Gel bait is an effective tool for controlling carpenter ants. The gel works well because it combines a food that the ants will eat with an active ingredient that will be toxic to the ants. There are several other reasons why gel carpenter ant bait works well. Here are a few of them:
• Carpenter ants need a lot of water, so they usually find the moist gel attractive.
• Some of the gel bait contains a food attractant that combines protein for the larvae and sugars for the adult ants. Because of this, the workers usually take it readily.
• Adult ants can only swallow liquids. Since the bait is gel, the adult ants can digest it immediately. All of the ants can get some of the gel bait quickly. Some experts think the gel can work quicker than solid bait. Workers must give solid bait to the larvae so they can convert it to liquid.
Some of the gel bait is sensitive to high temperature. The gel should not be stored at high temperature. It should not be applied in areas where the temperature will become very hot – it will become runny at high temperature.
Since carpenter ant workers are active at night, it will probably help to apply the bait as late in the day as possible. This way, the bait will have little chance of getting too hot. The evening application will reduce the chance that other types of ants will get the bait before the carpenter ants can find it.
Carpenter ant workers move around in lines. Apply the gel bait next to the trail so the workers will find it. After the ants have started eating the bait, make sure that there is always a supply of bait available for them. It may take several days for all of the ants to eat some of the bait. Keep the bait supply filled until the ants have stopped feeding.