How To Effectively Use Terro Liquid Ant Bait To Rid Your House Of Pests
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Seeing ants in your home is a surefire way to get the heebie-jeebies, and sometimes these pests can be particularly difficult to get rid of. Because ants live in colonies, you will only see the bugs that venture outside their home to gather food, meaning that there are likely many more than you know. Terro liquid ant bait works by attracting the ants with sugar water laced with borax. This mild pesticide kills ants slowly by causing issues with their digestive systems. Because it takes a while to work, the ants have time to take the bait back to their home and poison even more of their colony.
This treatment method will initially draw more ants out of hiding, so don't be surprised when they're all over your bait stations. When placing your bait traps, make sure you're keeping them away from curious pets and children, as borax is toxic to animals and humans. This is one reason people rethink using Terro ant bait, but it can be safe and effective when used correctly.
Look for signs of an ant infestation
Spotting a couple of ants in your home is typically no cause for concern, but if you're noticing more than just a few there's likely a problem. Ant infestations can happen fast, and identifying the problem is the first step in fixing it. The biggest indicator that you have an infestation is if you're finding them in bigger groups, which means that there are even more ants in hiding.
You may also notice the pests traveling the same path consistently. This behavior is a telltale sign of an ant infestation and happens because other ants have made a trail of pheromones that tell the bugs where food is located. Nests also point to an infestation, but these can be hard to find inside houses as they could be inside walls or other hidden areas. Outdoors, nests appear as small mounds of dirt.
Purchase Terro liquid ant bait
Terro liquid ant bait is a rather inexpensive solution to this pest problem. You can find a pack of six ant bait stations at Home Depot for $6, while Walmart carries the same product for just under $7. This puts the price for each trap around a dollar. Unfortunately, six liquid bait stations may not be enough to exterminate a larger or more serious infestation, and you could end up needing to use more. Packs of 12 Terro liquid ant baits can be found on Amazon for $15.
If you're looking for an even cheaper option, Terro sells liquid ant killer that is also comprised of borax and sugar. A 1-ounce bottle of the ant killer can be purchased for $4 from Amazon, though it may be more difficult to use. The ant killer needs to be dispensed onto a piece of cardboard and then put into position.
Determine your bait locations
Because Terro liquid ant bait works by drawing the pests out, it's important to consider where you place the traps. Set a trap in each spot of your home where you've seen the ants — or a few traps in an area with an abundance of the insects. To get rid of ants in your kitchen, try putting the products on the floor along the wall or even on your countertop, but remember that you'll see more ants near the baits at first. If you think the ants could be entering from the outside, place your traps near doorways or on windowsills.
Because the bait stations are rather small, you should be able to shove them into cracks and crevices around your home, like under your fridge. Putting them in hidden areas is a great option if you'd prefer not to see the insects swarming the trap. Just be sure you set them in spots where the ants will find them quickly. The location you choose for the bait traps is paramount to their success.
Open your Terro liquid ant bait stations
Once you know where you're putting your bait stations, start opening the Terro packaging and setting your traps. Before opening the bait, make sure that you're holding the container upright so that the tab is at the top.
Newer versions of the ant bait make opening super easy, as the top has a tab that twists right off. If you have an older Terro product, you may need to cut the top off with scissors. Regardless, remove the tab carefully to avoid getting the liquid on your hands or dripping it onto the floor where a pet could find it.
Set your traps
Set each trap in its predesignated spot to start giving ants the boot from your house. Make sure that the product is on a flat surface and the label is facing up. This will allow the ants to easily get inside and prevent the pesticide from being spilled. When the ants discover the bait, they will arrive in droves to snatch some of the sweet liquid. It's crucial not to disturb the trap while the ants are on it. You want them to take as much as they can back to their colony, so you'll have to let them come out, investigate the bait, and return to their home.
Make sure to put out at least six bait stations, though you can set more if you're concerned. You'll also want to make sure that you're not using an additional pesticide that could kill the ants before they take the bait back. This will lessen the effectiveness of your sugar-borax solution, as it won't make it to the majority of the insects.
Replace your liquid bait
Check on your liquid bait stations every so often to ensure there is still bait inside. If you find that the ants have taken it all or that it has dried out over time, you'll need to replace it. Continually replace the bait stations until you haven't seen any more ants for a few days. After this time, you can take the traps away.
If you're concerned about the ants returning, you can keep your Terro liquid baits around your house as long as you'd like. Simply switch out the stations approximately every three months to keep the bait fresh and effective. With a little patience and a few of these Terro liquid bait stations, you'll rid your home of those pesky ants and prevent infestations from popping up again.
How long will it take to kill the pests?
The time it takes the bait to exterminate the ants in your house will vary depending on how severe the infestation is. If there is only a small population of the insects, they could be eliminated in as little as one to two days. In more serious cases, the bait could need 10 days to two weeks before you stop seeing ants crawling across your floors.
If there are lots of crumbs or other food messes around your home, it will take longer for the ants to die. This is because they have access to other sources of food besides the bait. With additional snacks, the pests might not frequent your traps as often and won't consume as much of the borax.