Ant infestations can sometimes be tough. A large number of infestations are simply incursions, where a group of workers enter the home to gather food and then they leave. However, there are situations in which you are dealing with a dangerous ant species that needs to be completely removed. In these cases, you have several tools at your disposal, one of which is the ant trap.
What is an ant trap?
The ant trap is basically a bait – a food that the ants enjoy laced with poison. Ants will be drawn to the bait and take a bite to see if it is safe to eat, and because the poison used in the bait is slow acting, it will seem like a legitimate food source for the ants. They will then take the bait back to the colony and start sharing it around, killing off a large number of workers, and eventually the queen.
Advantages of the ant trap
The main advantage of the ant trap is that it can be used to kill off any ant colony, even if it is hidden or unreachable. Sometimes, ants will build their colonies under concrete, inside wood, or in other hidden areas, making it impossible to use insecticides against them. The ant trap will draw the ants out and ensure that the colony is destroyed no matter the obstacle.
Disadvantages of the ant trap
The problem with using ant traps is that they take a long time to destroy a colony, usually up to a few weeks or even months. As such, they’re not the best option when you are dealing with an ant colony that is out in the open. For example, fire ant mounds are usually treated with insecticides, because they will be clearly visible and in an open space.
Alternative control methods
There are several alternative control methods that can be used to deal with ants. The main alternative is the direct-application insecticide, which will destroy an entire colony in a very short period of time, but the colony has to be out in the open. There is also the broadcast-treatment insecticide, which will create no-go zones that are completely inaccessible to ants, and these insecticides are mostly used against fire ants. If you would like to know more information about ant traps and their alternatives, or if you have an ant infestation that needs to be removed, contact us today.