Handling an infestation of ants can be quite difficult. In most cases, you want to shop for the best ant bait killer. What happens when you are dealing with an infestation of carpenter ants? These big and fast reproducing ants are usually the most difficult to eliminate. This post is all about guiding you to find effective solution that will get rid of carpenter ants.
Read also: How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants Fast, Naturally: Images
Are these baits effective to deal with carpenter ants? Absolutely yes! They work fast enough to get rid of the carpenter ants but don’t act instantly. It might take some time to do away with the entire colony.
Carpenter ant baits contain ingredient that attract the ants to eat them. The ingredients include borax which is a slow acting poison. The poison doesn’t kill the ants instantly but it gives the ants time to eat and take some of it to their nest where other ants consume the bait before the whole colony dies.
Ant baits are effective and work well on insects such as ants and termites. Ants naturally collect food and carry to share with the whole colony. Meaning ants living inside the nest will not escape the poison.
How do you Apply Carpenter Ant Baits
When dealing with carpenter ant infestation, it is important to understand how to apply the ant baits. Take your time to locate their trail. This is the simple routine to get rid of the whole colony. Once your find the trail that leads to the nest, place the ant baits there.
Keep on applying the ant baits as soon as the first bait is consumed. Ants don’t like some certain bait. This is common, there is no need to panic. You can put other products that will work well. Here we have recommended list for you.
Very important to keep other competitive foods sources since the ants can avoid the bait and eat other food sources. Important to note that ants baits are more effective when the temperature is slightly above 70⁰F. You can apply the products during night if the temperature during the day getter hotter. In fact, this is a good idea since most ants avoid direct sunlight and move during the night when it is dark.
Top 5 Best Carpenter Ant Baits – Review Guide
Looking for the best ant baits? We got you covered here. So what it is the best bait for carpenter ants? We’ve mentioned earlier, there are several baits you can choose from. While some are effective, others can really be ineffective. That’s why we have reviewed several product and here are the best top 5 baits that we highly recommend.
1. Amdro Ant Block Granule
This ant bait has been made to be use for outdoor use only. How does it work? The solution creates a barrier around your house and make sure that ants will never invade it. It is simple to use, all you have to do is shake the package around your home. Easy to use, right?
The product is easy to apply and can last up to three months once you have used. The great news is that this product kills not only carpenter ants but also 24 other ant species including fire ants. it contains hydramethylnon as the active ingredient. Within weeks of application, the poison will kill the whole colony including the queen.
Within or around two weeks, you will have solved your problem. Just a reminder don’t apply the product when it is raining or the ground is wet.
2. BASF – Advance Carpenter Ant Bait
When dealing with carpenter ant infestation outdoor, go for this product. The granules in this product are somehow large and contain abamectin. Most ant baits are toxic but this product is not toxic therefore safe to use. Just handle it with care especially if you have pets.
It is weather resistant product meaning you don’t have to worry when to apply. But you have to keep applying it from time to time. The bait can be used to deal with different types of ants. It has a slightly fishy smell.
Unlike some of the solution we’ve mentioned, this product is not sugary but protein/fat. Carpenter ants also find the protein/fat bait attractive. This can be the ideal solution for all your ant problems. To Let you know that sometimes avoid this product. You may have to try a few different baits to find the one that will work perfectly fine.
3. Combat Indoor & Out door Ant Killer Gel
This product comes with one syringe that is ready to use. It is easy and leaves little or no mess at all. You can place the gel directly onto the infested area fast without leaving a mess. The bait has high percentage of water making the poison to work faster once the ants eat it.
According to the manufactures, the bait will start killing the ants or insect within an hour. It means the entire colony will be poisoned and gotten rid of within 3 – 5 days. It is easy to apply in places such as cracks and crevices. You just have to use the syringe to apply the ant killer gel. It doesn’t have any smell.
As indicated on the product, you can use for both indoors and outdoors purpose. It target areas such cracks and crevices where it might be possible to reach if you apply other ant baits. It works so well and effective on ants like carpenter ants, argentine, pharaoh, pavement as well as odorous and little black ants.
To get best results, you can make several spots of gel around the areas where ants are seen moving. Note: do not apply this product where you’ve recently sprayed insecticides or do not spray insecticide over the gel. Why? It can cause the bait to become a repellent.
4. Syngenta – Optigard Ant Bait Gel Box
If you try this option, you have to spend a little more. But it is very effective. This package comes with four tubes. The great news is that you can this gel for both indoors and outdoors. This product gets rid of carpenter ants and other ants such as pharaoh, harvester and fire ants. It has thiamethoxam as the active ingredient.
The product is a clear agent and doesn’t leave stains. It has little to no smell. It is packaged in 4 tubes ready to use syringes with a plunger. It is use to use especially when applying in cracks and crevices. The gel will remain edible for about 14 days after placing the bait.
The gel is consistent making it easy for the carpenter ants to carry it to the queen. It can withstand harsh environmental condition without losing its properties.
5. Terro 1806 Outdoor Liquid Ant Bait
This product can be used for both indoors and outdoors as well. The product comes with pre –filled bait stations that are ready to use. The product has borax which is the active ingredient. It has been in a way such that its shape prevents the poison from drying out.
In the box, there are six stations that can easily be activated. You just have to push down and twist the cap. It is easy to use, just place the station in the area where the ants have infested.
The other merit is that other than killing carpenter ants, it can also kill ghost, pavement, odorous, crazy ants and many others.
Note: the bait includes slow –acting ingredients. It means that, right after you use the station, the number of ants can increase for a while before eventually killing them including the whole colony. Remember to replace the package every three months.
Conclusion
This guide was to give you review on the best 5 carpenter ant baits. The decision is solely yours. But whatever you settle for will definitely work. As described most of the products can work for both indoors and outdoors.
I advise you to read and carefully follow the instructions before using any of the options discussed above. Good Luck!