Household Ant Killer for Indoor Use

Sept. 9, 2012 - PRLog -- Villa Park Hardware answers customer questions about the safest way to kill ants in the home.

Ants are a colony insect.  Workers go out for the colony and forage for food.  Once the workers find food, they bring it back to the colony and distribute it.  As they return to the nest, they leave a chemical trail so other ants can find the food source.

This behavior makes bait traps the best product for eliminating ants.  By allowing the ants to feed on the poisoned food, you are able to kill the whole colony, not just the workers. Ant traps last for up to 3 months.

If you use sprays or powders, only the workers are killed.  In the nest, the queen is producing hundreds of new eggs.  If the workers don’t return, she produces even more eggs.

By using bait traps, the queen is fed the poisoned food along with the rest of the colony.  After using the bait traps for a couple weeks, the use of a perimeter spray or powder will help clean up any stray ants or ants from another colony.

Ant traps come in two types, protein and sugar. The very tiny sweet ant primarily feeds on sugar.  Terro liquid is an example of a sugar insecticide.  The larger ants feed primarily on protein, but their diet varies throughout the year.  So starting with the non-liquid traps is the best for the larger ants.  Using both types will ensure success.

The use of a spray or granules is excellent for perimeter control around the house killing workers before they get into the house and leave a trail for more ants to follow.  Fill and caulk any cracks in your foundation and around the windows.

Sprays and granules also kill spiders and most crawling insects.  The products have a residual insecticide that lasts for weeks.  

Spray insecticides are toxic and need to fully dry before allowing kids or pets into that area.

You can stop by the Villa Park Hardware at 46 S. Villa Ave. Villa Park, IL 60181 or visit them online at http://www.villaparkhardware.com.

Watch an ant trap in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNs5nR3on6Y