Need to get rid of an ant infestation quickly and effectively? We’ve got you covered with 9 of the best ant traps currently available.
In this guide, I’ll explain the types of ant traps and what to look for, as well as review the top pick and choose the best ant trap.
Top Pick
The Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth is the best ant trap
[amazon box=”B01D60GAW2″]
What is an Ant Trap?
Ant traps might conjure up images of ants with their heads or legs stuck in between jaws of steel, but they’re not quite that. An ant trap is more of a feeding station, except that the ‘food’ acts as a bait and is poisonous. Because there are two types of ants; those that like sweet-tasting stuff and others that enjoy proteins, there are various mixtures available.
But how does it kill off a colony if only one ant is eating the poison, you ask? Well, it consumes a little itself, but then carries the rest back to the nest. The rest of the colony eats the poison and slowly begin to die off.
You can use ant traps or feeding stations inside and outdoors, depending on where the infestation is. The best traps have both an entry and exit hole for easy access, and there are even waterproof ones that can be used in damp spots or near taps.
Different Types of Ant Traps
There are different types of ant traps to suit every kind of infestation. But the one you choose will depend on your needs and personal preferences.
Ease of use and efficacy are high on the priority list, but so is the type of application, where it will be used, and how much is needed.
Ant traps are available as:
- Granules
- Liquids
- Powder
- Gel
Granules
Granules are a popular choice and especially useful for outdoor use. They’re easy to apply and cover a fairly big area. This type of poison is more often than not time-delayed, which gives the ants time to get it back to the nest for the others to eat.
Liquids
Liquid ant traps can be used inside as well as outdoors and are best for sugar eating ants.
Powders
Powders are perfect when you need to get into little cracks and can also be sprinkled along ant trails. They’re easy to apply, although the fine dust can cause eye and nose irritations.
Gels
A gel ant trap offers a no-mess no-fuss solution to infestations. They usually have a syringe or plunger like applicator, so they’re straightforward to use, and there’s very little waste.
What to Consider Before Buying an Ant Trap
So you’ve decided an ant trap is the way to go, but how do you know you’re getting the best one for your needs? To help you, we’ve put together a list of the most important things you should consider when deciding on which ant trap to get.
What Kind Of Ants Are You Having A Problem With?
Different baits work on different ants, so it’s important to know what kind of infestation you’re dealing with. Although there are more than 10,000 species of these little critters, they’re divided into two categories according to their preference for sugar or grease.
Carpenter ants are a little more problematic because they’ll happily eat wood. If you’re trying to get rid of these little guys, then we recommend looking for ant traps that specifically attract them.
Is The Infestation Inside Or Outdoors
Ant infestations can be inside your home or outdoors. Thankfully there are ant traps for both. Those that are best for outdoor use usually come with stakes, which help you anchor the stations into the ground, and keep them upright. They also work in all sorts of weather, including rain or damp.
Indoor ant traps don’t need to be as hardy, and they’re also usually less toxic, for obvious reasons. It’s important to note that if ants have already invaded your kitchen, you’ll probably need to get both; one to get rid of ants and the other as a preemptive measure to stop them coming back in.
Do You Have Children Or Pets
If you have small children or pets in the house, then it’s best to get a non-toxic ant trap. Also, if you’re using it in the kitchen, you need to keep it away from where you store and prepare food. Pesticide based ant traps are best for outdoor use or in places where the kids and pets don’t go, like the garage, attic, or cellar.
Of course, if the infestation is inside and natural remedies aren’t working, there are child and pet-proof pesticide stations available.
How Many Ants Are There
If you’ve spotted a few ants scouting around the kitchen, and you want to get rid of them before they call the rest of the troops in, it’s a good idea to use a quick working spray. This kills them instantly and works as a repellent to keep them away.
But if it’s a colony of ants that have invaded your space, then it’s best to go for time-delay ant traps. Worker ants carry the poison back to the colony, where it’s eaten by the other ants, including the queen. Once she’s dead, and no longer laying eggs, the rest of the colony will die too.
Are You Thinking About A No-Kill Solution
If you’d prefer to shoo the ant colony on their way, rather than annihilate it, you could go for a no-kill solution. There are repellents available that emit electromagnetic and ultrasonic frequencies. These keep ants, as well as other insects away, but shouldn’t be used in homes with small pets like mice, gerbils, or fish.
How Quickly Do You Want To Get Rid Of The Infestation
You can choose baits that work within 24 hours or go for one that takes a little longer. The advantage to slow-release poisons is that they give the ants a chance to carry it back to the nest, where the other ants eat it. Poisons that kill on contact will get rid of the ants you see, but won’t have any impact on the millions you don’t.
