If you are looking to get rid of ants in your home, you need to get rid of all the things that might tempt them to infest your home. Practical steps include sealing and storing your food, cleaning liquid and food spills from your counters, floors, and shelves, washing dishes promptly and taking out the trash. Another effective way of getting rid of these pesky insects is by using the best ant killer. In this post, we will review some of the best options available on the market today. We will also consider some other important information that can help you with buying the right product.
In the review below, we will consider 8 of the top options you can buy right now. From our testing of more than 40 ant killers and review, our number one choice is TERRO T300B 2-Pack Liquid Ant Bait Ant Killer. This excellent product will deter any household ant that dares to approach your home while getting rid of any that already exists in the home. This bait product is highly effective and very easy to use. With this option, you should expect to see the ants completely eliminated in less than a week. Aside from the TERRO, we have provided in-depth reviews of 7 other products on the market right now.
In creating this review, we considered several parameters. Some of these parameters include type, usage, active ingredient, effectiveness, and capacity. All these factors are thoroughly discussed in the detailed reviews of each product as well as in the buying guide provided in this article. Aside from the buying guide, we have provided an FAQ section and a comparison table. Read on to find out more!
More features: 2-pack, complete control may take up to two weeks, replacement every 3 months
This product is an excellent option for keeping ants out of the home. The main ingredient found in this product is borax; relatively safe for humans but deadly to ants. It comes in a clear form which makes it very easy to monitor. These features and more make it our undoubted top choice from all the others on the market.
Using bait stations, this ant killer effectively traps ants and is so easy to use. It helps to get rid of the ants that you see traversing the floors of your home.
This liquid option is made to eliminate ants over 3 days. Due to its active ingredient, the bait doesn’t immediately start to act. This is great because it allows enough time for all the ants to return to their colony before it strikes. Furthermore, when ants come in contact with it, they take it back to their colony, spreading it among the other ants.
These will also come to the bait and get the toxic ingredients. This cycle continues until all the ants in the colony are ‘infected’.
Interestingly, it has been made not to dry out quickly. Hence, the ants have a steady supply of ‘food’ until they are all dead.
Another reason why we love this product is the ease of use. All you need to do is to break up each station and cut along its colored markers. Once that is done, you can place the bait where the ants frequently pass.
As it comes with up to six stations, you can set this up around several places in the home to increase the effectiveness.
More features: 100% organic, wide range of applications, made in the USA
If you’re looking for a 100% organic way to kill the ants, then the HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth is the ideal choice. If you spread the powder just outside your house in some of the ant routes, then your ant problem is as good as gone.
Since it’s fully organic, you may be wondering how it’s able to kill ants and other bugs in general. Well, the particles of Diatomaceous Earth powder are porous and sharp, although, to the naked eye, they look nothing like it.
The material sticks to the body of most insects and given its sharp nature, it’s able to cut into the cuticle and reach the fats and moisture inside. These materials will then be slowly absorbed by the powder until the insect dies of dehydration.
Of course, by then, the ants will have carried the material back to their nests, where it will cause more damage to the population. However, to you, your kids, and your pets, it’s just a harmless powder. That said, it’s better to wear a mask as you apply it, so you don’t it into your eyes. While your skin likely won’t feel the sharpness of the particles, your eyes might.
The package provided contains 10lbs of the substance. Additionally, a powder duster is included so you won’t struggle when applying the powder to any ant routes you encounter.
More features: 2-pack, 2-step method, kills the queen and up to 162 mounds, no watering-in required, money back warranty
It might be our budget pick, but the low price doesn’t make this product any less effective. This product is an excellent blend of safety and impressive potency. It comes with the ability to show effective results in just a few hours. It doesn’t smell horrible like some others on the market.
If you have a fire ant infestation, then no other product works quite as well as the Ortho Orthene. Fire ants are known to be stubborn insects that are quite difficult to get rid of. However, this product will effectively get rid of them and other insects in your home or environment.
It comes in a form that can easily permeate the soil to reach the main ant colony. Application is quite straightforward. All you need to do is to sprinkle it on the ant nest or mould. After a short period, it is absorbed into the nest, reaches the queen ant, and solves all your ant problems. It has the active ingredient acephate, which acts by breaking down the ant’s nervous system.
To achieve the best results, we recommend that you apply this product in seasons where ants are very active.
The product will remain in the soil for up to half a year, which is truly impressive. Since it lasts for so long, ants are repelled and are unable to build a new mound or install a new queen.
A 12 ounce killer, you can use this product to get rid of up to 162 ant mounds.
