

Read on to find out:

• Why ants are attracted to the kitchen and sinks
• How to identify different types of tiny kitchen ants
• Effective prevention solutions to permanently keep ants away
• Step-by-step removal methods to get rid of existing ant nests
• DIY home remedies plus professional treatment options
• Pro tips to deter ants from ever returning once eliminated

Arm yourself with the knowledge below to get rid of tiny ants around your sink and prevent future infestations for good!

Why Ants Are Drawn to Kitchen Sinks

To understand how to get rid of tiny ants in and around your kitchen sink, it’s helpful to know what’s attracting them there in the first place.

Ants enter homes and kitchens searching for three things: food, water and shelter. Sinks provide all three drawing ants in.

The Allure of Moisture

Kitchen sinks themselves also naturally trap moisture from the faucet and drain pipes which agitates ants to come drink.

Tile grout around sinks also absorbs water when spills occur, while gaps between the faucet fixtures or pipes allow moisture to collect.

Even void spaces under the sink or behind walls can gather condensation. Ants take advantage, invading to meet their water needs.

Foraging for Food

The kitchen itself is a major food source, especially around the sink which is central to food preparation and cleanup.

Tiny crumbs and residues on countertops or in the sink basin attract foraging worker ants in your kitchen  searching for food to take back to the colony.

Fats, grease, sugars and proteins are rich nutrition sources ants love. They’ll even eat left behind pet food bits stuck in bowls put in the sink. Garbage disposals also grind up particles they eat.

Scent Trails: How They Find Your Kitchen

Ants leave behind pheromone trails which attract nestmates once a good food or water source is found. This brings swarms of ants marching to your sink area.

Some ant species also emit pungent odors from scent glands. So one ant detecting your kitchen results in a steady ant column formation soon after.

Ideal Nesting Sites

What’s worse than ants in your actual sink are ants nesting directly behind kitchen walls, under cabinets or crawlspaces.

Hot water pipes, electrical conduits and hollow drywall voids offer protected shelter ideal for establishing nest colonies near plentiful water and food.

Inside cabinets under the sink is prime real estate too. Once inside, getting rid of ants becomes much more difficult.

Tiny Black Ants in the Kitchen Sink

Now that you know why ants infiltrate kitchens and swarm sinks, let’s identify the tiny black ants probably causing issues around your sink so solutions can be tailored accordingly.

Some of the most common tiny ants found near kitchen sinks include:

• Carpenter Ants – Large black ants up to 1⁄2 inch long established in wood dwelling in cavities. If seen trailing in kitchens, be sure to inspect for structural damage containing nests.

• Pharaoh Ants – Just 1/16” long, pharaoh ants are one of the smallest ant species. They thrive indoors, nesting in warm moist crevices like sink cabinets and walls, drawn to water sources and food particles from the sink drain and pipes. Light yellow-red in color.
• Pavement Ants – About 1/8” long, pavement ants get their name from nesting under sidewalks, driveways and building foundations. Kitchen pipes, sinks and drains mimic outdoor nest sites. Their dark heads and light abdomens identify them.
• Odorous House Ants – Mid-sized at 1/8” long, odorous house ants give off a strong rotten coconut smell when crushed due to pungent odor glands. They favor moist areas like sink drains and flood quickly indoors when nests outdoors get rained out.
• Argentine Ants – A tiny invasive species just 1/16”-1/8” long, tiny ants in your kitchen swarm constantly in lines searching for sweet foods and moisture. Highly attracted to sinks, drains and pipes. Brown with light bellies.

While there are other kind of ant species found in kitchens, these tiny ants around sinks seem most problematic for homeowners.

Be sure to identify type of ant has infiltrated to best target nest elimination and prevention specifically. Otherwise general treatment methods apply.

How to Get Rid of Ants Around Kitchen Sink

Getting rid of ants around the kitchen sinks takes some diligence across prevention, removal and keeping them away long-term once eliminated. Follow these key steps:

Step 1: Find Where The Ants Are Accessing The Kitchen

• Observe where ants enter. Along walls, through windows or tiny cracks? Knowing entry points helps seal shutting them out.
• Inspect under the sink, pipe fixtures, electrical outlets, windows and baseboards for openings 1/16” or wider which ants can fit through.
• Place small dabs of jelly, honey or peanut butter around to reveal main activity trails. Focus efforts sealing off these access areas first to prevent ants entering your home.

