Foraging and food sharing
Ant colonies feed by trophallaxis: foraging workers collect food, return to the nest and pass it mouth-to-mouth to nestmates, the brood and ultimately the queen. Only a small fraction of the colony ever leaves the nest.
Gel bait exploits that behaviour. The sugar-based matrix is attractive enough for foragers to load up on, and the active ingredient is deliberately slow, so the worker survives long enough to get home and share the dose.
Why a fast killer works worse
A fast-acting active kills the forager on the spot. The colony loses a few workers and replaces them within a day. This is exactly why sprays clear a trail without ever solving the problem.
- Slow active = dose reaches brood and queen
- Fast active = only visible workers die
- Repellent products can split a colony into satellites
What you should see
Heavy recruitment to the bait in the first hour is normal and desirable. Trails thin out within 24 to 36 hours, and the nest usually goes quiet over the following few days. Leave the dots in place; do not spray over them.
Everything below assumes a professional-strength bait — our ant killer gel kits ship with the applicator and placement map referenced here.