The 12 Best Ant Traps for Tiny Ants and How to Use Them

Tiny ants might be well, tiny, but they’re intelligent. Their population is divided into castes, and they communicate using pheromones. They race back and forth, continually carrying something on them, building anthills, and unfortunately, causing disruption in and around your home.

The best ant traps for tiny ants contain baited liquid or food material that worker ants bring back to their colony. TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Killer (indoor) and TERRO 1806 Outdoor Liquid ANT bait (outdoor) are two of the best on the market.

So, when these sugar eating tiny ants, such as the little black ant, Argentine ant, Pharoah ant, and odorous house ant, invade your house, you may struggle to get them out. Dive in, and we’ll show you some of the best ant traps for tiny ants on the market!

TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Killer

Tiny ants may be tiny, but they can be a BIG nuisance. Most of the tiny ant group of species, such as the four mentioned above, are all considered to be big sugar eaters.

Who would’ve thought?

Here’s where TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Killer comes in. Terro’s liquid formula is one of the highest-rated any traps on the market and with good reason.

Their pre-filled and ready to use liquid bait stations contain borax, which disrupts an ants digestive system. As ants search for the sugary liquid inside of the TERRO trap, they bring back the sweet liquid to their colony and share it with their other tiny ants.

The borax, then works to do it’s magic.

While the product itself gives more specificities, here’s how to generally use TERRO T300B.

1. Place the baits in areas where they frequent most. The new and improved snap-off tab makes the stations easy to use. 
   
2. Hold the station vertically and twist the tab to open the bait easily. This will allow ants to access the bait.
   
3. Ensure you place the bait on a flat surface to keep the liquid inside the station.
   
4. Lastly, keep the stations closed to prevent the liquid from drying for a continuous supply of solution to the ants.

And just to reiterate the process, the worker ant will consume the bait and leave a trail of pheromone leading back to the colony. More ants will follow this trail to discover the new food supply spot.

Then, the TERRO T300 borax will interfere with the digestive system, eventually eliminating the tiny ants.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure you place TERRO T300B in an out of reach area.

Luckily, the T300B version is inclosed in a plastic container where the ants actually go INSIDE the container to get the liquid, making the borax formula a bit more difficult to reach.

If you have a serious tiny ant problem or ant infestation, take a look at our nationwide network of pest control professionals where we’ll connect you with an exterminator in your local area in seconds.

TERRO 2 oz Liquid Ant Killer T200

Showing some love for TERRO again in the fight against tiny ants, the primary difference between the T200 version and the T300B version mentioned previously is that the T200 version instructs you to place the sugary/borax liquid on an open piece of cardboard.

The drawback is that you’re obviously leaving the liquid a bit more exposed, vs the T300B version which is enclosed in plastic. On the plus side, it’ll more than likely provide the ants easier access to the TERRO liquid formula.

TERRO claims that the whole process can take up to 14 days. Simply apply the liquid directly from the bottle into the included cardboard squares. Place the bait on the indoor areas where ants are passing and THEN, place it in any areas where you’re noticing that the ants are gathering.

You can also apply it on the edges of tubs, sinks, windowsills, along the floor, in corners, and under food cabinets. Basically wherever you have frequent ants visiting or even outside in your shed, garage, etc.

Again, with this version having the liquid more exposed, make sure you read TERRO’s guidelines thoroughly. You may be better off going for the enclosed plastic trap to get rid of your tiny ants.

Ortho Home Defense Liquid Ant Bait

Ortho Home Defense Liquid Ant Bait is formulated to get rid of ants inside your home.

It does eliminate not only the colony but also the queen, which is crucial to make sure that the tiny ant colony gets taken care of completely.

Ortho Home Defense Liquid Ant Bait works by luring thirsty ants in, and then sharing the liquid with the colony in a similar way to TERRO’s traps mentioned above.

The primary difference is that while TERRO uses borax as an active ingredient, Ortho uses Spinosad, a common ingredient used to control a wide variety of pests on crops and ornamental plants, according to the National Pesticide Information Center.

