Critical rule: Never spray ant trails with contact insecticide if you intend to bait. Repellent sprays cause colonies to scatter and fracture — turning one problem into several. If you're baiting, stop spraying first and give the colony 48 hours to resume normal foraging behavior.
Match the Bait to the Species
Ant colonies cycle between protein and sugar feeding depending on colony nutritional needs and season. A sugar-based bait placed for a colony in protein-feeding mode will be ignored. Missouri's most common house-invading species and their bait preferences:
Odorous House Ant
Missouri's most common kitchen ant. Dark brown, smells like blue cheese when crushed. Multiple queens, multiple colony sites. Gel sweet bait (Terro-type, borax-based) is the standard effective treatment.
Pavement Ant
Small, dark, nesting under slabs and pavement. Trails into kitchens in spring. Will accept both protein and sweet bait — use whichever they recruit to faster.
Carpenter Ant
Large black ant — a structural pest, not just a nuisance. Nests in moist wood indoors or in tree wood outdoors. Carpenter ant presence indoors warrants professional inspection. See the Carpenter Ant Guide.
Acrobat Ant
Heart-shaped abdomen held over the thorax when disturbed. Often nests in foam insulation, old termite galleries, or moist wall voids. Eliminate moisture source first.
Baiting Protocol
Place bait stations directly on active ant trails — where you see ants moving in line. Do not clean ant trails before baiting; the pheromone trail is what directs ants to the bait. Use enough bait stations that foragers don't have to travel far to find bait. Expect bait uptake to peak within 24–48 hours. Colonies typically collapse within 1–3 weeks as the slow-acting toxicant is shared through the colony via trophallaxis (food sharing). Replacing depleted bait promptly maintains pressure on the colony through its collapse. D&D Pest Control treats ant infestations throughout Franklin County and rural Missouri — visit ddpestcontrolmo.com.