Bait products provide no residual or lasting killing effect because most degrade in the environment within days or weeks after application. Some baits may seem to provide residual effects because some locations may not have reinfestation for a long time after bait application. This, however, is not a true residual effect because reinfestation rates may vary depending on location, time of year, weather, and type of bait used. In faster acting baits which affect all life stages and contain the active ingredients indoxacarb, hydramethylnon, fipronil, and spinosad, residual effects are due to reinfestation rates. However, insect growth regulator baits are considered to have longer residual effects because worker ants retain the active ingredients in their crops and feed it to developing and adult ants for months following ingestion. Insect growth regulator baits contain the active ingredients fenoxycarb, methoprene, and pyriproxyfen and only affect the reproductive life stages. As long as the queens are fed the insect growth regulator, the colonies are inhibited from producing more worker ants. Residual effects are more likely with non-baits, such as granular fipronil, that remain active in the soil for an extended period and kill by contact.
For more information, please visit:
Broadcast Baits for Fire Ant Control.