Out of the 4 main species of tiny ants mentioned above (the little black ant, Argentine ant, Pharoah ant, and odorous house ant) Ortho claims that their liquid ant bait won’t work on Pharoah ants.

Pharaoh ants are quite easy to recognize, as they have small bodies roughly a few centimeters in size and have a pale, yellow appearance.

So of course, if you’re seeing these yellow tiny ants, don’t try and use Ortho against them.

One last note on Ortho’s Home Defense Liquid Ant Bait is that the delayed knock-off mechanism ensures ants dutifully share the liquid bait to the target colony, larvae, and queen, liquidating the entire squad with again, primary focus towards the queen.

Amdro Kills Ants & Spiders Granules Shaker Bag

Next up to the plate, Amdro Kills Ants & Spiders Granules Shaker Bag.

These granules are to be used OUTDOORS to get rid of ants and other critters before they get out of hand. The granules are formulated to eliminate tiny ants and work well against spiders as well. A definite “win-win” if you’re facing problems on more than just ants.

The bait is waterproof, so for outdoor use, you won’t be required to reapply after rain.

Essentially, you’ll want to apply Amdro to the outside perimiter of your home where ants and other critters have the opportunity to get into your home.

Ultimately, keep these granules out of the way of your pets, but good news is that Amdro claims this product provides protection for up to two months.

If you’ve found an overwhelming ant infestation inside or outside your home, contact our nationwide network of pest control professionals and get connected to an exterminator near you in seconds.

TERRO 1806 Outdoor Liquid ANT baits

Another TERRO product, this time primarily formulated for OUTDOOR use.

Like many of the TERRO brand products, TERRO 1806 is one of the more highly regarded outdoor solutions on the market. Essentially, the goal of this ant bait is to get rid of ants before they even enter your home.

TERRO’s liquid solution aims to attract and eliminate ants in large numbers. That means before sweet eating, tiny ants enter your home.

The TERRO 1806 version uses the same, sweet liquid borax version as the other TERRO products mentioned above.

So essentially, once the worker ants take the borax bait back to their colony, you’ll be getting rid of the tiny ant problem before they can even think about getting inside your home.

This product is also ideal if you’re trying to get rid of ants in your out building or shed, etc.

The pre-filled, ready-to-use bait stations are convenient and effective to install around your house or yard. Stakes are included to secure stations on different grounds such as gravel or grass.

This liquid bait is formulated to work with all common household ants such as little black ants (tiny ant), acrobat ants, Argentine ants, white-footed ants, odorous house ants (tiny ant), among many others.

Amdro Ant Block Granule

When keeping ants outside of the home, granules tend to work well. Amdro Ant Block Granule works to eliminate 25 species of ants, including the pesky tiny ants such as the Pharoah ant and odorous house ant. 

Like the other baits on this list, the granules work by tasting like food to the ants. You know the drill by this point. The worker ants bring the bait back to the colony and therefor the queen and boom, the colony is no more.

The active ingredient in Amdro Ant Block is Hydramethylnon, an insecticide primarily used to control ants, cockroaches, termites, and crickets according to the EPA.

To use Ant Block, you’ll want to sprinkle it around the perimiter of your home where ants could have a possibility of entering.

This means you should look out for any cracks or crevices in the siding of your home. According to Amdro, once 24 ounce bottle covers up to 1,080 linear feet. Talk about coverage.

Due to active ingredients in this ant trap, the product is not recommended for vegetable gardens. Additionally, avoid applying the granules while pets are in the treatment area. 

Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Ant Bait

Next up, Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Ant Bait.

As opposed to other baits on this list, Hot Shot claims that you may see results within 24 hours, thanks to the advanced liquid bait technology.

One of the pros of Hot Shot Ultra Liquid Ant Bait is that it comes in covered plastic packaging, so it makes it a little more resistance to accidental spillage or mishandling.

To use Hot Shot INDOORS, place the liquid ant bait in an out of the way area where ants visit frequently, pull a tab on the side of the bait station to break the seal on the vial containing the liquid.  

Indoors, for instance, you may place the liquid ant bait under sinks, in closets, on countertops, and refrigerators.

