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Ant Control
Ants are pests, but they also interfere with the natural control of plant pests, such as aphids, whitefly,
and other honeydew-producers. Hence, controlling aphids or whitefly requires managing ants to a low level. Ant
baits are different from sprays. Sprays kill the ants we see foraging by direct contact. Baits are a more
thorough approach because they are carried back to the nest, killing the entire colony. Ants collect the bait
(liquid or granular) which is a slow-acting low-risk toxin and take it mainly to the queen where the boric acid
accumulates to a level that kills the queen. Death of the queen means death to the colony. Boric acid is so
low-risk we use it as an eye wash. Moreover bait dispensers are enclosed so that children and pets are not at
risk.
Rincon-Vitova sells two ant bait dispensers, the AntPro for agricultural scale ant management and the
Ants-No-More for small garden plots. AntPro requires placement every 50-60 feet. Its round-the-clock,
feed-on-demand, liquid bait delivery system is proven effective against carpenter ants, imported fire ants,
Argentine ants, white footed ants, crazy ants, as well as numerous other ant and insect species, including
cockroaches.
The Ants-No-More bait dispensers have two compartments for two different kinds of bait, which could be sweet
and another with protein, both containing the boric acid. The smaller bait dispenser should be spaced 5 to 10
ft apart.
Gourmet Liquid Ant Bait comes in liquid and KMIB powder that requires addition of boric acid. Niban granular
boric acid bait is for situations where the bait dispensers are not suitable.
When making baits from scratch the concentration should not exceed 1% boric acid in 25% syrup by weight or up
to 20% in a solid bait, such as peanut butter. If ants are not visiting and carrying the bait away, the
concentration of boric acid is too high.
For a discussion on Ant Control, see
the
article "Manage Ants to Control Sucking Insects"
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ITEM
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TARGET PEST, USE
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CODE
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QUANTITY
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PRICE
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Ant Pro Bait Dispenser
high volume dispenser, grea for garden, orchard, or commercial, home AG 9/ac for Southern fire ant, or 14/ac for argentine ant (one covering 3-5,000 sq ft)
more info
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Ant bait dispenser, 20 oz, PP screw lid container, stake for stabilizing, screw to deter
tampering
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ANTPRO |
each
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38.00
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2+ dispensers
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30.00
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10+ dispensers
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27.00
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35+ dispensers
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24.00
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AntPro 2+1 Starter Kit;
2 Bait dispensers with 1 Quart Ant Bait
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ANTPROKT2
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1 Kit
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89.00
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2+ Kits
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79.00
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AntPro 4+1 Starter Kit:
4 Bait dispensers with 1 Gallon Ant Bait
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ANTPROKT4
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1 Kit
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200.00
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2+ Kits
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190.00
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AntPro Flow Switch:
to convert to top loading
How to Use
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ANTPROSW |
1 Switch
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4.25
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2+ switches
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3.00
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Ants-No-More Bait Dispenser
4 oz cup atop a stake with child resistant lid
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ant bait dispenser with 2 sections for 1-2 baits, spill resistant, 4 oz volume
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ANTSNO
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each
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5.25
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2+ dispensers
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4.50
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10+ dispensers
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4.00
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Gourmet Liquid Ant Bait
with 1% disodium octaborate acid, low risk material
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ants, place in ant bait dispenser
Organic, NOP
Use full strength, or dilute 1:1 with water or high quality fruit juice
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ANTGABQ
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1 quart
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29.00
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2+ quarts
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25.00
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| ANTGABG |
gallon
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98.00
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| ANTGABGCS |
4 gal/case
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349.00
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KMIB,
insect attractant. Must add boric acid to create a bait
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ants. Mix with boric acid and place in ant bait dispenser
Organic, NOP
Makes 2.5-5 gallons bait
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KMIB |
1 bag
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89.00
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2+ bags
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80.00
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Boric Acid,
technical powder
recipe sheet available
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use in ant baits or dust areas for cockroaches
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BOR4
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4 oz
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6.00
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BOR16
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16 oz
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15.00
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BOR10
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10 pounds
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39.00
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NIBAN
granular bait with boric acid for structural use. FG: fine
granular. CG: Coarse Granular
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ant, cockroach, cricket, mole cricket, silverfish
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NIBANFG1
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1 pound
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29.00
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NIBANFG4
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4 pounds
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63.00
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Olson's Stiky Stuff
Brushable Stiky Stuff, Pest Glue
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**New**
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STKY |
8 oz can |
16.50 |
| 2+ cans |
14.00 |
| STKY32 |
32 oz tub |
29.00 |
| 2+ tubs |
23.00 |
| STKYG |
1 gallon |
78.00 |
| 2+ gallons |
69.00 |
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Ant Bait
Recipe - boric acid syrup
(1% boric acid in 25% syrup by weight) Developed by BIRC
1 Cup sugar
2 Cup water
2 teaspoon boric acid
Mix all ingredients and stir to dissolve. Place in a plastic jar or tub that has about
1/8
inch holes around top edge so ants can get in, but bees and butterflies can’t.
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Place some excelsior, wood shavings, dry grass, or styrofoam packing material in the jar
to
provide pathways for the ants to climb down to the syrup. Pour a small amount of syrup into the jar and set
upright. Secure it so that dogs, cats and kids can’t get in or place it where they won’t get to
it.
Refill liquid once a week or as needed until few ants are seen collecting bait or the bait stops
disappearing.
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For 2 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket
2 gallons water
5 pounds sugar
0.215 lbs or 3.4 oz boric acid
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Borate based ant baits are now accepted by US NOP for use in organic
production. Gourmet liquid ant bait is OMRI listed. Take care to keep the material out of the soil. Check
with
your certifier with any questions and verification. |
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Borax ant bait 5% borax in 25% sugar syrup
10 pounds sugar
2 pounds borax
Water to make 5 gallons
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Borax is a natural mined product and is acceptable for use in organic field
situations. Verify with your certifier. 5% borax has equivalent borate as 1% boric acid. |
Updated March, 2026
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