Baits are often used when attempting to control an ant infestation, and they consist of an insecticide and a morsel of food that is meant to attract ants. But what exactly do ants eat, and what type of food is best used in ant bait?
Protein
Protein is the main component in many ant diets. This protein can be found in meat, other insects, and even other ants. For example, army ants will invade other ant colonies and eat the workers. Other species will eat dead animals and insects.
Sugars
Sugars are another big part of the ant diet, and some species really love them. Sugars can take a wide variety of forms, from plant nectar, to honeydew and ice cream. Some ant species actually herd aphids, which are insects that create honeydew, while others will go out to forage for sugars in their vicinity. This is why you will often see ants being drawn to soda spills.
Fats
Some species will have a diet that is fat-heavy. Oils, butter, and any other source of fat will be very attractive to these ants.
How diet preference impacts pest control
Knowing what foods different ant species prefer can help you when you are setting up ant traps. If you hire a pest control pro, he will first perform an inspection and interview you to find out exactly which species is in your home. For example, if you’ve noticed red ants, then you are dealing with fire ants, or if the ants are very large, then you have a carpenter ant infestation. The pro will then use this knowledge to select the best bait to use against the ants, assuming that their colony is hidden. If the colony is out in the open, directly application insecticides are the most effective solution, because they destroy a colony almost instantly.
Do you have an ant infestation in your home?
Ant infestations can be difficult to remove, but if you are just seeing ants crawling around, this may just be temporary. Ants often forage for food indoors, so all you have to do is to make sure that they do not have access to any food sources. However, if the ants are unusually large, red or yellow in coloration, then you are dealing with a dangerous ant species that needs to be removed ASAP. Contact us today if you are dealing with an ant infestation in your home and we will help you remove it.
