Are Ant Traps An Effective Way To Get Rid Of Ants?

Ant Traps: Do They Really Get Rid Of Ants?

Getting rid of an ant infestation can be tough. If you manage to catch an ant problem before it becomes severe, dealing with it is often somewhat easier. Once you have a full blown ant invasion on your hands, though, you’ve got your work cut out for you.

While some people opt to contact an ant control professional right away, others prefer to deal with the situation on their own. If you’re looking to get rid of ants in your home, one of the options you’ve likely considered is ant traps. They’re easy to use, readily accessible, and typically quite affordable. But are they actually effective when it comes to getting rid of ants? Let’s take a look at how ant traps work, which brands are the best, and when it makes sense to contact an ant control professional.  

How Do Ant Traps Work?
Before we look at some of the best ant traps available -- along with the limitations that come with using ant traps -- it’s worth taking a moment to understand how ant traps actually work.

When we hear the phrase “ant trap,” many of us imagine that the ants entering a bait station actually become trapped inside. However, this isn’t the case. Instead, ant traps allow ants to come and go freely, but contain two important elements: an insecticide of some kind mixed with an attractant that draws in worker ants foraging for food.

The idea behind this approach is simple. First, worker ants are attracted to the trap. They then carry the insecticide-laden food inside the trap back to their colony, where it’s consumed by other workers, larvae, and even the queen. This has the effect of eliminating the entire colony, rather than simply killing the ants that come into contact with the trap.

 The Top 4 Best Ant Traps
While they can be effective for ant control, not all ant traps are created equal. If you’re going to deal with an ant invasion on your own, Home Pest Control recommends the following four traps as being the most effective:

1. Terro Liquid Ant Bait: This liquid bait combines an effective ant poison (namely, Borax) with a powerful attractant. However, it’s not effective against all types of ants.
2. Advance 375a Granules with Bait Stations: This ant trap can be effective against indoor ants, many of which aren’t attracted by a sugar-based ant bait like Terro.
3. Hot Shot Ant Trap: Like Terro and Advance, Hot Shot traps features a powerful attractant and effective insecticide. However, they don’t work against all types of ants.
4. Enforcer Ant Max: Unlike the above options, Enforcer traps are clear, allowing you to see how much bait is still inside the trap.

Limitations of Ant Traps
In some situations, ant traps are ideal for controlling and eventually eliminating an infestation. However, they’re not always 100% effective. And in certain cases, they simply don’t work at all.

That’s because ant traps don’t work against every kind of ant. Some species are attracted to specific types of bait, while other species -- like the carpenter ant -- simply don’t respond well to ant traps. This is because different ants are drawn to different kinds of food sources. A trap with a sugar-based bait won’t attract ants that feed primarily on protein, and vice-versa. And because carpenter ants eat a varied diet, no single trap is effective against them.

Contact an Ant Control Professional
In order to use ant traps effectively, you have to identify what species of ant has invaded your home. But that can be a difficult task: there are dozens of ant species here in South Carolina, and many of them look very similar to one another. Meanwhile, it’s common for nearly identical-looking ant species to feed on completely different types of food sources. It’s also important to know whether an ant infestation involves a nest inside or outside your home, but making that determination often requires professional experience.

If you’re dealing with a large number of ants in your home, trying to eliminate them on your own may not be worth the risk. If ant baits and traps aren’t effective, the problem could become significantly worse -- and ultimately more expensive to remedy in the end. Fortunately, working with a professional ant control company like Home Pest Control is both easy and affordable.