Best Ant Killers for the Home: Baits, Gels and Sprays

The best ant killer for the home is a slow-acting bait, led by TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Bait Stations, which workers carry back to the colony. TERRO's liquid bottles suit heavy trails, Raid Ant Baits suit protein-loving ants, Advion gel stations offer a different active ingredient, and STEM and Raid sprays handle contact kills but never reach the nest.

How Ant Killers Work

An ant killer either reaches the colony or it does not. Baits mix a slow-acting insecticide with food; workers carry it home and share it mouth to mouth with larvae and queens. UC IPM's ant pest notes call baits the only type of insecticide recommended in most situations, and say spraying ants indoors will not prevent more from entering.

That explains why a can of spray seems to work for a day and then fails: the ants on the counter die, and the colony sends more. A bait looks slower, with ants crowding around it for days, but those ants are carrying it home. UC IPM says it can take 5 to 10 days to see fewer ants.

Cleaning and sealing still matter, because a bait competes with every crumb in the house. For the full plan, from the trail to the entry point, see our overview of ants, roaches and other crawling bugs; our guide on whether ant killers work explains why some fail.

Ant Killer Types Compared

We compared ant killers on whether they reach the colony, the active ingredient, where the label allows them and what buyers report about results and mess. Our sources were manufacturer listings, Amazon's review digests and UC IPM and NPIC guidance; we did not test the products.

The indoor ant killers section covers sprays and safety questions in more detail.

Best Liquid Ant Baits

Liquid sweet baits are the go-to for the ants most people see indoors: small black or brown sugar ants, odorous house ants and Argentine ants. Their weakness is concentration. UC IPM notes that prepackaged borate stations, usually 5.4% borate, kill foragers in the home but are less effective for major infestations, because workers can die before sharing the bait.

TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Bait Stations: Best Overall

TERRO's T300B stations come 12 to a pack, prefilled with a borax-based sweet liquid bait at 5.40%. The maker lists acrobat, crazy, ghost, little black, odorous house and pavement ants.

• The stations are ready to use along baseboards, corners and countertops, with no setup.
• The maker says ant activity drops within days and complete control may take 2 to 4 weeks.
• Buyers find them effective, report ants disappearing and say carpenter ants are drawn to them too.
• Buyers often mention leaking and a sticky bait that is hard to clean up.

Choose it for a typical sugar-ant trail in a kitchen or bathroom. Set stations on the trail, ideally near where ants come in, and leave them alone while ants feed. An 18-count pack is also sold.

OUR CHOICE

TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Bait Stations 12-Pack

Liquid baitBorax12 stations

Best for: Sugar ants in kitchens and bathrooms

• ✓Reaches the colony as a bait, per the maker
• ✓Ready to use, no setup
• ✓Buyers report ants disappearing
• −Buyers report leaking and sticky bait
• −5.4% borate stations are weaker on major infestations, per UC IPM

Editor's Note

It is the simplest way to bait a sugar-ant trail. Set stations near the entry and leave them alone while ants feed.

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Specifications (3)

Active Ingredients

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Borax), 5.40%; Other Ingredients, 94.60%

Unit Count

12 Count

Item Form

Liquid

TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Bottles: Best for Heavy Trails

TERRO's T200 pack holds three 2-ounce bottles of the same borax-based liquid bait, with cardboard tiles. You squeeze drops onto a tile and set it beside the trail, so you can put out far more bait than a station holds.

• The bait is listed for sugar ants, ghost ants and pavement ants.
• The maker says workers share the bait with the colony and activity drops within days.
• Buyers say ants swarm to it and highly recommend it.
• Open tiles are messier than stations and must be kept away from pets and children.

Pick it for big trails that empty stations quickly, placed where pets and children cannot reach.

TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Bottles 3-Pack

Liquid baitBorax3 bottles

Best for: Heavy trails that empty stations quickly

• ✓Lets you put out more bait than a station
• ✓Buyers say ants swarm to it
• ✓Cardboard tiles included
• −Open tiles are messier than stations
• −Must be kept away from pets and children

Editor's Note

It suits large trails where stations run dry. Place tiles where pets and children cannot reach.

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Specifications (3)

Active Ingredients

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Borax) 5.40%; Other Ingredients 94.60%

Item Weight

2 ounces

Item Form

Liquid

Best Solid and Gel Ant Baits

Not every ant wants sugar. UC IPM notes that Pharaoh ants and thief ants prefer protein or greasy baits, and that preferences change through the year, so a second bait type is worth having when ants ignore the sweet one.

Raid Ant Baits: Best for Ants That Ignore Sweet Baits

Raid Ant Baits III are child-resistant solid bait stations with avermectin B1 at 0.01%, 8 to a pack. UC IPM lists them among protein-based bait stations.

• The maker says ants carry the bait back and share it with the queen, and that the stations work for up to 3 months.
• The label calls for use indoors in corners, along walls and near entry points.
• Buyers find them easy to place; effectiveness is mixed, from infestations ending to ants ignoring them.
• Value feedback is mostly negative.

Choose it when ants walk past sweet liquid baits, or alongside them to offer a choice.

BUDGET PICK

Raid Ant Baits III 8 Count

Child-resistantStationsAvermectin

Best for: Ants that ignore sweet baits

• ✓Protein-based bait, per UC IPM's table
• ✓Child-resistant stations
• ✓Easy to place, per buyers
• −Mixed effectiveness feedback
• −Poor value feedback

Editor's Note

It offers a protein option when sweet baits fail. Use it alongside a liquid bait to give ants a choice.

