Spring and summer are beautiful times of the year. The flowers are blooming, the trees are growing new leaves… and insects are on the prowl. It’s the most common time of the year to have problems with ant and insect infestations. Sometimes you can clean away all the crumbs, sanitize your kitchen, and take out your trash, and ants will still find a way into your home. So what ant baits are best when normal anti-ant measures aren’t having enough effect?
Ant Bait Gels: Effective Solutions for Eliminating Ant Colonies
When it comes to effectively eliminating ant colonies, best ant bait gel products are highly recommended. Ant bait gels offer a targeted approach, attracting ants to consume the bait and carry it back to their nests, effectively killing the entire colony. These gels are designed to mimic food sources, luring ants with their sweet or protein-based formulas.
The best ant gel baits not only attract a wide range of ant species but also provide long-lasting results. They contain powerful active ingredients that work to disrupt the ants’ nervous system, leading to their demise. With the application of ant gel baits, you can tackle ant infestations at their source and achieve more permanent control.
For effective ant eradication, it is essential to choose the best ant gel killer that suits your needs. Look for products with proven track records, positive customer reviews, and high success rates in eliminating ant colonies. By using the right ant gel bait, you can regain control over your home and enjoy an ant-free environment throughout the seasons.
What is The Best Ant Baits in 2020?
[amazon table=”192″]1. Terro 2 Ounce Liquid Ant Killer – Editor’s Choice
[amazon box=”B01MQGHHGX” tracking_id=”trap0e-20″] This is a twelve-pack of liquid ant killer, each tube containing two ounces. It’s designed to both attract and kill all common species of household ants. The bait is brought back to the colony, where the colony eats it and then dies off.- Kills the entire colony
- Leaves little to no mess behind
- Allows complete pest control within about two weeks
- Easy to apply
- The 12-pack of baits will last for a long period of time
- The use of borax makes it unsafe for use in kitchens and around pets
2. Harris Boric Acid Roach & Silverfish Killer Powder – Amazon’s Choice
[amazon box=”B0026MD0G6″ tracking_id=”trap0e-20″] This ant bait is a sixteen-ounce powder. As long as it’s kept dry, it can continue to kill insects for weeks afterward. It’s optimized for the killing of multiple insects rather than just ants, making it ideal if you have multiple infestations. Other targeted insects are waterbugs, silverfish, palmetto bugs, and roaches.- Easy applicator allows you to place puffs of powder in multiple areas
- Powder continues working for weeks after application
- Insects other than ants are also targeted
- Safe for pet owners to use in their homes
- Contains a lure to draw pests to the poison
- Water solubility means it will wash away in rain or in damp areas
3. Combat Max Outdoor & Indoor Ant Killing Gel – Kills the Colony
[amazon box=”B000BQT5IG” tracking_id=”trap0e-20″] Each child-resistant package contains twenty-seven grams of gel. The gel leaves little to no mess and has a high water content, which encourages the ants to feed faster. Results begin to show within three to five days after the gel’s application. The bait kills the entire colony of ants when the ants bring it back to their colony.- Optimized for use both indoors and outdoors
- Kills the entire colony, making it ideal for bad infestations
- Kills multiple species of common household ants
- Has a high water content, encouraging ants to feed more quickly
- Not safe to use around pets in large quantities
How to Use Combat Ant Killing Gels
4. Syngenta Advion Ant Gel – For All Major Species of Ants
[amazon box=”B00TXFE4RI” tracking_id=”trap0e-20″] This is a gel-based ant bait that comes in a pack of four tubes. Each tube has thirty grams of the gel. It’s optimized for use in industrial, commercial, and residential areas. The gel is one of the best overall pest controls on the market for ants. It will kill nineteen common species of ant with ease.- Uses Indoxacarb as its active ingredient instead of borax
- Optimized for use in multiple areas
- Kills nineteen ant species
- Does not kill other insect species
5. Bayer 10072 Max Force Fleet Ant Gel – New Fast Control Formula
[amazon box=”B07BS2F1WF” tracking_id=”trap0e-20″]Pest control will be apparent within three to five days after the ant eats the gel. You shouldn’t place the gel in areas that have previously been sprayed by insecticides, as ants might smell the insecticide and avoid the area. It’s most effective when placed in areas where you see frequent ant activity. Ants bring the bait back to their colonies, which destroys the other workers and the queens.
