The humble ant is one of the most hard-working creatures in nature. An ant worker spends its entire life on a permanent quest to find food to feed its ever-growing colony and voraciously reproductive queen. While ants may be small and insignificant, we may not take too much notice of them until they become a source of contention when they invade our home and outdoor festivities, especially during the summer months.
A high-quality ant killer insecticide can stop them in their tracks and also eliminate the queen and the colony.
The 5 Best Ant Killers
- TERRO T300 Liquid Ant Baits Killer
- Raid Ant & Roach Killer
- Safer Brand 51702 Diatomaceous Earth Ant and Crawling Insect Killer
- Combat 10023400973061 Indoor and Outdoor Ant Killing Gel
- Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait (Our Top Pick)
Our Top Pick for the Best Ant Killer
Our top pick for the best ant killer is the Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait.
This highly effective ant killer uses a dual approach to ant extermination. As well as targeting ants inside your home, Advance targets them in their nest, where their attack on your property begins. Advance is a quick and effective way of eliminating carpenter ants and other ant species. It is biodegradable and safe for the environment.
Check the price on Amazon
Ants
Ants are one of the most common insect invaders of our homes, especially in the summer and dry weather. And there any many species that have our living spaces in their sights like the carpenter ant, which can be black, brown or orange; and acrobat ants. In particular, fire ants are especially prolific in Texas and the Gulf states, and Tawny crazy ants, (sometimes called Raspberry crazy ants) which are named after their fast and erratic behavior.
Just a spot of trivia about crazy ants:
Crazy ants are beginning to outnumber fire ants as the Number 1 invader in Texas due to their unusual biological weaponry. Their protective acid sheath, comprised of self-produced chemicals, they rub on themselves as an antidote to fire ant venom.
To protect your home from these unrelenting insect invaders, arm yourself with an effective ant killer.
How To Choose the Best Ant Killer
When it comes to choosing the best ant killer for your home, the first thing to consider is the different types of products that are available. A self-enclosed bait, a spray, granules, dust, or a gel. Some of these insecticides are only effective at targeting the ants you can see. While others can target the source of the ants – the nest.
Targeting Ants Outdoors
Ants usually begin their daily quest for food via the same route from their nest to a food source by establishing a chemical (pheromone trail). As they are creatures of habit, you can usually spot where ants live. Ant mounds can contain up to 200,000 ants each, which means that our pest control needs to extend outside the home to prevent them from invading our personal living spaces.
The key to effective ant control is to eliminate the queen and the colony!
While there are many home remedies that can give you short-term solutions like pouring warm soapy water where the ants build their nest, insecticides that target the ants at their source is the best choice for routine pest infestations.
Targeting Ants Indoors
Ants do not discriminate when it comes to food, although they are very fond of sweet food. So before you start to use an insecticide, there are a few things you can do to discourage them from visiting your home for a daily feed:
- Make sure that your kitchen surfaces are wiped clean and remain free of moisture. Clear dishes away from the sink
- Store foodstuffs in airtight containers
- Rinse out recyclable containers before putting them in the trash can
- If you see ant trails in your home or near the trashcan, their routine can be temporarily disrupted with a mild solution of vinegar and water
- Spray lemon water solution or sprinkle cayenne pepper near the source of the ants
- Ant killer works best when it is applied to the ground when it is dry. Once you have applied the product, check the treated area/s for activity within 30–40 days after application
Five Types of Ant Killers
1. Ant Bait Stations
Ants love to start their daily invasion incognito, they love to hide behind walls, cabinets, and appliances; in the window and door frames; and beneath the floor and concrete slabs. While most of these places are inaccessible to us, and it can be difficult to see where the ants are actually coming from, insecticide liquid baits are a good option.
Ant baits are a very effective form of inside and outside ant control and they are designed to attract most foraging household ants.
Once the liquid bait is consumed by the ants, the active ingredient will slowly affect their digestive system and as they take the insecticide back to the nest and feed it to the queen and other colony members, the entire colony will be destroyed.
Ant baits are a “no mess and no fuss” approach to pest control as baits come pre-packaged with the insecticide and food attractant confined within a plastic, child-resistant container.