Step 2: Locate the Main Colony Nest

• Attempting to exterminate ants scattered around the sink alone won’t eliminate the core issue – the nest source itself.
• Search for the main nest breeding site both under and away from the sink using bait lures and tracking ants to follow trails back to the source colony.
• Primarily target destroying nests first before addressing stray ants around the sink who will continue coming without eliminating breeding colonies.

Step 3: Destroy Existing Nests Thoroughly

• Use boiling water, insecticidal dust or gel baits placed directly into ground and wall nest crevices to kill queen ants and destroy the colony entirely so they can’t regrow.
• For above-ground ant trails, spray EPA-approved targeted insecticides along lines to get workers to carry back to the colony and queen. This avoids spreading chemicals across wider areas unnecessarily.
• Ant baits: Consider placing ant bait traps near the ant trail. These will attract and kill the worker ants, potentially disrupting the colony.
• Apply boric acid powder into wall voids, under cabinets, along baseboards, attics and crawlspaces where nests may hide. Ants ingest it while grooming harming digestive systems.
• Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around nest cracks slicing up ants’ exoskeletons also eliminates entire colonies effectively over time.

Step 4: Seal Up Any Access Points Around The Sink

• A critical step to prevent recurring ants is meticulously sealing all possible entry ways into your home after addressing active nests.
• Caulk cracks and crevices in walls, tile floors, along the plumbing under the sink, around faucet fixtures and windows.
• Use weather stripping around pipes or wires running into walls securing openings wider than 1/16 of an inch. Expanding foam sealant works great too.
• Fix leaky plumbing immediately and avoid excess water pooling under the sink which attracts ants. Thoroughly dry sink cabinets too.

Step 5: Remove Outdoor Food Sources Luring Ants Inside

• To reduce ant trails in kitchens, eliminate what draws them – outside food sources nearby.
• Store garbage cans tightly sealed away from buildings to avoid odors luring them to trail along the kitchen counter indoor
• Rinse recyclables to prevent sugary residues before storing in bins.
• Pick ripe fruit/vegetables from gardens daily not leaving decaying ones ants will feed on.
• Place pet food bowls inside right after pets finish eating instead of leaving outdoors attracting ants.
• Fix dripping outdoor faucets, irrigation sprinklers, downspouts or underground pipe leaks providing moisture ant nests need.

Remedies to Kill Ants Already in Kitchen Sinks Fast

In addition to the prevention steps above which are key to eliminating tiny ants long term, use these methods to manage ants actively swarming your sink currently:

• Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. Sprinkle this non-toxic homemade ant killer into sink drains and along backsplashes where ants travel. The sugar lures them while the baking soda bubbles up in their stomachs when ingested killing them.
• Pour a pot of boiling water directly down the kitchen sink drain flushing ants inside down the pipes. The heat kills them on contact. You can repeat daily.
• Stuff sink drain holes with mesh screens or stainless scrubbies secured with duct tape temporarily to physically block ants from crawling up through pipes. Change sink use habits until drained nests no longer allow new ants up.
• Apply a line of chili powder, cucumber peelings, vinegar, lemon juice or essential oils like peppermint along the sink edge or backsplash. Ants avoid strong smells crossing these barrier lines. Reapply fresh scent lines daily until ant trails disappear.
• Stick wide strips of duct tape coated in a thin film of petroleum jelly outward facing around sink and pipe fixtures. Ants get stuck attempting to cross these slippery barriers.

These solutions kill and provide temporary relief from ants currently around sinks. But addressing root nest causes is still required to prevent recurring future trails in the kitchen.

Natural Ways to Deter Ants Versus Chemical Treatments

Many homeowners prefer to use natural ant deterrents when possible to avoid toxic chemicals inside homes. Try these eco-friendly remedies first before resorting to insecticide sprays if gentler methods fail:

• Sprinkle baby powder, garlic powder, cream of tartar, dried peppermint or ground cinnamon in wall voids, under cabinets and into sink crevices. Ants avoid these strong scents.
• Place peeled citrus fruits/peels, onions, herbs or cucumbers slices around sinks as repellent aromas.
• Mix 1 part borax or diatomaceous earth with 3 parts baking soda leaving near ant entryways. As ants ingest these compounds carrying back to the nest, they die off gradually eliminating entire colonies.
• Apply essential oils like peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus or lemongrass diluted in water onto cotton balls placed along common ant paths. his helps deter ants by disrupting food and water trails.
• Draw chalk line barriers at entry points which ants avoid crossing.

