How Liquid Ant Bait Works

When the stakes are first placed in the ground, initially you will see more ants because this is a bait product. But don't worry - this is a good thing! Why? As ants forage for food, they are easily attracted to the sweet, sugary liquid inside the bait stations. After finding the bait, worker ants consume it and leave behind a pheromone trail leading back to the colony. This trail lets other worker ants know where the newly discovered food supply is. This is why you will see more ants in the beginning.

Meanwhile, the active ingredient, Borax, is slowly interfering with the ant’s digestive system, ultimately eliminating it, but leaving enough time for the ant to go back and share the dose with the rest of the colony. This slow kill is necessary so that foraging ants can make several trips to the bait. The communal nature of an ant colony allows the bait to be spread to hundreds, if not thousands, of individual ants.