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Best Ant Sprays

When there’s one ant, you can expect for more to follow. Although they may not bother you as much when you’re outdoors and not on your property, an ant infestation in your home is another matter. You will want to get rid of the problem fast.

There are many ways to eliminate ant colonies in your home. Some are even natural solutions that won’t harm the environment with chemicals or toxins. Learn about these recommended products below.

Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2

It kills ants, spiders, roaches, ticks, fleas, and other pests. This formula is also unscented, doesn’t stain, and drops bugs. Used in both indoors and outdoors and doesn’t leave any residue.

Features:

Comes with Comfort Wand
Odor-free
Won’t stain

HotShot Ant Killer Plus

Kills southern, Argentine, field, Florida carpenter, Allegheny mound, black panther, honey, cornfield, nuisance, and pavement ants.

It is a water-based, odourless spray formula that leaves no residue and no stains behind.

Features:

Keeps killing up to four months
Indoor and outdoor use
No oily residue, non-staining

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Mighty Mint Insect and Pest Control

Kills ants, spiders, cockroaches, lice, and many other pests. It is a plant-based formula spray produced to kill pests and insects—safe around humans and pets.

It is usually used indoors as a home barrier defense for insects. If sprayed, it contains natural peppermint oil that’s a proven contact insect eliminator. Also, it is effective as an insect repellent spray for a massive insect invasion.

This formula is the best alternative for those who want to avoid toxic chemicals.

Features:

Contains natural ingredients with essential oil
Safe around people and pets
Concentrated formula

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Orange Guard Home Pest Control Spray

It kills and repels hidden pests and bugs like ants, roaches, and lice. This water-based formula is safe to use around humans, pets, and food.

Features:

Water-based, natural, organic formula
Safe around food, kids, and pets
Orange-scented

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Raid Ant & Roach Killer

This formula can rapidly kill pests and bugs like ants, lice, roaches, and fleas. It is an easy-to-use formula spray you can apply to surfaces around pests and insects. It doesn’t leave any toxic chemical odors.

Features:

It keeps killing indoors for weeks
Effective on other household insects
Fragrance-free

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Eco Defense Home Pest Control

This home bug spray is powerful. Cockroaches, Ants, Spiders, Ants, Earwigs, Fleas, Stink Bugs, Gnats, Scorpions, Mites, Silverfish, and other common household pests are killed and repelled.

Features:

Eliminates home-invading pests
USDA-certified bio-based product
Child and pet-friendly

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Harris Carpenter Ant Killer and Termite Control

This product is used as a spot or cracked and crevice treatment for both indoors and outdoors. After the initial application, it continues to kill carpenter ants for a month.

Use the accompanying trigger sprayer to treat areas where ants or termites live. This formula is an odourless and non-staining product and won’t harm fabrics.

Features:

Keeps killing ants for a month after application
Odourless, non-staining formula
Ready-to-use

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The Differences Between Ant Sprays and Ant Baits

Baits

Ant baits are insecticides for food-seeking worker ants. They are usually recommended for most infestations. Ants attract others to the bait. When these worker ants return to their home, they feed the bait to their kind and their queen, thus killing the entire colony. When used, baits outperform sprays.

Sprays

Meanwhile, sprays, when used inside, can supplement baiting. Non-repellent sprays usually kill on contact but they take longer to kill ants. However, as they spread around and infect more ants, they can be harmful to the colony.

Ants with food supply indoors may ignore baits. So, it is wise to also apply a non-repellent ant spray to prevent ants from detecting baits you placed on areas where you’ve seen ants.
The Differences Between the Two

The uses and application methods of baits and sprays can be varied. A typical treatment involves baiting inside and spraying outside. This is because while ants prefer to nest outdoors, they enter houses in search of food.

The length of spray treatments versus baits is also another significant difference. Depending on the active ingredient and the weather, an outdoor spray can only last for four to twelve weeks. A bait application, on the other hand, can last until they are eaten by non-targets like birds and rodents.

Also, the efficacy of the two formulations is different. Sprays can work on ants and other pests like roaches, bugs, and spiders. However, as ant baits are designed for ants alone, they have a much smaller range of activity, thus only killing ants.

The effectiveness of baits and sprays also vary depending on sanitation. Sprays are ineffective if there is poor sanitation or too many food sources. They can only take effect when applied in places where ants hunt for food.

Lack of sanitation can also reduce bait intake and effectiveness.

How do ant killer sprays work?

Ant killer spray formulas can effectively attack the nervous system of the insect. Some ant sprays act faster than others, but generally, they get the job done. Also, they are more effective if the lethal gas has a higher concentration. However, if some ants survive after application, they might develop tolerance, making these sprays useless in the future.

Expect a swarm of ants once you’ve placed toxic ant bait. See this as a positive development. It shows that more ants are returning to the colony with the poisonous bait. They will share the bait with the other ants, including their queen, and kill them.

For many sweet-loving ants, liquid bait is the best approach to eliminating them. However, other ants may prefer solid bait. So, restore the bait containers if you still have ants in the house after two weeks. If this doesn’t work, the next step is to locate the colony.

If ants continue to enter your home, apply a 12-inch-wide band of ant pesticide to the foundation to keep them out. An outdoor insecticide that says “barrier treatment” on the label is also another option you can use.

Dealing with crazy ants infestation can be challenging. Read this guide to know how to control and remove ant infestation.

Check Out This Guide to Get Rid of Crazy Ants

What to Look for in an Ant Killer Spray

Before you buy any ant killer spray, you should already know what you are looking for. Getting the right kind of product can spell the difference between a long-term and short-term treatment.

Although most ant killer sprays are generally for the most common types of ants and other pests, you might like to check the label if the one you are planning to purchase is meant for the specific ant species present in your home. For this, it helps if you have identified the kind of ants you wish to exterminate as what can kill carpenter ants might not be as effective for fire ants, which usually get exterminated faster using granules.

There are other things you need to consider before buying an ant killer spray. These include the following:

Check if it is for indoor or outdoor use. It’s essential to do this as formulations for indoor and outdoor sprays may differ.
Is it safe for your kids and pets? Although reading the fine print on labels is always helpful for this, it is still best to be cautious at all times. So always keep these sprays out of your kids’ reach.

Read this first aid article from the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) on what to do in case of ingestion or eye contact. To be sure, contact the nearest poison centre near you.
Find out if the active ingredients in your ant killer spray are natural and organic or have levels of toxicity you should watch out for. Borax is one active ingredient you can expect to find in these aerosol sprays. Others include hydramethylnon and fipronil, among others.

If you want to be extra careful about getting rid of the ant problem in your home, then getting professional help is the better option for you. They can help provide the peace of mind you want regarding safe and effective ant treatment.

If you need help getting rid of your ant infestation safely and effectively, it might be best to contact a professional. PestGuide can provide you with the assistance you need for this.

Pro Tip

“Your ant control strategy should depend on the type of ant causing the infestation and whether the ants live outside the home or have built their nest inside.” – PestGuide

Ant Sprays Reviews

Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2

Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2 is a highly concentrated formula. It can kill invasive insects like roaches, fleas, spiders, ticks, and ants.

It creates a barrier that can kill pests and prevent them from coming back for 12 months. You can use this non-stain formula outdoors and indoors. Although this formula is effective, it is not safe around children and pets.

Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2 is available for $19.19

Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2 Pros

Effective if used properly
Long-term effect
It comes with a wand for easy application