Removing an ant infestation can be hard. If you do not do it properly, you will manage to kill some of the ants, but the colony will remain intact, and the ants will soon return. In order to completely remove an infestation, you have to make sure that you use the right type of bait.
While ants are not super-picky when it comes to the food that they eat, you can increase the effectiveness of your control efforts if you use something that they prefer, and their preferences are usually set by the species that they belong to. For example, there are groups of ants that are known as sugar ants or grease ants because that is the main food group that they are attracted to.
To find out which bait will be most effective against the ants in your home, you can go with one of two options: either you identify the species and find out what type of food it prefers, or you place both a sugar trap and a grease trap at the same time. The latter option is much easier to implement and is extremely effective, since the ants will simply go for the bait that matches their food preferences best.
So basically, if you want to kill as many ants as possible, you will need to take a tablespoon of peanut butter and one of sugar, lace it with powdered borax, baking soda, or liquid ant killer that you can find at most stores, and then place both baits near areas where you see heavy ant activity. Make sure however that the bait is out of the reach of children and pets, because the insecticides used can be dangerous.
Baits should be enough to deal with an infestation, but you can go the extra mile and buy some repellents as well, which will drive ants away from a certain area. If you add some preventive measures on top, such as sealing the gaps through which the ants travel, you can ensure that rats stay out of your home for good. We can also help you out when dealing with an infestation. Some infestations are too large, or they may be from a very damaging species, such as carpenter ants, and in these situations, you will need professional help to get them under control. Contact us today if you want to know more, or if you want to set up an appointment.