2. Sprays
Ant aerosol sprays are a great choice for dealing with seasonal ant problems. They work very well at killing the ants you can see. Spraying foraging ants is only temporary and has little impact on the nest. However, this form of pest control works indoors in two ways. You can use it as a contact spray for immediate results. Or as a residual spray, which can keep your house and trash-can insect-free for up to four weeks.
Aside from being a short-term response to ant invasions, many sprays contain chemicals that can produce toxic fumes. So if you choose the spray option, make sure you keep the area well ventilated and keep children and pets away from the area you are spraying. Sprays are also a good choice for attacking other insects as well as roaches and bedbugs.
3. Ant Gels
Some companies make a gel that comes in a very handy syringe that you can use to target particular areas around your home where ants regularly enter. You can also apply the gel to the ant’s tracks outside your property. As well as giving you a cleaner and fume-free way of attacking your ant problem, some syringes are childproof with a safety mechanism to stop children tampering with the device and squeezing out the gel.
4. Granular Ant Bait
Granular ant bait is another very effective way of controlling ants at the source. It lets you target their nest as well as dealing with them inside your home. Some products like Advance use Abamectin, which is a slow-acting, naturally occurring biodegradable fungus that is an irresistible bait to ants. Once they consume the bait, they carry it back to their colony, where it will usually kill the entire nest within 24 hours.
Using a product that is ant-specific is also a great idea if you are visited by a particular type of ant. Advance ant baits are specially formulated to kill particular ants like Carpenter ants. However, they also work well on other ants like fire ants, pharaoh ants, and argentine ants.
A good tip for dealing with carpenter ants is to go outside on a warm night and look along with your house or apartment’s foundations. Foraging worker carpenter ants tend to be more active on warm evenings, which gives you the opportunity to catch them and sprinkle the granules before they begin their invasion.
5. Diatomaceous Earth
If you an organically minded person and prefer an eco-friendly and non-toxic approach to ant control, ant killer products that use diatomaceous earth are a great choice. Diatomaceous earth looks like white talcum powder.
It consists of the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. Diatomaceous earth works in two ways: when the ants walk on the power, it sticks to their exoskeleton and causes them to dry out. Or it can cut up the exoskeleton of the ants.
5 Best Ant Killers – Reviews
1. TERRO T300 Liquid Ant Baits Killer
If you need to target ants indoors and outdoors, these highly effective liquid Ant Baits from TERRO will strike fear into the hearts of all common household ants.
The active ingredient in the TERRO ant baits is sweetened liquid borax that is consumed by the ants, which is specifically designed to kill the worker ant within two or three days. This delayed release of the poison gives the ants enough time to share the bait with the rest of the unsuspecting colony. The enclosed liquid in the bait prevents the bait from drying out. So any unsuspecting foraging ant has a continuous supply of liquid, day and night.
TERRO Ant baits give you a “no mess, no fuss” approach to pest extermination. Each individual pre-packaged bait in the six-pack is ready for you to use. You do not have to worry about handling or smelling any chemicals.
Simply place the liquid ant bait stations where ants gather and soon enough your home will be ant-free.
If you have a large infestation, place the bait stations all-around your home where ants try to infiltrate. Replace the bait stations every three months to keep the ants from planning another attack on your home.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Convenient liquid bait station
- Attracts ants very quickly
- Designed to kill the ants you see and the ants in the colony
Cons
- Not ideal for large infestations
- Not fast-acting on the contact
2. Raid Ant & Roach Killer
Raid Ant and Roach Killer is the ideal choice for when you need to kill insects fast! As a well-known manufacturer of pest eradication products, Raid will deliver an immediate response to ant invasions.
The aerosol spray contains Cypermethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, which is a very effective insect killer, which can eliminate ants as well as other insects on contact. However, it can also be used as an indoor residual spray that can keep your house ant-free for up to four weeks.
You will be pleasantly surprised by the spray’s light lemon scent. It does not leave a lingering odor or an oily residue on surfaces, and it dries quickly.
Although this product doesn’t kill the queen and the colony, it is a highly effective hands-on weapon against small ant invasions. However, for a larger ant invasion, you will need to reapply the spray more than once.
Pros
- Affordable
- Very effective for indoor pest extermination
- Kills ants and a wide range of flying and crawling insects
- Works on contact and as residual spray
- Light lemon scent
Cons
- Not ideal for large infestations
- Not ideal for targeting ant colonies
3. Safer Brand 51702 Diatomaceous Earth Ant and Crawling Insect Killer
If you are looking for a natural alternative to eradicating those invading ants in your home, Safer Brand is a great choice. Safer Brand is made out of naturally-sourced fossilized diatom powder. So it is free of any toxic chemicals and safe for you to use around children and pets.
