Fire Ant Control with Bait
One of the discussions that always takes place is what kind of bait to use when you want to control fire ants. Many times there are limited choices of products to help you kill fire ants. Baiting fire ants is one method that you can use to attract the ants to a killing station or other location to help control them.
A big consideration if you are going to use fire ant bait is to be cautious with children and pets. The poison fire ant bait has to be used cautiously and responsibly. Just like any other insecticide, baits are poisons that are meant to kill fire ants and have been loaded with know substances to attract fire ants.
Fire ant bait works by the worker ants carrying the bait back to the colony mound and then they share it with the other ants and the queen. Baiting is an effective solution if used properly, according to package directions, however it may take a few days or several weeks to see full results. It also depends on how much bait was carried back to the colony.
Where to place fire ant bait?
You will want to put the fire ant bait in corners of your home, under the cabinets and also in other dark areas such as closets or crawl spaces. You can make your own bait by mixing boric acid (15% by volume) into peanut butter. You would then place this mixture into a jar lid or other small container. You can also use borax and granulated sugar or a borax and corn syrup mixture. The ants are drawn to the sweetness and the stickiness will carry the mix back to the mound with them.
You don’t want to put the bait in areas that are exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight as it can evaporate or ruin the bait mixture. The bait can then be spread around the fire ant nest in a circle if you are using the granulated sugar or corn syrup mix as they pour easily. Start by spreading it in a 1-3 foot circle, starting from the base of the mound. Spread it thin, like grass seed because if there is to much, it will repel the ants and not work properly.
The main key to using fire ant baits is to not put them directly on the mound or nest as it will actually cause them to leave that area and start a new one. This might be seen as good, but it won’t get rid of them. You need to watch and see if the fire ants are going to any one place, or multiple places for food. Then spread the bait around that area and it will help with fire ant control and hopefully kill them as well.
