Ant Bait Station Placement (Printer Friendly)

One of the first considerations when utilizing the AntPro System, is where to locate the dispensers and how many are required to do the job. Whether you are eliminating insects entering a home or office complex; invading a lawn or garden area; or infesting agricultural acreage, there are reliable guidelines to follow for successful pest elimination.

It is important to remember that only a select group of ant workers from a colony are charged with the responsibility of finding and gathering food for its members. They perform this task by initially foraging at random. Only after the ants have found an attractive food source, do they mark and create pheromone trails, chemically marked highways, from the food source home to their colony. This means that using unnecessary dispensers represents wasted resources, and having a well-planned placement strategy matters most.

1. Around home and other structures:
   
   
   1. Install at least one AntPro ant bait station on each side of the structure, giving consideration to size, and the number of different connecting walls. For a small house or building consisting of approximately 1500 sq. ft., place one unit at each side. The following are additional AntPro dispenser placement considerations:
      
      

      
      
      

      1. Key areas are by acute angles where insects converge from more than one direction to a common corner.
      2. Place a unit, when possible, by the A/C condenser water overflow outlet. Water is always a primary insect attractant.
      3. North-side of structures with predominate shade and moisture.
      4. Where ants are seen trailing.
      5. Most important, do not put bait stations directly over ant nests; place dispensers when possible at least 5 ft away from nest; do not disturb ant nests; and do not spray the area around them with insecticides.
      6. Avoid locations where substantial water run-off will occur.
      
      
      
   2. Guideline for unit placement around buildings. The following averaged measurement are for potential invasion ares (ground floor, only):
      
      
      1. 0 - 1,900  square feet, use 4 to 6* units.
      2. 1,900 - 2,999  square feet, use 6 to 8* units.
      3. 2,999 - 5,000+  square feet, use 8 to 12*units.

   * Exotic invasive ants, including white-footed ants, big-headed ants, Argentine ants, Caribbean crazy ants, long-legged ants and yellow crazy ants.

   
   
   
2. Lawn, garden and balance of property:
   
   
   1. For full property protection, place additional AntPro dispensers spaced around perimeter of property. Depending on the ant species, each AntPro dispenser covers an area with a radius between 30 feet (radius of 60 feet for Argentine ants and white-footed ants). Locate units where ants are most active, and preferably, in shrub or tree belts so as not to interfere with lawn maintenance. Deploy dispensers in shade, avoid locations with full sun exposure, and where substantial water run-off will occur. Note: If a dispenser is submerged due to unusually heavy rain, allow the water to recede. It will not lose its bait content and foraging insects will reactivate it.
   
   
   
3. Baiting strategy:
   
   
   1. AntPro provides ants and other targeted insects with long-term, continuous, access to food. Initially, if you have a large infestation of ants, they will consume the bait at a faster rate until their population is reduced and the colony destroyed. Keep in mind, when these populations are destroyed, other ants will eventually move into the uninhabited area. Once the colony is eliminated, keep the AntPro dispensers activated and in place as sentinels to prevent re-infestation.
   2. If you have a paricularly difficult ant problem, first attempt to identify the ants and learn more about them. With most ant species, you will find that simply following our installation and placement instructions will resolve the problem. There are some non-indigenous and highly invasive ants species that are creating serious environment and economics problems in areas of the United States and worldwide.
   
   
   
4. Agricultural Acreage:
   
   
   1. The number of ant bait stations required per acre depends on the targeted specie (Argentine Ant, White-footed Ant, etc.); the degree of infestation; and the kind of acreage involved and whether it is a contiguous or non-contiguous area.
      
      
   2. KM AntPro is currently participating in research projects with the Department of Entomology at the University of California, and directly with nurseries, farms, and ranches, to develop cost effective and pesticide free strategies for the protection of livestock and crops.

   For additional assistance, phone Ken at (941) 445-4252 or send him questions using our Contact Mail-Form. Having an actual planning discussion will facilitate the best deployment and system results. Please provide a phone number including the area code, when possible. Ken will respond to your inquiry as promptly as possible. (We respect your privacy: names, addresses, phone numbers are kept confidential.)

   
   

    

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   KM Ant Pro LLC
   P.O. Box 967, Nokomis, FL 34275
   (941)445-4252
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