- Attracts all common household ants including carpenter ants
- Has a high moisture content to allow faster feeding and faster pest control
- Delayed action kill allows for the disposal of the entire colony
- No mess left behind
- Gel must be placed in the path of the ant to be most effective
6. 2020 Upgrated Ultrasonic Pest Repeller – NEWEST Ant Repellent
[amazon box=”B081MYGG5Z” tracking_id=”trap0e-20″] This is top ant killer is the newest model of the Ultrasonic Pest Control Repeller. It contains an upgraded power chip which increases its pest-reducing power. It’s also safe for use around children and pets. No insect bodies are left behind, leaving you with a hassle-free lack of infestation.- Repeller uses ultrasonic frequency technology to repel pests rather than poison
- Extremely easy to use, requiring no outside setup
- Safe for children, pets, and use in both commercial and residential areas
- Keeps pests away from your home rather than leaving bodies behind
- Repels all types of insects rather than just ants
- Requires electricity to run, so it cannot be used outside or in non-electric areas
Ant Baits Buyer’s Guide & FAQ
With so many options on the market, narrowing down your ideal ant bait can seem overwhelming. We’ll walk you through the important questions you need to answer, along with the features you might find in different ant baits.
Is your problem indoors or outdoors?
Sometimes, baits are specifically made for outdoor use. These baits will usually come with anchoring stakes for you to stick into the ground, allowing the bait station to remain stable even in high winds. An outdoor bait won’t work if the ants are already in your house; it’s a preemptive measure if you’re seeing a lot of activity in your yard or garden.
When ants are already in your house, you’ll need to get a bait to use indoors. You’ll also need to be sure the bait is safe for your specific circumstances, which brings us to the next question.
Do you have pets or young children?
Some ant baits use pesticides that aren’t safe to be ingested. These pesticide traps shouldn’t be used in your kitchen or any place food is stored. If the bait is exposed to the air or otherwise accessible by small children or pets, it can be dangerous to them.
That said, this doesn’t mean that any pesticide bait is impossible for you to use. Some baits and bait stations come with specific designs that keep pets and children from accessing them. Just make sure that your preferred bait is both child and pet resistant.
Do you need to kill an entire infestation?
There’s a difference between a colony-wide problem versus just a few ants here and there. It’s common to have colony-wide problems when scout ants have found your food and left trails of pheromones to the rest of the colony. Conversely, if you’re only seeing scouts, you might want to get rid of them so that the rest of the colony won’t follow them.
If you have a full-blown colony-wide infestation, you’ll want to use time-delay baits. The worker ants will then bring the bait back to the heart of the colony, where it will be consumed by the other workers as well as the queen. When the queen dies, the colony will cease to reproduce. The other worker ants will die off as they consume the poison.
Do you prefer no-kill solutions to ant problems?
Certain ant repellents do just that: repel the ants. They don’t involve bait which kills the colony or killing traps such as glue traps. These repellents tend to use ultrasonic and electromagnetic frequencies to keep away insects of all kinds. That said, they shouldn’t be used when you have fish or small pets like mice or gerbils.
What form do you want your bait to take?
The three main forms of baits are these:
- Plastic-enclosed baits
- Gel and liquid baits
- Powder baits
Gel, liquid, and powder baits all need to be manually applied to the area of infestation or any other frequently trafficked area. They can also be applied to the corners of rooms or along baseboards, as well as around the edges of infested electrical outlets. Plastic-enclosed baits just need to be laid out as they are. They can’t be placed in as many areas as gels and powders, though.
What kind of ants are you having a problem with?
Most baits are designed to attract a large variety of different ants that you’ll commonly find in your household. The one ant species you might have trouble with is the carpenter ant. Carpenter ants consume wood rather than the sugars that most other ants eat, so some baits won’t work on them.
If you have a problem with carpenter ants, you’ll want to get a moisture-based bait that specifically states it attracts carpenter ants.
Do you need to get rid of other insects as well?
Are you only having problems with ants? Are there other insects in your home such as cockroaches or beetles? What about spiders?
Some ant baits are only made to attract ants, while others are made for the killing or repelling of multiple species of insects. If you’re having problems with multiple types of insects, it makes sense to buy a multi-insect bait than to buy multiple baits for the different issues.
How quickly do you need to take care of the infestation?
Different baits take different amounts of time to become effective. Some baits start to kill the ants in twenty-four hours or less. Others can take between three days and one week to show an effect. Meanwhile, ultrasonic repellents might take several weeks to show full effectiveness.
Conclusion
I am Tanya Latty, a professor of entomology and ecology at the University of Sydney. I have been working in these fields for many years, with a particular interest in social invertebrates like bees and ants. I enjoy spending time outdoors observing nature. When not doing research or teaching, I love to read books about insects!