How to Kill Large Ants

Large ants become pesty when invading the garden or home.

Large ants are often carpenter ants that come from colonies that are more mature. Large worker ants work throughout the day and night, foraging for sweet or greasy foods to feed on and take back to the ant colony. Since worker ants bring food back for the queen ant and other ants to eat, ant bait is the most effective way to kill large ants because it gradually kills the entire colony.

Things You'll Need

• Bowls
• 4 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 6 tbps. honey
• Spoon
• Milk jug caps
• 3/4 tsp. boric acid

Instructions

1. 

   Peanut butter attracts grease-loving ants.

   Mix 4 tbsp. creamy peanut butter with 6 tbsp. honey in a bowl. Stir the two ingredients well.

2. Spoon the peanut-butter-and-honey mixture into empty, clean milk jug caps. Set the insecticide-free ant bait in areas where ants have been spotted. Observe which bait stations have ants coming to them and which are empty.

3. Make a fresh batch of ant bait but add 3/4 tsp. boric acid this time. Scoop the insecticide ant bait into the milk jug caps and set the bait stations in the locations where ants were coming to eat the peanut butter and honey.

4. Replenish the insecticide bait every couple of days and continue to put bait out for a few weeks to ensure the entire colony is exterminated.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternate this ant bait with one made from equal parts jelly and boric acid to entice ants with a sweet bait, as well.

• Boric acid is toxic; keep the ant bait in areas where children and pets cannot get to it.

References

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Ant Baits: A Least Toxic Control
• Bug Clinic: Carpenter Ants and Their Control