Aug 12, 2012 – Attractants – Not Just For Mice
QUESTION:
I am using Provoke Professional Mouse Attractant by Bell Labs, that goes on top of rodenticides, in this case Ditrac Blox. The mouse attractant is drawing pharoah ants in a trail approximately 15' long, 1" wide, with thousands of ants working from their home to the bait. I am getting rid of the mice but I am attracting ants. The bait is in closed bait stations and I use a pyrethrum to eliminate the ant problem. My question is why are the ants attracted to the bait? This product is being used inside a school, away from food, and it is in a area that is safe.
ANSWER:
I looked at the MSDS and Label for this attractant and they don't divulge what the ingredients are, other than to state that the material contains no "hazardous" ingredients. So, since it is formulated to be highly attractive to mice it probably contains a nice soup of food ingredients, possibly including sweet materials as well as protein substances that give off a delightful odor.........delightful to mice at least. The pharaoh ants are omnivores that also feed on a variety of sweet and protein foods, so it probably is reasonable that they would pick up the scent as well and find the attractant to be pretty darned tasty.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
I am using Provoke Professional Mouse Attractant by Bell Labs, that goes on top of rodenticides, in this case Ditrac Blox. The mouse attractant is drawing pharoah ants in a trail approximately 15' long, 1" wide, with thousands of ants working from their home to the bait. I am getting rid of the mice but I am attracting ants. The bait is in closed bait stations and I use a pyrethrum to eliminate the ant problem. My question is why are the ants attracted to the bait? This product is being used inside a school, away from food, and it is in a area that is safe.
ANSWER:
I looked at the MSDS and Label for this attractant and they don't divulge what the ingredients are, other than to state that the material contains no "hazardous" ingredients. So, since it is formulated to be highly attractive to mice it probably contains a nice soup of food ingredients, possibly including sweet materials as well as protein substances that give off a delightful odor.........delightful to mice at least. The pharaoh ants are omnivores that also feed on a variety of sweet and protein foods, so it probably is reasonable that they would pick up the scent as well and find the attractant to be pretty darned tasty.
I guess I would characterize this as suggesting that you are not necessarily "attracting" ants, but that these ants already were established in this structure and all you have done is brought them out into the open more with this food supply. Since this is in a school it now limits your options for eliminating the ants, but I suggest the use of some of the ant baits, placed directly in the trails that you now are seeing and within enclosed stations if possible. If the ants are disappearing into a void that you can place bait into that might also be helpful.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
