One ant in the kitchen is rarely one ant. What you see is a trail of workers leading to a nest you cannot see, often under the floor, behind the skirting or outside beneath the paving.
A bait station therefore works differently from a spray. The workers carry the bait back to the nest and feed it to the rest, including the queen. That is how the colony goes rather than just the visible part. Our bait stations are enclosed, suitable for indoors and outdoors, and no aerosol is involved.
How does an ant bait station work?
The station holds a bait that ants accept as food. A worker walks in, takes a portion and carries it back to the nest. There it is shared with other workers, with the larvae and with the queen. This passing of food is called trophallaxis, and it is exactly why one station can reach an entire nest. A spray only kills what you see, and that is at most a few per cent of the colony.
How fast does a bait station work?
Expect a few days up to about two weeks, depending on the size of the nest and the distance. In the first days you often see more ants on the trail. That is a good sign: they are actively collecting bait. So do not wipe the trail away during that period, because that route is the one you need.
Where do you put the station?
On the trail itself, not beside it. Ants follow a scent trail and barely deviate from it. Put the station exactly on the line they walk, against the skirting, by the patio door or along the edge of the paving. Indoors and outdoors both work.
How quickly do ants reproduce?
Fast, which is why wiping them away does not help. A queen lays hundreds of eggs and a colony can grow to tens of thousands of ants. As long as the queen lives and the nest is intact, the workers are back on your worktop within a day. Some species even have several queens in one nest, which lets a colony split and spread further.
Why do ants come indoors?
For sugar, grease and water. Crumbs on the worktop, a sticky bottle, pet food in an open bowl, or simply moisture by the sink during a dry spell. A single scout finds something, lays a scent trail, and within an hour the rest are walking that route.
What to do alongside the bait station
Only wipe the trail away once the station has done its work, then clean with water and a little vinegar to break the scent trail. Store sugar and pet food airtight, seal gaps around frames and pipes, and keep the strip by the patio door dry.