{"id":1265,"date":"2016-04-06T23:50:35","date_gmt":"2016-04-06T23:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atticpestauthority.com\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2020-04-24T04:16:34","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T04:16:34","slug":"how-do-ant-traps-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atticpestauthority.com\/how-do-ant-traps-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Ant Traps & Baits Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

On a trip into my attic, I found several insects. My next thought was how to get rid them, so I bought some traps at my local home improvement store and set them in the attic. Since I failed to see insects in or on the traps, I wondered, \u201cJust how do ant traps work?\u201d My investigation revealed questions that need asking.<\/p>\n

First, what kind of bug is invading your house? Second, what kind of trap do you need to match the insect that you identify? Finally, how long do you need to put out traps for them to effectively eliminate your pest problem? The answers are important to solving an insect issue.<\/p>\n

Why Ant Traps are Really Just Baits<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/p>\n

If you were wondering \u2013 Yes, I considered just vacuuming up the ants<\/a> first!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u200b<\/p>\n

The name \u201cant trap\u201d is actually inaccurate nomenclature in the ant-killing business, even though performing an online search using these words brings up several options. You actually want to work with baits, involving an item that attracts the insects.<\/p>\n

An ant\u2019s social living network assists in making baits viable. The University of Minnesota Extension Service<\/a> explains that wingless sterile female workers range out from nests in search of food, while males and the queen stay in the nest making more spawns.<\/p>\n

Grabbing a can of bug killer to spray insects is a mistake, according to the University of Nebraska Extension Service<\/a>, because this practice only kills a few ant workers. By using bug bait, you’ve deployed a perfect insect killer- the entire colony will be destroyed, instead of just a few workers from the nest.<\/p>\n

Insect bait contains a food attractant that is laced with a small amount of a toxic substance, and according to the National Wildlife Federation<\/a>, the lethal portion of bait must be at a low concentration to fool worker bugs to carry it back to the nest and feed it to the whole colony.<\/p>\n

Why Ant Identity Equals an Effective Kill<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Since a major part of a trap, or bait, is the food attractant, and since different insects are attracted to different food types, effectively killing your invading bugs only occurs if you present bait with the proper food to attract the type of insect that’s invading your home.<\/p>\n

The North Carolina University Entomology Department<\/a> describes some common ant types as follows:<\/p>\n