More features: effective against argentine ants, carpenter ants, and ghost ants and other nuisance ant pests, palatable for at least 14 days, non-staining and colorless formulation, ready-to-use package
If the ants are coming in via cracks and crevices in the home, then a gel ant killer is what you need. It is highly effective against different types of ants. It comes with all that you need to reach the cracks in the home. Hence ants that are sneaking in will be repelled or will die in the process of entry.
Some of the types of ants that you can get rid of using this product include ghost ants, harvester ants, fire ants, carpenter ants, and so on.
It comes with a quartet of tubes that contain the el. Additionally, there is a plunger. This plunger helps you to reach hard-to-reach spots in the area and stop the ants from coming in.
It comes in food form for the ants. Hence, they eat it and take it back to the colony and the queen ant. It is poisonous to the ants as it has Thiamethoxam as the main ingredient.
One issue I had while using this product is that it dries over time; which is quite surprising as it is a gel product. Furthermore, it is not very effective in the rain.
More features: wide range of applications, 100% organic, money back guarantee
This product is one of the safest options to use today. It employs organic, natural ingredients to drive out the ants from your house. Although all the ingredients are safe (which is great if you have kids and pets), it acts really quickly and will last for a long time. Additionally, apart from getting rid of the ants in the home, it also acts to repel those that have not yet come in.
This product is made with different ingredients, all of which contribute to make a top-notch product that effectively gets rid of ants in the home or environment. It is made with sodium lauryl sulfate, spearmint, rosemary, and peppermint.
Aside from the ingredients above, it also contains vinegar. Vinegar is useful because it erases the scent trail of the ant. That way, the ants cannot follow each other to food sources which will eventually lead to starvation.
The peppermint found in the product is quite toxic to ants. Fire ants are some of the most persistent species of ants you can find, and when applied in high concentrations, this oil can chase them away.
It should be noted that this particular product isn’t going to get rid of the entire colony. However, it acts as a repellant that ants will surely want to avoid.
Overall, it is an excellent product that works not just by killing any ants in the vicinity, but it also prevents them from coming back to your home. From our testing, it is one of the best outdoor ant killers on the market today.
More features: non-repellent insecticide
This is the best liquid ant killer on the market. It is highly effective against ants and other types of insects. Due to its excellent versatility, it can get rid of different infestations and issues. It comes with a concentrated formula that ensures that just a little application can go a long way in getting rid of all the ants in your home.
Taurus SC is great for eliminating all types of insects, but it is especially effective in getting rid of ants. It is not only good for getting rid of infestations, but it also serves as an excellent barrier protector. Hence, it will keep out insects ranging from ants to spiders and beetles.
Taurus SC is quite easy to use; as long as you follow the instructions. Before applying it, you need to do some preparation. It is available in 20 oz. and 78 oz. bottles. According to the manufacturer, you should use just 8 ounces for a gallon of water. This measurement is easy to get since the bottle is designed to measure the amount dispensed automatically.
The main ingredient in this product is fipronil. Fipronil is a potent ingredient that is often found in insecticides and used in controlling insect populations.
This product is one of the most potent options on this list. Therefore, when you apply it, you should be careful not to let it affect other useful insects like bees.
When used appropriately, this product is quite safe.
While many products on this list are fast-acting, Taurus SC is slow acting. This allows enough time for ‘infected’ ants to come in contact with other ants, thus increasing the effectiveness of the killer and eliminating the breeding colony.
More features: safe for use around kids & pets
Raid has established itself as one of the most popular companies that produce insecticides. Therefore, we are not surprised to find one of its products on this roundup.
As the name implies, this product is made to eliminate the roaches and ants present in the house. It comes in a spray form, which is pretty easy to use. The spray will last and remain effective for up to one month. Therefore, you do not have to worry about spraying it all whenever you want to get rid of ants. It kills on contact.
With this product, all you need to do is point and spray. It kills instantly and serves as a barrier; preventing ants from coming into the home.
We like it because it doesn’t leave a heavy smell in the air after application. It also will not induce coughing.
This spray does not eliminate the colony or get rid of the queen ant. However, if you have a small infestation and need to get rid of it fast, then it makes for an excellent deterrent.
More features: disrupts ant trails and prevent for re-entry for 4 week and beyond, child-and-pet-friendly
More features: disrupts ant trails and prevent for re-entry for 4 week and beyond, child-and-pet-friendly
In the section above, we considered 8 of the top products that you can find on the market right now. Before making the list, we considered several parameters. In this section, we will highlight and discuss these parameters. We will also provide other useful information that can help you as you make a buying choice.
Several times in the reviews above, we talked about the effectiveness of the product with regards to an ant colony. Well, what is an ant colony?
An ant colony, in simple terms, refers to the nest or home built by ants. It is where they live and store food. It can also refer to their social organization.
