Ant Management

All ants, together with wasps and bees, belong to the scientific order of insects called Hymenoptera (which means “membranous wing”). Within the Hymenoptera all ant species belong to the family Formicidae (of which more than 8,800 species have been described to date).  Of the estimated 4 - 5,000 ant species present in Australia, very few are troublesome (or classified as pests) and those that are are mostly “vagrant” or “tramp” species which have been accidentally introduced from overseas. These tramp species (Singapore ant, coastal brown ant, Argentine ant, white-footed house ant, pharaoh ant, and the black house ant) infest buildings in search of water and food, and will take all kinds of domestic foods, ranging from oils and butter to sweet substances, meats and grain-based items like bread and biscuits.
 
Whilst an essential part of our native environment, several native species can also be injurious to human enterprise and thus classified as pests. Most prominent are the Australian bulldog and jumper ants. There are many known cases of severe human allergic reactions (even death) due to their stings. Other troublesome native ants include some of the meat ants and the green weaver ant.

As with all pest management situations, ant control is best achieved through the proper identification of the target pest species and administration of an integrated pest management program targeted against the particular pest. Arguably the most important component of this program for ant control is the right bait. Bayer Environmental Science has specifically developed three different Maxforce baits which cater for the range of ant feeding preferences (these being sugars, fats or oils and proteins).

The range of products which are recommended for ant control are listed below:

• Maxforce Liquid Ant Bait (for ants preferring sugary foods).
• Maxforce GB Granular Ant Bait (for ants which prefer oily foods)
• Maxforce Granular Ant Bait (for ants which prefer protein based foods)