Updated: February 6, 2008
Making Baits at Home to Control Pesky Indoor Ants

Many ant species have been known to come into homes and structures to look for food, shelter and water. A couple of these species , the Sugar Ant and the Crazy Ant, are especially prone to invading homes in San Antonio and South Texas.

Sugar Ant Worker

The pharaoh or sugar ant (Monomorium pharaonis) is a small, yellowish ant that feeds on both sugary and greasy foods for nourishment.It is most easily controlled using either a commercially prepared or homemade bait. One should NEVER spray or dust for sugar ants because it will cause the colonies to fracture and go to various areas of the structure.

Photo taken by B. Drees.

Another ant that comes indoors in San Antonio is the crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis). The crazy ant is blackish-gray with long legs and antennae. It gets it's name from its random trailing behavior and extremely fast speed when walking and running. The crazy ant is very difficult to control and should once again be addressed with some sort of bait insecticide. In the past 2 years, sugar-based baits have controlled crazy ants pretty well for homeowners in the San Antonio area, especially in the cooler winter months.

Photo taken by B. Drees.
Crazy Ant Worker

Homemade Baits

What kind of homemade bait recipes can one make?

These three simple recipes are easily made using boric acid as the active ingredient.

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1Tsp Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Boric Acid

1 - 8oz. Jar of Mint Apple Jelly

2 Tbsp Boric Acid

2 Tsp Boric Acid

1/4 Cup Hot Water

1 Cup Corn Syrup (light or dark)

Dissolve boric acid in hot water. Stir into corn syrup. Place in bottle caps, jar lids, etc... Place where ants are noticed. Add a few drops of water daily to keep them moist.

Mix ingredients thoroughly, mark them POISON, and store them out of reach of children.

A good method of putting out the bait is on masking tape. Simply stick a small piece of masking tape where ants are noticed and spread some of the bait on the tape. Change the tape every two or three days. Ants switch foods depending on the amount of developing young in the nest, so be prepared to switch between a sugar-based bait and a protein-based bait. Allow up to six weeks for control, although results are seen in as few as seven days in some instances.

Another application method is to fill a plastic ketchup bottle with the bait, label the bottle POISON, and then as needed, cut a drinking straw into 2-inch pieces, fill with bait and place near ant trails.

* Boric acid powder can be purchased at any drugstore or in retail centers specifically labeled for ants or cockroaches.

ALSO click the following website link to see a detailed recipe for mint apple jelly bait for sugar ant control:http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/factssheets/fapfs024.htm.

Information from this article was taken from articles by Drs. Bart Drees and Phillip J. Hamman, Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

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