The ant colony isn’t just the mould that you see. The anthill is just the top of the colony, like the tip of an iceberg. While anthills might rise as high as a person, they go even deeper underground. In fact, some of these colonies can have tunnels that are as deep as 25 feet underground.
The colony is controlled by the queen ant. She lays the eggs and is responsible for the propagation of the ants.
In one ant colony, you can find tens of thousands of ants! Some of these ants can even form ‘supercolonies’ that can contain millions of ants!
If you have a new colony in your backyard, it might not contain as many ants and can be easily handled.
There are 4 main types of ant killers on the market today. These are bait, gels, powder and spray. Each of these types comes with different features and accomplishes different results.
Let’s consider each of these types.
Sprays are used to kill the ants on contact. This type of treatment is designed for broad application and is very effective on different types of insects and not just ants.
Sprays are very effective, especially over a long period. Some of the options on the market, for example, the Raid Ant and Roach Killer can last for several months after application.
Another feature that makes spray treatments appealing to folks is that they are quite cheap.
Sprays are easy to apply if you know where to apply it.
One main disadvantage of spray treatments is that the colony is not effectively eliminated using spray ant killers. They do not kill the queen.
This treatment is quite different from spray treatment. It is highly effective in getting rid of a colony. They are made to be taken back to the colony and often have delayed killing action. Bait, unlike spray treatments, are not effective over extended periods. If you apply it outdoors, the elements can interfere with the effectiveness.
Bait, as the name implies, comes in food form. It attracts a large number of ants in the area and slowly gets rid of the ant population.
The main reason why folks prefer them to spray treatment is that they can actually get into the colony and eliminate the queen ant, as our Editor’s Choice TERRO T300B 2-Pack Liquid Ant Bait Ant Killer does.
This type of ant killer also comes like bait, since the ants have to be attracted to it before it can work. They are quite effective and can be a long-term solution.
You can leave them at a designated spot in the home or outdoors for months on end. As soon as the ant eats the powder, it often ends up dead. An example of this is the HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth.
An example of a gel ant killer is the Syngenta – TRTD11568. This treatment usually comes in a small quantity and is applied to smaller areas in the house. It is especially effective when placed in crevices and cracks in the home.
The ingredients in the gel do not kill the ants immediately.
Well, it is hard to say which one to choose because there are different parameters that can affect the effectiveness. Some of the parameters that you should consider in this regard include the type of ant, the moisture and humidity, the environment, and so on.
Before making a final buying choice, there are different features that you need to consider.
You don’t want to buy a product that you will find rather difficult to apply. Your ant problem needs to be tackled head-on and promptly. Therefore, you need to choose an option that can be easily applied.
The ease of use depends on where the ants usually come from.
Spray ant killers are excellent since they can be used over a large area in one go. If you crave instant action, then you will likely love using this option.
However, if your infestation is in a small area of the house, then you might opt for other options.
Consider the actions that will be required in applying the ant killer to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Many of the ant killers on the market seek the easy way out and use chemicals to get rid of the ants around you. These chemicals are admittedly highly effective. They usually act really quickly. However, they come with several drawbacks.
Since they are made from chemicals, they can be dangerous to the health of humans and pets. Before opting for a chemical-based product, consider who might become exposed to it.
Natural options might not be as quick-acting, but they are effective and safe to use. They are child and pet safe. The EcoRaider Ant Killer is one such natural option.
Regardless of the type of ant killer you choose, ensure that you closely adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions before using it.
One issue with ants is that once gone doesn’t mean always gone. They can always come back. If you discover that these insects always infest your home, then the best option is to choose an ant killer that will last for months on end. In this case, you might want to choose a powder or bait ant killer.
Before you choose an ant killer, you should be sure that the price it offers matches the value. You don’t want to spend plenty of money on a product and discover that it isn’t as effective as you would have wished.
Once the ants eat the bait, they carry some of it back to the colony and share it with other ants. The bait is slow-acting, so it reaches as many ants as possible. If the ant dies in the nest, it is eaten by other ants, which also ingest the poison.
There are so many options available on the market today. We recommend the TERRO T300B 2-Pack Liquid Ant Bait Ant Killer as our top choice. The main ingredient found in this product is borax; relatively safe for humans but deadly to ants. It comes in a clear form which makes it very easy to monitor. Our value pick is the HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth. It is safe and can be used around your children and pets.
Furthermore, unlike some other options on the market, it is impossible for ants to grow immunity to it. Lastly, for folks on a budget, the Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer1 is a good option. This product is an excellent blend of safety and impressive potency. It comes with the ability to show effective results in just a few hours. It doesn’t smell horrible like some others on the market.
We hope that you use this guide and review to select the best ant killer right now.