Ultrasonic ant traps take longer to work.
Look For An Ant Trap That Suits Your Budget
We know that cost is always top of mind, and you’ll be thrilled to hear that there’s an ant trap to suit pretty much every budget. What we would recommend is going for one that’ll work with the infestation you’ve got, or looking for one that kills a wide range of ant species.
While you certainly don’t need to buy the most expensive one, it’s worth spending what you can afford to get the job done properly.
9 Best Ant Trap Reviewed
To save you some time, we’ve reviewed the 10 best ant traps for 2019. Whether you’re looking for an ant trap to kill an entire colony, or maybe just get them out your kitchen, you’ll find it here. We’ve also included environment and budget-friendly options too.
1. Terro 1806 Outdoor Liquid Ant Baits
Terro 1806 Liquid Ant Baits are the ideal solution for outdoor ant problems. There are six stations, and each one is prefilled with one of ounce bait.
Like most outdoor ant traps, these have stakes that you anchor the stations into the ground. This keeps them upright and stops them from getting blown away or knocked over. The removable stakes allow you to use the stations in other areas with flat surfaces, including garages, decks, and patios.
The Terro Outdoor Liquid Ant Bait stations can be used in all kinds of weather, and are UV resistant. And we especially Iike that they’re easy to use. The stations attract the most common ant species, including pavement ants, black ants, Argentine ants, cornfield ants, and ghost ants.
Pros
- The time-delayed ant trap kills the entire colony, including the queen
- The stations are UV resistant and can be used in all weather conditions
- Removable stakes let you use the stations in the ground or on hard surfaces
- The ant trap is easy to use
- It’s designed to attract the most common species of ants
Cons
- They’re suitable for outdoor use only
- The ant traps aren’t safe to use around children and pets
[amazon box=”B004Q3QQNC”]
2. Amdro Fire Ant Bait
While a lot of ants are more pesky than anything else, a fire ant’s sting is particularly painful. And not all traps work on these fierce little beasts. Amdro Fire Ant Bait is a good choice because it doesn’t only attract them, it also does a great job getting rid of them long term.
The granules taste like food, and the worker ants happily carry their stash back to the nest. Although the poison is fast-acting, it does have a delayed reaction so that the other ants, including the queen, don’t suspect anything’s wrong until it’s too late.
It’s easy to use, just sprinkle it around the yard, or if you’ve spotted their mounds, you can sprinkle it there as well. The bait gets rid of an infestation within two weeks, which is pretty impressive, and it works all season long.
Pros
- The ant bait effectively eliminates different species, including hard to kill fire ants
- It attracts fire ants and tastes just like food
- The delayed reaction allows the worker ants to carry it back to the nest
- It eliminates the entire colony, including the queen
Cons
- It loses its effectiveness in the rain, so will need to be reapplied
[amazon box=”B002YKMMSW”]
3. Amdro Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait Granules
Another excellent product from Amdro is the Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait Granules. This is especially good as a preemptive measure to keep ants out of your home, and it works on 15 of the most common species, including Argentine ants, leaf-cutting ants, pavement ants, fire ants crazy ants, harvest tenants, and pharaoh ants.
All you do is sprinkle the granules outside, forming a perimeter to keep the ants away from your house. The slow-acting poison is carried back to the nest and starts working straight away. The queen dies within a week of eating it, and the rest of the colony is eliminated within two weeks.
A little goes a long way, and the granules are available in two sizes, a 12 or 24-ounce bottle.
Pros
- The granules are good value for money
- It works on 15 different species of ants including Argentine ants, fire ants, carpenter ants, and pharaoh ants
- The bait is easy to use and comes in two different sizes
Cons
- It needs to be used with caution around pets
- You’ll need to make sure that the type of infestation you have is included in the 15 species
[amazon box=”B01HOUGFM0″]
4. Advion Ant Gel Insecticide with Plunger
Advion Ant Gel Insecticide is a gel-type ant trap and works exceptionally well if you need to get rid of ants in little cracks or crevices. We like that the poison has a plunger, which makes applying it really easy. It’s worth mentioning that there are cheaper ant traps available, but there are four in a pack, and it has a shelf life of two years. Also, a little goes a long way.
A downside to the product, if you can call it that, is that it works quickly and really well. So ants often die before they get back to the nest. Having said that, this is one of the best ant traps to use if you want to kill ants instantly. This is highly toxic, so we recommend using it with caution if you have children or pets in the home.
