2 Types of Ant Traps for Your Kitchen

Household ants can cause a lot of trouble in your kitchen area, and you might consider different methods to get rid of them: ant traps, sprays and bait. As most sprays are poisonous, these are not suitable for use in the kitchen or anywhere in the house, especially if you have young children or pets. Ant traps do not capture the bugs as these are simply bait containers with an insecticide and attractant inside them. Ants enter, eat and then go back to their nest, carrying tiny pieces of the bait to feed the queen and the rest of the colony.

Things to Consider Before Selecting an Effective Ant Trap

Before you choose the most effective ant trap for your bugs, you have to identify the particular type of ants that attacked your house. There is a myriad of species, with over 12,000 ant types around the world. However, the most popular types of household ants are of about half a dozen. After identifying the insects, you should look for adequate methods to get rid of them. Remember that the successful fight against the enemy depends to a large extent on the correct identification: some ant types are more attracted to certain traps than others. If unsure, you can call a pest control service for advice.

Ready-Made Ant Traps

A large variety of commercially manufactured ant traps is available today but if you are about to purchase one or more for your kitchen/house, choose those with a bait container made of transparent plastic material. The major plus of these bait stations is the opportunity to replace the bait as soon as it is gone. Buy more than one trap, even a set of traps, and put them at several places along the ants’ route. Place the ant traps in areas where young children and pets have no access because most baits contain toxic insecticide.

Home-Made Safe and Cheap Ant Traps

Before you go to the nearest store or pest control service office, try to make your own safe, cheap and effective ant traps. You can use products found in your kitchen to deal effectively with the tiny and annoying invaders.

You can mix 2 tablespoons of dry active yeast, 6 tablespoons of sugar (or crystallized honey) and 1/3 cup of molasses into a bowl. Stir these ingredients until they form soft paste. Take a dozen bottle caps and fill them to the top with the mixture. Flatten the top using a butter knife. Place the caps on the trail used by the ant colony to come in and out of your kitchen, at the back of cupboards and under appliances.

Use equal parts of sugar or honey, borax and hot water. Place them into a bowl and stir well until you get homogeneous mixture. Scoop out small amounts of it and put on whatever flat plastic lids you happen to have. And again, place the lids near your ants’ route, but at a safe distance from children’s playgrounds or areas where your children or pets can reach them.