11 Best Ant Traps Reviews: A Buyer’s Guide

Having ants in the home is a major nuisance for anyone. But when the weather’s warm, these tiny invaders love to come inside, foraging for food in the places where humans live and work and making a nuisance of themselves. Sometimes, it’s necessary to perform a chemical spray in order to keep the ants away. But this is often not the safest or the best option. Lots of people prefer to try ant traps first. In this article, we are going to suggest the best ant traps that you can buy to keep your home and property pest-free.

But first, a quick word about the term ‘ant trap’. This is actually a very misleading description. What we call ant traps don’t actually trap ants at all. In fact, there would be no point trapping individual ants to try and get rid of an ant problem. Typically, no more than 20-30% of an ant colony is actively foraging at any one time, and any trap would only catch a small fraction of these ants; a fraction a reproductive queen would quickly replace.

What ant traps do instead is provide ants with a baited poison. This poison, while harmless to humans, is both very attractive and very deadly to ants. By design, ant traps work slowly. The idea is to get the ants to take some of the food back to their nest, where they will feed it to the queen and her young, called the brood. In this way, the entire colony can be eliminated.

So, now that you have a better understanding of how ant traps work, here’s our list of the best ant traps and baits that you can use.

Our Top Pick: Terro’s Ant Killer II

Terro’s Ant Killer II are one of the most popular ant traps on the market today – and for good reason. They’re affordable, easy to use, and effective. Ants take the toxic liquid back to their colonies to share with the other members of the nest and the queen. These traps will knock out the entire colony – leaving your home ant-free.

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Top-rated 11 Ant Trap Reviews

1. Terro Ant Killer II Liquid Ant Baits

Terro is a very popular brand of ant trap. A large part of the reason for this is its price. This is a very affordable and easy to use ant trap that has attracted very positive reviews.

The ant traps come ready to use. The small plastic stations each weigh about ten grams, and contain a liquid that is very attractive to ants. Liquid baits often work especially well on ants because the structure of their mouths and digestive systems make it far easier for adult ants to consume liquids than solids.

The way Terro Ant Killer II are constructed ensures that you won’t have to touch any of this liquid yourself. All you have to do to activate these bait stations is cut off one corner with a pair of scissors. This will allow ants to enter, find the bait and bring it back to their nest. The poison will spread through the entire colony. The way these ant traps are constructed ensures that the liquid is difficult to access for any children or pets, making them potentially safer to use than other liquid baits. And they couldn’t be much easier to use than they already are!

Another great thing about this particular brand of ant traps is that they can be used both indoors and outdoors. This means you can target where the ants are coming from, and possibly even stop them in their tracks before they get inside your home! As with all ant traps, though, placement is key. These ant traps will only be effective if the ants can actually find them. Make sure to place these ant traps in areas where you know ants are active – ideally, where you see trails of ants. This will ensure the best possible eradication of your ant problems.

 

2. Maxforce FC Ant Killer Bait Gel

Maxforce is a well-known and highly-regarded brand name in the pest control industry. This particular gel contains the active ingredient Fipronil, which is a highly effective insect killer that can stay active for up to 2 weeks, cutting down on the need for reapplication.

This gel is effective against a wide variety of ant species, including Argentine, Ghost, Pavement and Odorous House Ants. However, this bait may not be effective for Carpenter ants, which are known to be one of the pickiest types of ant out there. If those are the ants you are finding in your home, you may need to consider a different type of ant trap to get rid of them.

Be careful when applying this bait. Because it does not come in pre-filled ant traps, you will need to apply it only in places where it is inaccessible to pets. The bait could harm your pets if they eat some of it. Like other liquid baits on this list, it can be tricky to apply for the non-professional. It comes inside a plastic syringe, but sometimes these syringes leak and cause a mess. Keep a rag or some paper towels close by to clean up any spills if you plan on using this product.

 

3.  DuPont Advion Ant Gel

DuPont Advion is not actually an ant trap in the traditional sense, but it works in exactly the same way. It comes in the form of a gel, which is a combination of an attractive bait and an ant-killing poison (exactly what you’d find inside an ant trap). The only difference is that this gel can be applied wherever you like. This can make it both more effective, since you can place it in tiny cracks and crevices wherever ants go, and potentially harder to use. It’s worth noting that this particular brand of ant gel is often used by professional exterminators. So while it might be trickier for an amateur to use, you can rest assured that it is effective.

The gel is formulated in such a way that it is attractive to all ant species that seek moisture and sugar, which is the vast majority of ant species out there. The gel formulation helps it to stay where you put it, instead of being a runny liquid that can easily make a mess. Furthermore, Advion Ant Gel comes in a syringe-style applicator, which really makes it easy to apply. You simply squirt some of the bait into cracks and crevices, or anywhere else you’ve seen ants.

