Bait & Switch

“I don’t believe in a silver bullet,” said Tom Jarzynka, Massey Services’ vice president of technical and training.

“Having access to a variety of baits … allows us to match the right tools for the situations and season,” he said.

Switching baits to prevent aversion and appeal to ants during various seasons and stages is an essential element of gaining control, Jarzynka said. “One bait can work really well in the spring, and in the fall, ants will avoid it and become attracted to something else,” he said.

For instance, in winter, ants need carbohydrates for energy to maintain the colony during cooler temperatures. “So, carbs should be a larger part of the food matrix then,” he said.

Protein is essential during egg-laying and baits that are formulated accordingly can be more tempting to ants during this lifecycle stage.

Feeding patterns evolve, as should control methods. “Summers in Texas, even the ants are smart enough to stay indoors, so you don’t see them foraging in the heat of the day and there is not a lot of available nectars in flowering plants, so utilize a bait that will be attractive at that point,” he said.

Rotating three go-to baits, all liquids and gels, is a winning combination for Joe Pfaff, president of Joey’s Elite Pest Control in Harvest, Ala.

“Ants will go to a bait immediately, and if they don’t like it, they will go to the other one — because they do get picky,” he said.

State of the Ant Control Market survey respondents all deploy a multi-modal strategy to oust ants, but pesticide applications, including baits, are the primary method for 92 percent of them.

Howard Hatzfeld usually sticks with crack-and-crevice treatments for outdoor perimeter control and targeted anti-repellents indoors when dealing with ants. He finds success. “If I use a gel bait, it’s under a sink,” said the owner of Hill Country Pest Solutions in Spring Branch, Texas.

What’s on the forefront of bait formulation and ant control products overall?

“The actives that manufacturers bring us work,” Jarzynka said. “An effective program promotes a bait-and-switch (and perhaps switch again) pattern.”

Bait delivery methods, granular options and bait matrices would be a welcome introduction to the pest control market, said Lance Griggs, owner of Spectrum Pest Management in Madison, Ala.

“We have great tools, and I always like to try new things to see what works,” he said.