Control of Small Ants

Treatment of small ants varies according to the specie. One step that is common to all species, however, is to try to determine the location of the colony. Most ants are foragers. In some species, they may travel hundreds of feet from their nests to find food. That's why the place where you see the ants may not necessarily be the place you want to treat.

In many cases, small ants actually live outside and come into buildings only for food. So one aspect of ant control (and pest control in general) is to eliminate food sources as much as possible. This means promptly washing dishes, cleaning up spilled food, and securing stored foods in insect-proof containers.

How to Locate an Ant Colony

The most common way to locate an ant colony is to simply follow the ants. You may be seeing them on your kitchen counter, but they may actually live hundreds of feet away. So pick a few ants and follow them. In particular, look for ants who are carrying little bits of food, because they are the ones who are returning to the nest.

Hint: If you have young children, ask them where the ants live. Children often are fascinated by things like insects, and there's a good chance that they already know where the nest is.

Outdoor Ant Control

If you succeed in finding the actual nest, then you can treat it directly using a product labeled for the type of ant and the location of the nest.

For example, if you track the ants to "anthills" in the backyard, you can sprinkle a little of a low-toxicity, broadly accepted bait (such as Terro Outdoor Ant Bait) directly on and around the anthills. (For more fine ant control products by Terro, click here.)

Even if you can't find the actual nest, but you know or suspect that the ants are living outside, you may still be able to achieve control by sprinkling Terro or a similar bait around the perimeter of the house. Foraging ants looking for food will find the bait before they enter the home; and having found what (they think) they were looking for, will be less likely to look any further.

Indoor Ant Control

Sometimes it's necessary to treat inside. Examples of when indoor treatments are warranted include the following:

Ant Gel Baits

When indoor treatment for ants is indicated, injectable ant control gel baits are usually a good choice.

Ant baits are available in small tubes with hypodermic-like injectors which allow for precise placement with a minimum of mess and no pesticide odors.

When using gel baits, it's important to select one that will be palatable to the particular ants that you have. Ant species differ in their preferred foods. Some prefer proteins, others prefer sugars, some feast on fats, and some will eat pretty much anything. Often, ants within the same specie will change their feeding habits based upon the needs of the colony at the moment. For example, during periods of rapid reproduction, they may seek more protein-based foods.

Professional exterminators can usually just glance at an ant and pull the correct bait from their tool bags. That's because they're experts in insect identification biology. But for do-it-yourselfers, it's usually easier to just perform a simple food-choice test.

Most over-the-counter baits are formulated using either peanut butter or some other food rich in fats and proteins (for fat- and protein-feeding ants), or corn syrup or another sugary syrup (for sugar-feeding ants). Some baits contain both types of foods and can be used for either.

If you want to see which type of food your ants are looking for, just place a little dab of peanut butter and a little dab of a sugary syrup on a small piece of paper, and set it alongside the ants' trail, about a half-inch off to one or the other side of the trail (but not directly on top of the trail). Wait a little while, and then look to see which of the two the ants prefer, and choose a bait accordingly.

Applying Ant Gel Baits

For best results, baits should be injected into or as close as possible to the openings through which the ants are entering the home or the living area.

For example, if the ants are entering your kitchen through the little crack under the threshold of a door leading to the outside, then injecting a little gel bait directly into that crack is a good strategy. Ants foraging from the outside will find the bait in the crack before actually making it into the interior of your home, and most likely will not come in any further. It may take days or weeks for the ants to carry enough bait back to their colony to eliminate it, but at least they'll be out of your sight during the process.

Be neat and precise when applying baits (or any pesticide). Be sure to read and follow the label instructions, and avoiding placing baits in areas accessible to children or pets. Use the tips provided with the bait gels to precisely inject the product directly where it needs to be, and promptly wipe up any bait that drips onto adjacent areas.

We offer a wide variety of ant control products at our Amazon aStore.