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Specifications (3)

Active Ingredients

Active Ingredient: Avermectin B1: 0.01 % Other Ingredients:: 99.99%

Item Form

SOLID

Unit Count

8 Count

Advion Ant Gel Station: Best Gel Bait Station

Advion Ant Gel Stations from Syngenta hold a ready-to-use gel bait with indoxacarb, 3 to a pack. You remove a tab and squeeze the gel capsule, which stays inside the station.

• The maker lists acrobat, Argentine, big-headed, cornfield, ghost and other ant species, indoors and out.
• The maker says the active ingredient is shared among nestmates to reach the queen and larvae.
• Buyer results are mixed, from infestations cleared to no effect, and some found the gel dried up.
• Value feedback is mostly negative.

Pick it as a second active ingredient when borax baits have not worked. Tubes of the same gel are also sold for applying into cracks.

Advion Ant Gel Station 3 Count

Gel stationsIndoxacarb

Best for: A different active ingredient when borax fails

• ✓Indoxacarb, a different active ingredient
• ✓Gel stays inside the station
• ✓Labeled for many ant species
• −Mixed results; some gel dried up
• −Poor value feedback

Editor's Note

It is the switch to try when borax baits stop working. Place stations on the trail near entry points.

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Specifications (2)

Item Form

Gel

Unit Count

3 Count

Best Ant Killer Sprays

Sprays kill ants on contact and some leave a residue that keeps killing, but none reaches the colony. UC IPM notes that vacuuming or wiping trails with soapy water may work as well as a spray for clearing foraging ants. Use a spray for a trail you need gone now, away from any baits. Our guide to ant killer sprays for indoors compares more options.

STEM Botanical Insecticide: Best Plant-Based Spray

STEM is a 12-ounce trigger spray from SC Johnson with a plant-based active ingredient, labeled to kill ants, roaches and flies indoors and outdoors. The maker says it is safe around people and pets when used as directed.

• Buyers say it kills on contact, within seconds.
• Buyers report a sticky, greasy residue on surfaces.
• Sprayer feedback is mostly negative, with pumps failing.
• Like other plant-oil sprays, it has little lasting effect once dry.

Choose it for a quick, low-odor cleanup of a trail where you prefer a botanical product, then wipe the surface.

STEM Botanical Insecticide Spray 12 oz

Plant-basedTrigger spray

Best for: Quick plant-based contact kills

• ✓Kills on contact, per buyers
• ✓Plant-based active ingredient
• ✓Indoor and outdoor use
• −Greasy residue, per buyers
• −Sprayer failures, per buyers

Editor's Note

It clears a visible trail with a botanical product. It does not reach the colony, so follow up with bait.

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Specifications (4)

Item Volume

12 fluid ounces

Item Form

Trigger

Scent Name

Fresh Botanical

Target Species

Insects

Raid Ant and Roach Killer: Best Residual Spray

Raid Ant and Roach Killer is a 17.5-ounce aerosol that kills on contact and, per the maker, keeps killing with residual action for up to 13 weeks against roaches and carpenter ants on treated surfaces.

• The maker lists many insects, including ants, roaches, spiders, silverfish and earwigs.
• Buyers find it fast-acting and like the scent; value feedback is mostly positive.
• Spray performance feedback is mostly negative for some cans.
• Check the label for the active ingredients and where it may be used indoors.

Pick it for treating cracks where ants enter, away from food surfaces, pets and bait stations. Do not spray near baits you want ants to carry home.

Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray 17.5 oz

AerosolContact kill

Best for: Residual treatment of entry cracks

• ✓Kills on contact, per buyers
• ✓Residual action, per the maker
• ✓Good value, per buyers
• −Spray performance problems on some cans
• −Does not reach the colony

Editor's Note

It treats cracks where ants enter. Keep it away from food surfaces and from any baits.

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Specifications (2)

Item Form

Aerosol

Liquid Volume

17.5

Where to Place Ant Baits

A good bait in the wrong place sits untouched. Ants follow fixed trails between the nest and food, so the bait has to sit on that route, close to where they come in.

• On the trail: right beside the line of ants, not a foot away where scouts might miss it.
• Near the entry: at the crack, window frame or pipe where the trail enters the room.
• Along edges: baseboards, the back of counters, under sinks and behind appliances, where ants travel.
• Outside when you can: near nest openings and along the foundation, so ants are drawn away from the house rather than into it.
• Away from cleaners and sprays: do not wipe or spray within a foot or so of a bait while ants are feeding.

Check baits every few days. Replace empty or dried stations, and if ants have not touched a bait in two or three days, move it closer to the trail or try a different bait type.

How to Choose the Right Ant Killer

• Sugar ants on counters: TERRO liquid stations on the trail, with entry points sealed.
• Big trails that empty stations: TERRO liquid bottles on tiles, out of pets' reach.
• Ants ignore sweet bait: add Raid Ant Baits for a protein option.
• Borax baits not working: switch to Advion's indoxacarb gel.
• A trail you need gone today: STEM or soapy water, then bait.
• Outdoor nests and mounds: use outdoor baits; UC IPM advises baiting mainly outdoors, every 10 to 20 feet around the foundation.

Common Questions About Ant Killers

Which One Should You Buy?

For most homes, buy TERRO Liquid Ant Killer Bait Stations, set them on the trail near the entry point and seal the gap once activity drops. Buyers find them effective, and as a bait they reach the colony instead of just the ants you see.

Add TERRO bottles for heavy trails, Raid Ant Baits for ants that skip sweet bait, Advion gel when borax stops working, and keep STEM or Raid spray for contact kills away from baits. For outdoor nests and mounds, the indoor ant killers section points to outdoor options.

Today, follow the trail to where ants come in and set your first bait station beside it.