If you’ve attempted these non-toxic remedies thoroughly first and ants still persist around the sink, adding residual pesticide sprays specifically labeled for indoor use likely becomes necessary.

Compare active ingredients on commercial ant killer products specifically looking for these chemical agents proven highly effective eradicating ants:

• Indoxacarb – A common ingredient in ant killer bait gels and granules that works slowly causing colony decline.
• Fipronil – Fast-acting and long-lasting, fipronil is formulated in some ant sprays, spot treatments and granules poisoning ants’ central nervous systems.
• Hydramethylnon – Bait products with hydramethylnon destroy ant digestive tracts when eaten.
• Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate – Known as DOT, this is an environmentally friendly mineral salt killing ants gradually dehydrating them while harmless to humans.

No matter if you choose natural home remedies or commercial-grade chemicals, be sure to:

• Follow all label instructions carefully for best results and personal safety.
• Only apply indoors if the product states it’s specifically approved for interior use around sinks and kitchens.
• Test small areas first before wide-spread treatment in case discolorations or damage occur to your finishes over time from any given ant product.

When To Call for Professional Ant Extermination Help

While the sink area offers direct access for you to attempt DIY home ant treatments first, if an underlying nest within your home’s walls goes overlooked and untreated, ants will continue infesting your kitchen indefinitely.

Signs it’s time to call pest control pros:

• Ants reappear within days after removing them from the immediate sink area
• You’ve tried numerous at-home remedies without long-lasting success
• Ant trails lead deep into wall cracks out of DIY treatment reach
• Electrical, plumbing or appliance repairs are needed to fully block access holes

The pros have high-powered tools, mapped knowledge of common ant behavior in homes, and stronger commercial-grade chemicals to eradicate underlying nests and perimeter access points regular consumers can’t obtain.

Be sure to inquire about eco-friendly ant extermination methods first if desirable before assuming pest pros automatically only use toxic treatments. Many companies now specialize in “green” pest control practices to make your home and planet safer.

And don’t immediately assume one treatment will provide permanent prevention. Nest colonies can be large causing worker ants to continue trailing back post-extermination. Stick with a full removal regimen of multiple visits over a couple months to entirely eliminate ants inside and out.

Why Do Ants Keep Coming Back If I Already Got Rid of Them Before?

The short answer is…they’re probably originating from a different nest you haven’t discovered yet.

Even after wiping out one nest, other colonies nearby send out worker ants once original trails have died off restoring pheromone scent paths into your kitchen for resources.

Be diligent inspecting all possible nest hideouts inside walls, under appliances, within surrounding gardens and deeper in foundations. Utilize synthetically enhanced lures and baits to uncover nests. Professional detection tools like thermal imaging also help uncover hidden hot spots.

Focus especially on sealing up exterior entry points and removing outdoor food/water sources to cut off easy access paths. Starving them out reduces the likelihood ants keep returning once previous nests have been eliminated.

Pro Tips to Keep Ants Away From Sinks Long Term

Prevention is the key to keeping tiny ants from ever coming back in your kitchen once you’ve succeeded in fully exterminating existing pests.

• Maintain diligent cleaning practices not leaving any food bits in sinks or on counters which serve as leftover ant attractants.
• Fix leaky fixture issues to avoid moisture accumulation ants crave.
• Caulk cracks and seal off openings wherever you find ants entering from.
• Tackle landscaping projects preventing water pooling near foundations from rain runoff or irrigation overspray which facilitates outdoor nesting.
• Treat the exterior perimeter of your home with residual insecticides creating a protective barrier, especially along the foundation and garden edges.
• Follow up with annual interior preventative treatments of boric acid powder or synthetic pyrethroid sprays in wall voids as added protection against future ant colonies attempting to invade unseen.

Catching and eliminating small ant infestations quickly before they multiply into larger colonies is key.

Implement these suggested sink area ant deterrents as well:

• Disinfect sinks and counters frequently eliminating food odors.
• Run baking soda and vinegar mixtures down drains.
• Install mesh screens over drain holes.
• Apply weather sealants around plumbing.
• Keep cabinets clean and dry removing cardboard.
• Sprinkle boric acid powder discretely along backsplashes and pipe joints.

With diligence inspecting for nests, sealing access and employing prevention methods, you can keep tiny ants from colonizing the sinks and kitchen permanently once rid of them. Never tolerate pest invasions!