Sugar ants -- headache - many people are getting them invading their homes this year. They are searching for food, and you will often find them on clothing and rugs on the floor in your house. Definitely put all food stuff in refrigerator, especially sweets. They also like dog and cat food. Clean all dishes when finish use, leaving nothing in sink. They will take over your house if you aren't careful. Good news is they don't bite like the fire ants.
There are some safer methods to get rid of them, like stomping on them with your shoe, or smashing them with your fingers, but that will drive you crazy before long. I haven't heard of baking soda as a repellent -- but I'm curious. You can google remedies such as boric acid sugar ants, and find some ideas, where you can target just the ants, and not other creatures. Boric acid can be found in the form of the commonly used water softner, "20 Mule Team." Making a solution of it, sugar and water, and putting in a jar with lid, puncturing a hole and providing a straw or something to stick in the hole for the ants to access freely, will allow for the ants to go in, drink the poison, and take it back to the queen killing the colony. Patience is the key, as is not putting too much Boric Acid in the solution, because it will kill the ants before the queen gets any, and she will just keep reproducing. The lid helps to keep dogs and cats out of it, but be sure that the pets cannot get to the jar and overturn it because they, too will drink the sweet water and could possibly die.