Why is baiting ants so hit and miss?

Baiting ants can be tricky. There are many varieties of ants in Australia and they feed on different food sources. Their behaviours vary amongst the species, making the management of ants complicated.  This is partly due to the numbers in colonies but also where the nests are located.  Australia has over 1600 described species of ants and no single application controls all ant species.  

Baiting ants can be challenging. Traditional baits kill massive numbers of ants but may not leave a residual.  You can clean up an area of ant activity and within no time re-infestation occurs by ant colonies from the surrounding environment. There is finally a more effective solution. A  new generation of ant bait has hit the market that ensures consistent results across a broad number of ant species. This new generation product called  Synergy Pro Ant Bait offers complete colony control over approximately a two-month period for certain ant species.

Why improve your knowledge of ants? 

Not all ants feed on the same source of food. The greatest development in ant management has been the manufacturing of ant baits that target specific species and these are excellent at controlling very large numbers of ants. 

The difficulty is, not all ants feed on the same bait, as ants species have a varying diet. So knowing which ant you are treating is paramount to eradicating colonies. Synergy Pro Ant Bait has taken the guesswork out for you, by including two active ingredients that target sugar, protein (meat), and oil-feeding ants species like black ants, green ants, fire ants, and meat ants. In fact, Synergy Pro Ant Bait treats as many as 15 main ant species that trouble us throughout Australia. 

Synergy Pro Ant bait also takes care of the problem of timing of the vulnerable stages of the ant life cycle. Synergy Pro Ant Bait is the most advanced ant bait on the market, designed to make ant control simple. The unique, granular formulation contains two different food granules for broad-spectrum control throughout the year. The different actives target both worker and reproductive ants to ensure complete eradication control over the colony.

When using this new advanced dual active system, the ants do all the hard work, delivering the killing agents directly to the colony.

Why is colony elimination so important?

Ants are liquid feeders and cannot consume solids.  Using granules is perfect as ants will carry these back to the colony for their developing larvae.  Larvae have enzymes to dissolve solids into a liquid which is fed through oral secretions to the rest of the colony. 

Synergy Pro Ant Bait is a granular ant bait for outdoor and indoor use. Containing two different food granules, Synergy Pro is attractive to a wide range of ant species.  The dual-active system (Hydramethylnon and Pyriproxyfen) ensures the bait targets all life stages to deliver complete colony control throughout the year.

This process takes time but the transfer of the active ingredient decimates the colony and can completely destroy the colony’s ability to grow and survive. 

With common ant baits, you will still see ant activity for a considerable period, however, with the dual-action Synergy Pro Ant Bait, you should see immediate results that keep working over approximately a two-month period.

Why is it important to use bait with multi-active ingredients?

To gain complete control over ant species, baits need to be spread throughout the colony and kill the queen. However, some baits work too fast and the colony detects the problem and stops feeding on the bait before it gets to the queens. Other baits are accepted as a viable food source by the worker ants but are rejected by the queens, as the queen ants appear to be more sensitive to certain actives, making the bait repellent to them.

Either way, it is not uncommon for baits to kill a large number of workers, giving you the appearance of colony control. However, the bait is often not delivered to the queen. As a result, the queen continues laying eggs and a few weeks later, the problem returns! This is especially a problem with species with multiple queens – all the queens need to be killed to get lasting control.

Synergy Pro Ant Bait has been designed to maximise distribution within the colony. Synergy Pro utilizes a unique dual active system, each granule contains a mixture of hydramethylnon and pyriproxyfen (IGR). By reducing the level of individual actives but using the actives in combination, bait attractiveness can be maintained without compromising effectiveness. With pyriproxyfen having a specific action that targets the queen, you are maximising the chances of achieving colony control and lasting protection. 

Why do you need to use bait with different food granules?

Although some ant species tend to prefer a specific type of food, be it sugar, protein, or oil, many ant species will eat a wide range of foods. Even ants with a particular preference often change their diet throughout the year to meet the requirements of the colony. For example, many ant species (even sugar feeders) will require food with a higher protein content when the colony is producing young.

With most ant bait formulations containing only a single food group, pest professionals and DIY enthusiasts require a range of different baits. Knowing which bait to use for a particular species at a certain time of the year can be difficult and if there are multiple species to control, it may be necessary to apply several different baits.

Synergy Pro Ant Bait was developed with the objective of providing pest professionals and DIY enthusiasts with a single product that could be used in a wide variety of situations. It’s not just a question of mixing all the ingredients in one granule, after all, who likes their starter, main course, and dessert all blended together?

Specialist Sales is now stocking Synergy Pro Ant Bait and our friendly customer service team is available to answer any questions or visit our website and check out this new generation product.