I’ve purchased liquid ant stations as well as liquid spray (Viper). They work very well when I am diligent. Now in the middle of winter we’ve had ants coming in. We believe that there is a large nest under the slab of the wing on our house and we’re not sure how to get the spray under the slab. We’ve set bait stations. I don’t like spraying anything in the house. Do you have any recommendations?
The products you listed will work under most conditions. When foraging ants out and about during the warm months come inside, they’ll generally be seeking moisture or food. The LIQUID BAIT STATIONS supply both and therefore accepted and fed upon by most any ant. This will kill most inside and therefore prevent nests from forming. Combine this with the outside spraying of the VIPER which is highly repellent to ants and you should be able to keep them out. But once nests are established inside the home, things change regarding treatment methods and approaches. This is especially true when the nest is located inside a wall void or up under a slab or other hidden area like you describe might be the case in your home.
To treat this problem successfully, you need something that works “stealthy”. Something they can’t detect or notice is ideally suited. Viper should not be used because it’s highly repellent and no doubt could make more of a mess in a situation like this so we strongly recommend not spraying it inside. We also feel the Liquid Bait is not the best option during the winter. In most cases ants can find plenty of water once they move inside so I would put both away and start using them after it gets warm and spring arrives. So what do we recommend you ask?
We have found the best product for use inside the home during the winter is the PHANTOM AEROSOL. It’s practically odorless and more importantly, won’t be noticed by ants foraging and walking about their scent trails. Phantom is designed this way and won’t begin to work for several days which is why it’s so effective. When the chemical finally starts to kick in and take effect, it will have been shared by many members of the colony and in most cases the net result will be a complete shut down of the nest. The beauty of this product is that it can work this way without you having to know where the nest is located.
So for now I suggest you apply some light treatments of Phantom along the trails where you see them foraging. Remember it’s not a contact kill so don’t expect to see any results for 4-8 days. By 10-14 days, the nest should be dead. Oh, and don’t interrupt the ants as they forage over treated areas. Many times people will kill ants they see which is actually counterproductive when using Phantom. By leaving them to walk over the treatment you’re insuring the best results possible.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Liquid Bait Stations: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/stations/drax-liquid-bs-inside
Viper: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
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