Ant Control Kits

Kits typically combine ant bait stations, an insect spray and gloves for safe handling. Contents vary by kit - check the product description for what is in the one you are buying.

Ants are drawn to the bait, carry it back to the colony and share it before it takes effect. That is what reaches the nest, which is the only thing that ends the problem.

Used as directed, the spray is suitable for domestic areas. Don't spray food or prep surfaces, and keep pets away during application. Once dry and ventilated, the area can be used again.

Place them along ant trails, near entry points, and close to where ants are most active, avoiding direct exposure to moisture.

Not in the same place. Spray knocks down the ants you can see and treats entry points; bait has to be carried home intact. If you spray a trail you are baiting, you kill the foragers before the bait reaches the colony and the nest survives. Bait the active trail, spray elsewhere.

Two different symptoms. If the bait was taken and activity later resumed, it was probably lifted too early, so leave stations down until the trail has been clear for several days. If the bait was ignored from the start, either the stations are off the trail or the colony is feeding on something else; ants switch between sugar and protein through the season, so move the station onto the visible line and try again later if needed.

If ants keep returning after a full baiting cycle, if trails appear in more than one room, or if the ants are small, pale and in a heated building such as a block of flats. That last pattern suggests pharaoh ants, which spread when sprayed and need a specialist baiting programme. Look for a qualified pest controller with BPCA membership.