Hey everyone,
I’ve been battling ants on and off this summer, and I keep getting mixed answers about whether ant baits actually work on every species or just a few. Some people swear baits handle the whole colony, while others say certain ants won’t touch them at all.
Before I keep buying random stuff and guessing, I’d love to hear from people who’ve dealt with different kinds of ants. Do baits generally work across the board, or does it really depend on the species? And if it does depend, what should I be looking for when trying to figure out what kind of ants I have?
Any insights or experiences would help a ton — right now it feels like the ants are smarter than me.
From what I’ve seen, different species react totally differently. Some take bait immediately, others look at it like it’s a rock.
Sugar ants usually go for sweet baits, but I’ve had grease-loving ants that wouldn’t touch anything unless it smelled like food scraps.
One thing people forget is that ants change their food preferences depending on the season. Sometimes they’ll ignore bait until their colony shifts needs.
@TrailScoutTim Have you figured out whether yours follow thick lines or just wander around? The ones that forage in straight trails usually respond better to baits in my experience.
Some species are just picky. I tried three different kinds before I found one the ants actually carried back.
Don’t assume baits “don’t work” until they’ve been out for a couple of days. Some colonies take longer to explore new food sources.
If they’re large, slow-moving ants, they sometimes ignore most bait because they prefer protein over sweet stuff. Had that issue last spring.
@KitchenCornerKara I had the same, sugar ants loved sweet bait one week, then suddenly switched to ignoring it. I had to rotate types.
Another factor: where the bait is placed. If it’s too far from the trail, ants won’t bother going off-route to check it out.
You kind of have to experiment, honestly. Once you find the right match, baits can wipe out a colony fast, but it can take a few tries.