Not having to use traps can make a product like this more flexible. You can apply it in places where regular ant traps wouldn’t fit, like around water pipes or cables that ants often use to get access to buildings. If you want to, you can also make your own ant-feeding stations using cut-up plastic straws, bottle caps or anything else you have lying around the house. The key to the effective use of ant bait is to apply a little bit in a lot of places, rather than one big puddle in a single area. The more places you apply ant bait, the higher the chance of ants finding it, and the more they will bring back to the nest.

The downside of Advion Ant Gel is that if you spill it, it can make a mess. Also, you will need to be very careful where you apply it so that pets can’t get to it. Lastly, unlike some other ant traps, it cannot be used outdoors. For that reason, we would recommend combining Advion Ant Gel with some other ant traps so that you can cover both inside and outside your home.

Also, this bait can’t be used outdoors. So if you are having ant problems outside the house, you may want to consider some of the other ant traps on this list.

 

4. Best Indoor Ant Trap: Hot Shot MaxAttrax Ant Bait

Hot Shot MaxAttrax Ant Bait stations couldn’t be easier to use. They come out of the packet pre-filled and ready to be set up. The bait inside MaxAttrax stations is solid, so there’s no risk of spilling. You simply put these stations wherever you see ant activity, and you’re good to go. Though as with all ant traps, it would be wise to try to put these stations somewhere that pets can’t get at them.

MaxAttrax ant traps can be used indoors and out, making them suitable for many kinds of ant infestations. The bait inside is attractive to both sugar- and grease-eating ants, which covers most species you’re likely to encounter. And best of all, the poison is long-lasting. The manufacturer claims it can last up to 3 months if the ants don’t eat it all first.

The reviews on this product are generally positive, but some customers report an issue with ants not being attracted to the bait. Ant attraction to bait varies according to a wide range of factors, so it’s possible that these customers had a species of ant that wasn’t interested in that particular formulation of bait. Sometimes, it becomes a question of trial and error as to which is the best ant trap for your personal ant situation.

 

5. Best Ant Trap for Kitchen: Raid Max Double Control Ant Bait

Raid is one of the most well-established names in pest control products. Like some of the other ant traps on this list, the Raid Max Double Control ant traps come ready to use out of the box. The bait is enclosed in small plastic disks, and the bait is solid so that there is no chance of spilling. A nice feature that these traps have is an adhesive backing that allows you to stick the traps into place, making it less likely that a pet will try to chew on them. It also allows you to stick them vertically to walls or under kitchen cabinets. When dealing with ants, it’s important to remember that they can move in 3 dimensions, and so you need to think in 3 dimensions to outsmart them.

Another nice feature of these bait stations is the fact that they use two different types of bait to attract ants. The beauty of this is that if one bait turns out not to be attractive to the ants you have, the other might. Even within the same species, the food preferences of an ant colony can change according to the season and the weather, so having two different types of bait to offer the ants makes it far more likely that they will be attracted to the bait and carry it back to their nest.

The active ingredient in these ant traps is a chemical called Avermectin B1, which is widely used on ants. These ant traps can only be used indoors, however, so if you have an outdoor ant problem, you may need to look elsewhere.

These traps make use of a solid bait formulation that ensures there will be no spilling. However, some customers report that ants seem to be more attracted to liquid baits than solid ones. A good tip might be to add a few drops of water to these stations before putting them out in order to make them more attractive to ants.

 

6. Combat Source Kill Max A1

This product consists of pre-filled plastic bait stations that you can use both inside and outside your home. Because these ant traps come pre-filled, you don’t need to worry about spillages. Combat ant traps are large and white, which makes them easy to spot. They are designed to be tough enough to make it difficult for curious children to break open, and the stations are weatherproof and durable.

The bait in these ant traps is laced with both Fipronil and Hydramethylnon, and thanks to this approach, these ant traps will kill more than just ants. So if you’re having problems with more than just ants, these ant traps could be a one-stop solution for you. For instance, while Fipronil is known to kill ants, Hydramethylnon works great at getting rid of cockroaches.

The downside of this particular product is that it may not be attractive to all species of ants. Ant food preferences vary not only from species to species, but also within the same species, depending on the time of year and the maturity of the colony. What works in one place and time may not work in other.

Also, some reviewers have found these ant traps difficult to separate from one another when they first come out of the package, sometimes requiring scissors or a knife to cut them apart. It’s not a huge deal, but it may be something you want to consider when searching for the best ant traps you can buy with your money.

 

7. Best Outdoor Ant Trap: Amdro Kills Ants Stakes

These Amdro stakes work on the same principle as the rest of the ant traps on this list, but their design is different due to their intended use. These ant traps are designed to be used exclusively outside the home. So if you have a problem with ants that have not yet reached your home, or your flower beds or vegetable garden are overrun with ants, these might be the product for you.