You can use the powder anywhere ants are present in your home. Or outside your home where you see ant tracks or mounds. Although the powder is soft to the touch, the microscopic dry and razor-sharp edges of the diatom particles can pierce the ant’s delicate exoskeleton, which causes them to die of dehydration.
To get the best results, apply the powder in dry places.
The powder comes in a 4-pound resealable bag, and it is OMRI listed and USDA-approved for organic gardening. Since it does not contain chemicals, the insects cannot develop resistance or build up an immunity to the product.
You can also use Safer Brand to kill other insects like bed bugs, cockroach, earwig, silverfish, crickets, millipedes, and centipedes.
Although Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth is non-toxic, it can cause moderate eye irritations. When you apply the powder indoors, make sure that the room is well ventilated. Also wear a face mask as it can cause breathing problems if you inhale it.
To get the best results apply the powder in a dry place and spread a light coating along cracks and crevices or wherever there has been insect activity. If you have a larger infestation, it may take days or weeks before the powder kills the ants. To clean up the powder use a damp towel or a filterless vacuum cleaner.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Ideal for indoor and outdoor ant control
- Organic
- OMRI Listed and USDA-approved
- Non-toxic
- Kills ant and other crawling insects
- Odorless
Cons
- Not ideal for killing the ant colony
4. Combat 10023400973061 Indoor and Outdoor Ant Killing Gel
If you wish to avoid using a spray to kill invading ants, this gel-filled syringe from Combat is the ideal choice for killing indoor ant activity. Combat is a trusted name in pest control. Their innovative way of targeting ants gives you a more hands-on approach for removing those seemingly unstoppable ants that move into your home uninvited.
Combat Max is easy to use and it is childproof with a safety mechanism to stop children tampering with the device and squeezing out the gel. The 27g syringe is filled with Fipronil, which is a slow acting, sweet-smelling poison with a high water content that attracts the ants and gives them time to go back to their colony to spread the poison, which kills the ants within three-five days.
So as well as eliminating them within your home, Combat allows you to target them at their source. The handy applicator lets you apply the gel to the cracks & crevices where ants enter and love to hide.
Besides applying this gel inside your home, you can also use the gel outside where you see ant tracks. The gel works on a number of ant types like carpenter ants, black ants, and pharaoh ants. To get the best results, apply the gel directly onto the ant’s tracks.
Pros
- Very effective
- On-the-spot application
- No mess and no fuss approach to ant control
- Easy-to-use syringe
- Child-resistant
- Kills ants inside and outside the home
Cons
- Can stain some surfaces like white grout
- Not ideal for large indoor infestations
5. Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait
Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait is the No.1 choice for eradicating ants in and around your home. The highly effective ant bait contains Abamectin B1, a slow-acting, naturally occurring fungus that is irresistible to ants. Once they consume the bait and carry it back to their colony, it will kill the entire nest within 24 hours.
Although the bait is specially formulated to kill carpenter ants, the granules work very well on fire, pharaoh, argentine ants, and other hard to kill ants too.
Advance can be applied directly from the container or with a duster, and as it is biodegradable, you can sprinkle it around trees or wherever ants’ nests can be found. To get the best results, target ants by using the bait indoors and outdoors.
For outdoor ant activity, apply the granules, as per the product’s recommendation, in a 1-2-feet wide band around the foundation of your home, and also treat visible ant trails.
For indoor ant activity, apply the bait with a control bulb duster to cracks and crevices where insect activity has been spotted.
Pros
- Highly effective
- Great choice for killing carpenter ants and other ant species
- Ideal for indoor and outdoor ant extermination
- Targets the ants’ colony within 24 hours
- Biodegradable
Cons
- Expensive
Our Top Pick for the Best Ant Killer
Our top pick for the best ant killer is the Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait.
This highly effective ant killer uses a dual approach to ant extermination. As well as targeting ants inside your home, Advance targets them in their nest, where their attack on your property begins. Advance is a quick and effective way of eliminating carpenter ants and other ant species. It is biodegradable and safe for the environment.
Check the price on Amazon
