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Ant Baiting 101

Using baits to control ants can be a great long-term solution. While sprays help to kill the ants you see, baits attack the source of the problem—the colony. This will help to ensure you eliminate an infestation and prevent ants from returning to your home. Here are a few tips for using bait to help you successfully battle an ant problem.

Clean Up

Clean up

Make sure the ant bait you are using is the only thing ants have to eat. Put food away, clean up crumbs, oil, grease, and spills. This will help ensure ants eat the bait. When ants find it, they will emit a pheromone trail for other ants in the colony to follow. As the ants find, eat, and share the bait, the colony will die off.

Be Careful When Using Sprays

Ant & Roach Killer

Plant-based insecticide sprays are great for spot-treating ants. If you’re only dealing with a few ants, try using a spray like our Ant & Roach Killer. However, you don’t want to use a spray near bait placements.  As tempting as it is to spray whatever ants you see, the best thing to do is leave them alone when you see them roaming around the ant bait you've placed. Baits are designed to attract ants so they can get the bait and take it back to the colony. If you spray near bait, it can discourage ants from eating the bait. 

Properly Place the Bait

No Spill Ant Kill

Place bait near foraging ant trails and their nest. This will help ensure ants find and eat the bait. If ants are in your home, place bait in areas where you have seen ant activity. Don’t be alarmed if you see a large number of ants in and around the bait. This means the bait is working. You will gradually see fewer ants as the bait works until the ants are completely gone.

Check Your Bait

Ant bait station

Ants love moist, fresh bait. If you’re using bait stations like our No Spill Ant Kill, occasionally check your bait. If the bait has dried out, moisten it with just a few drops of water. If the bait is gone, replace it so the remaining ants will keep coming back for more. It’s a good sign if you have to replace the bait. It means the ants are eating it.

Be Patient

Alarm clock

Once you place the bait, it’s time to wait. Ant baits are designed to allow ants to return to the nest. After eating the bait, ants will die in a few days. The larger the colony, the longer it will take to eliminate the infestation. Be patient and leave the bait alone unless it becomes dry or needs replaced.

When ants march into your home, you need an effective solution. Ant baits can help kill the ants you see and the ones you don’t. Following the above steps will help to make your ant baiting successful. If ants are bugging you, we have your back! Check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ No Spill Ant Kill or Ant Killer Bait

Ant baiting

For scientifically-tested, effective ant control in your yard and home that is friendly to the environment, try Maggie’s Farm pest control products. Our promise is that our plant and mineral-based products are developed by scientists and seasoned pest control professionals to be the most effective.


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