<p”>The stakes are designed so that they can be pushed upright into the soil of your garden. Like regular ant traps, they work by using an attractant bait which the ants carry back to their nest, poisoning the entire colony.

The only preparation you will need to use Amdro stakes is to break the seal with a small pointed tool such as a pin or a toothpick. This will allow the ants access to the liquid bait. Then you install the stakes around the outside of your house, in your flower bed or anywhere you see ant trails. To avoid evaporation of the liquid, it is best not to set the stakes up where they will receive direct sunlight.

Amdro outdoor ant traps work well on all kinds of ants. Some customers even claim to have successfully used them on carpenter ants, which are notoriously tough to use bait on. However, if ants have entered your home already, these ant traps may not be the best solution for you, since they can only be used outdoors.

 

8. Home Plus Ant Bait Killer

Home Plus  are classic ant traps. These metal discs contain a solid ant bait that won’t spill, no matter how you shake it. Set up is easy. Simply use a sharp tool like a screwdriver to punch out the holes around the ant trap, and set it up in an area where you’re seeing ant activity. The metal construction makes these traps very difficult for children or pets to access the active ingredient.

These ant traps are extremely well reviewed. However, they are a little more expensive than most of the other ant traps on the market. So it might be better to think of these ant traps as a last resort.

 

9. Best Natural Pet Killer: MDXconcepts Organic Home Pest Control Spray

If you have pets or small children, you have to be extra careful when tackling your ant problem. Most baits and sprays are toxic to pets and humans. The last thing you want is for your curious dog to get into an ant trap. You’ll wind up with an expensive vet visit – and the ants will continue marching in.

MDXconcepts offers an organic home pest control spray that’s safe for children and pets. It repels more than just ants – roaches, fleas and spiders, too – and it can be used indoors or outdoors. While not technically a trap, the solution could be place inside a homemade trap to kill any approaching ants.

How does this spray work? It’s active ingredients are natural and shown to be effective against pests.

The spray also contains vinegar (93%), which is inactive and not harmful to your home or pets. In fact, vinegar is a great natural cleaner that can kill germs and bacteria.

This MDXconcepts spray is fast-acting, and it can be used virtually anywhere inside or outside of your home.

If you’re not convinced that natural products will work for your ant problem, you can give MDXconcepts pest control spray a try, 100% risk-free, for 60 days. If you don’t like the results, you request a refund – no questions asked.

 

10. AMDRO Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait Granules

Want to stop ants before they even get into your home? AMDRO’s Ant Block bait granules are designed to do just that. Made for outdoor use, these granules bait and kill ants before they have a chance to crawl through the cracks in your home. They’re similar to the stakes product I reviewed earlier, but this one is virtually invisible.

Like other baits and traps, these granules actually kill the entire colony – including the queen. It works for fire ants, carpenter ants and nearly two dozen other ant species.

AMDRO uses 0.88% Hydramethylnon as its active ingredient in this product.

Ants are attracted to the bait, which smells and tastes like food. Worker ants find the bait, and bring it back home to share with the colony and the queen.

The granules are sprinkled along the perimeter of your home, creating an effective barrier that lasts up to three months (an entire summer). A single bottle of AMDRO’s granules will cover up to 540 linear feet.

You’ll want to avoid using these granules in vegetable gardens, near livestock and near pets. Otherwise, this bait is very easy to use and lasts longer than most other bait options on the market.

 

11. Best Ant Trap for Hummingbird Feeders: Skinny Ant Moat

Hummingbirds are excellent pollinators and fun to watch in your backyard. A hummingbird feeder can attract these beneficial birds to your garden, but the sugar-water in your feeder will also attract an unwanted guest: ants.

The Trap-It ant trap from Wildlife Accessories will stop ants dead in their tracks, so your hummingbird feeder stays protected from unwanted pests.

The physical trap, which is a specially designed moat, is impassable to ants. It’s easy to install, and there are no chemicals used. Simply hang your Trap-It from a post, branch or your home, and attach the feeder to the bottom hook on your Trap-It. Fill the trap with just six ounces of water, and you’re good to go.

Any ants that try to get to your hummingbird feeder will find themselves drowning in an impassable moat of water.

In addition to protecting your bird feeder, Trap-It can also help prevent pesky ants from making their way into your garden and home.

 

Ant Trap FAQs

Conclusion

Online reviews can be very helpful when trying to choose the best ant traps to rid your home of ants. But part of what makes ants such a tricky pest to get rid of is the huge variety of different species and the way that a colony’s food preferences can change through the year. Often, the best approach to an ant problem is to combine several different approaches to find the best possible ant trap solution.