For outdoor placement, place the station on the trail around the house but ensure that the product is out of the way and placed in a secure spot.

Outdoors, you may want to place this liquid ant bait enclosed in your shed or garage where its inaccessible to anyone besides you or the ants.

HARRIS Borax Liquid Ant Killer

Since 1992, HARRIS has been on record for manufacturing high-quality products with professional services. The HARRIS Borax Liquid Ant Killer is one of the more prominent INDOOR and OUTDOOR solutions on the market.

HARRIS claims that their borax solution eliminates all common household ants, including crazy ants, ghost ants, acrobat ants, little black ants (tiny ants), big-headed ants, and white-footed ants. See you later, tiny ants!

This ant trap is packed with nine bait stations. It’s intended for sweet-eating ants or sugar ants. You’ll want to spread the bait trays over a large area for optimal effectiveness but in a secure, out of the way area.

Like the other baits on this list, worker ants will seek out the sweet liquid and bring it back to the colony to enjoy. They will then take the bait to the queen, and the entire army will take the bait.

Borax solutions tend to take effect slowly but have proven to work quite well.

The HARRIS Borax Liquid Ant Killer is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for indoor use. Also, it’s available at a competitive price.

One con about HARRIS’ borax solution is that in it’s similarity to TERRO’s cardboard solution, the borax based liquid is meant to be left open on a piece of cardboard for the ants to come gather the liquid.

If you truly are looking for a more secure solution, it may be best to opt for one of the plastic enclosed traps mentioned above.

If you’d like to find an exterminator in your area, check out our nationwide partner service that will connect you to a pest control professional in your local area!

Combat Indoor and Outdoor Ant Gel

With some solutions, getting rid of tiny ants and really any species of ants can take weeks, which is why Combat Indoor and Outdoor Ant Gel is designed to work in 3 to 5 days.

Combat Indoor and Outdoor Ant Gel come in a gel-like solution with a syringe attachment. As opposed to the other open gel solutions on this list that get placed on cardboard, combat suggests that you place the gel in cracks and crevices where you see ants gathering.

With this gel, tiny creatures will eat the bait and get back to the nest. The High water content of this gel encourages faster feeding, which allows the process to start within an hour. It claims to provide faster results for about 3-5 days.

Of course, this is a less securre solution than a plastic secured bait, so you’ll want to keep this gel as out of reach as possible.

TERRO T334 Adhesive Liquid Ant Bait

One of the more unique solutions on the market, TERRO T334 Adhesive Liquid Ant Bait multi-surface application enables you to lay the stations flat or adhere them to surfaces.

So, if you have ants that seem to like to crawl up the legs of tables and couches, this could be a viable solution.

TERRO T334 comes with adhesive strips to place pre-filled, ready-to-use bait stations on walls, under the sinks, countertops, and even under cabinets.

Better yet, the adhesive strips allow you to place the product in much more discrete locations, keeping the ant bait out of reach from unintended users and perfectly in reach of tiny ants.

The multi-surface design provides flexibility with the placement options, including kick plates and countertops.

More so, the baits are sealed until the time you’re ready to use them.

To use TERRO T334, first identify high traffic areas where ants are gathering in your home. Once you’ve done that, twist off the tab to bring out the gel solution and stick to the desired spot.

The product features two distinct colors designed to blend with your home décor seamlessly. So, if you’re trying to repel ants fashionable, your guests won’t be able to notice it’s there.

Home Plus Metal Ant Traps Indoor & Outdoor

Home Plus’ Metal Ant Traps, designed for indoor and outdoor use, claim to start working within 24 hours of application.

The solution is formulated to work against tiny ants such as the little black ant, odorous house ant, and Pharoah ant.

The liquid bait inside the trap is enclosed in a plastic shell, but you’ll still want to keep the product in an out of reach area.

To use Home Plus Metal Metal Ant Traps, first determine where you’re getting high traffic ants to an area, whether it be outside OR inside. Next, open the seperate holes on each side of the plastic bait container, place in the desired area, and wait for ants to enter.