Pros
- This product comes highly recommended by professional exterminators
- It kills a wide variety of ant species
- It works quickly and has a long shelf life
Cons
- It’s one of the more expensive products on our list
- Because it works so well, it kills ants before they get to the nest
[amazon box=”B00TXFE4RI”]
5. Harris Borax Liquid Ant Killer
Harris Borax Liquid Ant Killer will get rid of the most common ant species you find around the home. And because the bait’s carried back to the nest by the workers, it kills the entire colony.
The liquid killer contains borax, an ingredient often used in detergents and other household products. While it’s safe to use around children and pets, it’s a natural pesticide that is tough on insects, including ants. It’s suitable to use indoors and outside and is especially effective on sweet eating ants, such as pavement ants, Argentine ants, and acrobat ants.
The ant traps are easy to use, and each package contains 9 stations, which you place in different areas inside your home and outside.
Pros
- The active ingredient Borax is safe to use around children and pets but is tough on ants
- The slow-releasing poison kills the entire colony, including the queen
- It attracts sugar eating ants and is easy to use
- Each pack contains 9 stations to use inside the house and outdoors
Cons
- It doesn’t work on all species of ants
[amazon box=”B073XT4HHH”]
6. Kness Ants No More
Kness Ants No More ant traps are unique in that they have two compartments. One is for liquid bait, and the other is for granules. This way, you’re able to use different baits to attract a broader range of ants.
The traps have tamper-resistant lids, so they’re safe to use around pets and children. It is also designed with a stop that prevents the bait from spilling out, while small holes allow easy access to the poison. They are UV resistant and can be used in all weather conditions.
Pros
- The unique design with two compartments allows you to use two different kinds of bait
- They’re easy to use
- The tamper-resistant lids stop children and pets accidentally getting to the bait
- They’re UV resistant and can be used in all weather conditions
Cons
- The stations are sold without bait, which needs to be bought separately
[amazon box=”B00MCTRVFO”]
7. Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth
If you’re looking for a totally safe but effective ant trap, then Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth is the way to go. It can be used around children and pets and is suitable for infestations indoors as well as outside.
What we like about Safer Brand is that ants don’t become immune to it. And it works on a wide variety of bugs. It’s worth noting that the powder can irritate the eyes, so it’s recommended that you wear a face mask when using it indoors.
Pros
- It’s one of the best natural ant killers currently available
- It’s safe to use Inside and around children and pets
- The powder is eco-friendly
Cons
- It’s not the best option for killing big colonies
- It can irritate the eyes when used indoors
[amazon box=”B01D60GAW2″]
8. Combat Max 27 Grams Ant Killing Gel
What we particularly like about Combat Max Ant killing Gel is the syringe-type applicator that allows you to get to ants in tiny nooks and crannies. And even though it’s straightforward to use, it has a safety mechanism which prevents children from squeezing the poison out
The ant trap effectively kills a wide variety of ant species, including tough carpenter ants, pharaoh ants as well as black ants, and it can be used inside and outdoors. The slow-release bait is ideal as the ants carry it back to the nest where the rest of the colony eats it.
Pros
- It’s one of the most effective ant traps available
- The poison works quickly once the ants have eaten it
- The syringe applicator makes it easy to use
- The safety mechanism prevents children from getting the poison out
- It’s suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Cons
- The gel can stain surfaces
- The ant trap works best for large outdoor infestations
[amazon box=”B076TTKVZC”]
9. Raid Ant & Roach Killer
While it’s not necessarily ant trap, we’ve included Raid Ant & Roach Killer because it has residual effects. In other words, you can spray it in areas where you’ve seen bugs, and the residual will carry on killing them for up to four weeks.
The spray Kills Ants on contact, so if it’s a quick solution you’re after, it’s a quick solution you’ll get. As with most other sprays. It’s easy to use, and it doesn’t have an overpowering smell. It’s also well-priced.
Pros
- It kills ants on contact
- The smell isn’t overpowering
- It’s suitable for all species of ants
Cons
- While it kills bugs quickly, it doesn’t get rid of nests
- It’s more of a short-term solution
[amazon box=”B00J5IS02I”]
Which Is The Best Ant Trap?
The Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth is the best ant trap because it’s environmentally friendly, safe to use around children and pets, and it gets the job done when it comes to eliminating ants. We also like that it’s easy to apply and can be used indoors and outside, and it works on a wide variety of ants, as well as other bugs.
Of course, if you’re looking for something that has a bit more of a kick, then you might want to consider Harris Borax Liquid Ant Killer. The active ingredient borax kills most insects, including ants, but it’s safe to use around pets and children. And unlike Safer, this product will eliminate entire colonies, so it’s more of a long term solution.
[amazon box=”B01D60GAW2″]
[amazon box=”B073XT4HHH”]