When picking any ant bait or trap, make sure to look into the claimed time of effectiveness. For Home Plus, give it 24-48 hours and check back for results. Hopefully, over the next few days, you should see less tiny ant traffic around your home

TERRO T901SR 3lb Ant Killer Plus

If you classify fire ants as a tiny ant, this one is for you.

TERRO T901SR is an outdoor application to be used around the perimeter of your home AND also works against cockroaches and fleas (and fire ants along with others.) You can also use the convenient shaker bag directly on anthills our mounds… neat!

This treatment should be applied as a perimeter treatment at a rate of 2-3 lb for every 1000 sq. ft. So essentially, you may want to look into the 2 pack offering of this to make sure you’re well covered as each pack is 3lbs.

The application of TERRO will differ on ant mounds. The more the mounds, the more the application, of course. Better yet, this is one of TERRO’s more fast-acting solutions, as it claims to start working within 24 hours of application.

To use TERRO T901SR:

1. Open up the seal at the top end and flip the product upside down to grab the handle.
   
2. Shake the product through the mesh opening around the perimeter of your home or on an ant hill.
   
3. Apply in a 3 to 10 foot area, for each area around your perimiter that you’re covering.
   
4. LIGHTLY water the granules immediately after application. 
   
5. Reseal the bag after use!

To control ant hills and tiny ants, apply about two spoonfuls over and around ant hills and lightly water the mixture afterward.

For best results, apply it during cool weather, late evening or early morning hours, and make sure to remove any debris in the area before applying,

Also, when applying water to the granule mixture after applying, use something like a watering can instead of a high-pressure hose that might disturb ants and spread the granules out.

Common Types of Tiny Ants

While there are approximately 1000 ant species in the United States alone, there are several main types of “tiny ants” that can cause disruption in and around your home.

Little Black Ant (Monomorium minimum)

These little ants are one of the most common types of tiny ants around and one of the most likely you’ll find in and around your home.

Little black ants are, well, black in appearance and are roughly 2mm long in total length. To tell them apart from other ants, you’ll have to notice their coat, which is often referred to as being dark but shiny.

Odorous House Ant (Tapinoma sessile)

Would you be surprised if I told you that odorous house ants ACTUALLY do infact, put off a smell?

Similar to stink bugs, this species of tiny ants omits an odorous smell when they’re squished. So, you’re better off using one of the baits above to get rid of these ants without having to ruin the bottom of your shoes.

Odorous house ants are 1.5 – 3.2mm in length and have a light brown appearance. You should be able to determine that you’re working with an odorous house ant by recognizing their brown exterior, as one of the next closest tiny ants in appearance is the Pharoah ant.

Pharaoh ants however, are primarily yellow in appearance.

Pharaoh Ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

The Pharaoh ant is one of the more distinguishable tiny ants of the list based solely on its appearance. The body of a Pharaoh ant is yellow in its entirety, except for a dark brown covering on the very back end of its body.

Commonly, the ants are found in areas where there is increased and exposed food available, and to make matters worse from a pest control aspect, Pharaoh ants have a wide variety of foods that appeal to them.

Ghost Ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum)

Ok, so these tiny ants. We’ll you won’t be able to see them 😉

JUST kidding. Really had to use that pun there, though. These ghastly looking creatures are about 1.5 mm in length.

They present with a translucent / yellowish back end, with a very dark brown head and torso.

Ghost ants are typically found in wet and humid climates.

Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile)

Coming in at around 2.2-2.8 mm in length and a darkish brown color, the Argentine ant’s are one of the more troubling tiny ants to deal with if they take shelter in your home.

According to Orkin, the biggest difference with Argentine ants vs other tiny ants is that these fellas have the ability to support multiple queens per colony.

What does that mean?

Well, it means that you’re likely to see an exorbitant amount of ants compared to a regular colony. Possibly, more than 6 figures worth of ants.

If you’ve identified that you have Argentine ants, it’s most definitely recommended to contact a pest control professional to handle the issue, as it can spiral out of control fairly quickly.

How to Keep Tiny Ants Out of Your House

The best type of bait is one you don’t have to use.

By practicing some good housekeeping tips, you can keep tiny ants out of your home and not have to use any of the above mentioned baits.

Keep Your House Clean

This first one is quite obvious but not always put into action. Many indoor ants hide in darker, damp areas. If your house is messy, then you’re giving them more areas to hide and scavange.

Additionally, if your house is a mess, you more than likely meet a few of the other criteria below.

Seal Your Front Door

Make sure that the gap between your front door and the ground is closed. Basically, no ant-sized holes where ants can sneak in

Clean Up Spilled Liquids

This is a big one. Most ants, especially tiny ants such as the little black ant, LOVE sugar. For instance, the Terro solutions containing borax are based on a sugary solution that contains the borax bait since it’s been shown how much ants search for sugar.

If you have sugary drinks, such as sports drinks, energy drinks, and juice that you spill on your floor, make sure you clean up the spill as soon as it happens to avoid the liquid hardening and sticking.

Once it hardens, tiny ants are still able to extract some of the sugar from the spot.

Don’t Leave Food in The Trash

This is a tough one, because we’re all guilty of it. Don’t leave food in the trash and rather, place it in a composting bin if you have one.

The smell of the trashed food has big potential to attract ants to your home and to your garbage.

Clean Under Your Refrigerator

We’ve all been there. The underside of your fridge can be oh so uncleanly. This isn’t something you need to do weekly, or even every other week (unless you want to.)

But, at least once a month, you should be pulling out your fridge and cleaning the underside of it.

Perhaps, you may only have to pull your refrigerator out once, do a deep clean, and then use a long handled duster to reach the underside of it for the next few cleaning times.

Keep Your Shed Neat

One area you may be having tiny ant issues in is your shed. The best thing you can do is to keep your tools organized and keep as many items hanging on shelves, off the ground, as possible.

Mainly, you want to keep the edges and corners of your shed as free as possible, as it always seems that this is where ants tend to congregate as cause trouble.

Without giving them the cover once they start colonizing in that area, you’ll be able to spot them quickly and stop the infestation when the colony is at a much smaller size.

You can also use some of the granules mentioned above as a preventative measure if you so choose.

That’s a Wrap!

You’ve got your bait and hopefully, won’t have ants soon. Thanks for reading and best of luck keeping your home ant free!

References

Appel, A. G., Gehret, M. J., & Tanley, M. J. (2004). Repellency and toxicity of mint oil granules to red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of economic entomology, 97(2), 575-580.

Cisneros, J., Goulson, D., Derwent, L. C., Penagos, D. I., Hernández, O., & Williams, T. (2002). Toxic effects of spinosad on predatory insects. Biological Control, 23(2), 156-163.

Garred, P., Brygge, K., Sorensen, C. H., Madsen, H. O., Thiel, S., & Svejgaard, A. (1993). Mannan‐binding protein—levels in plasma and upper‐airways secretions and frequency of genotypes in children with recurrence of otitis media. Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 94(1), 99-104.

Penick, C. A., & Smith, A. A. (2015). The true odor of the odorous house ant. American Entomologist, 61(2), 85-87.

Klotz, J. H., Greenberg, L., Amrhein, C., & Rust, M. K. (2000). Toxicity and repellency of borate-sucrose water baits to Argentine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 93(4), 1256-1258.

Ohyama, L., King, J. R., & Jenkins, D. G. (2020). Are tiny subterranean ants top predators affecting aboveground ant communities?. Ecology, e03084.

Klunker, R., Scheurer, S., & Neumann, T. (1990). Control of the Pharaoh’s ant with borax bait formulations. Zeitschrift fur die gesamte Hygiene und ihre Grenzgebiete, 36(12), 664.

Vobrázková, E., Vanková, J., & Samsinak, K. (1976). Application of Bathurin and borax in the biological control of Monomorium pharaonis in housing estates. Angewandte Parasitologie, 17(2), 94-99.

Williams, T., Valle, J., & Viñuela, E. (2003). Is the naturally derived insecticide Spinosad® compatible with insect natural enemies?. Biocontrol science and technology, 13(5), 459-475.