What is often necessary for effective ant control?

Effective ant control often involves targeting the queen and her young because the queen is the central figure in the colony's survival and reproduction. By eliminating the queen, you disrupt the colony's ability to reproduce and sustain itself, leading to a more permanent solution to ant infestations. This approach is crucial because it addresses the root of the ant population rather than just the visible workers that may be foraging or causing problems.

While bait traps can help manage ant populations by appealing to worker ants and delivering poison back to the nest, they are more effective when combined with strategies aimed at exterminating the queen. Additionally, removing all soil around the nest may not be practical or effective for all ant species and is generally not necessary. On the other hand, adding more food sources would likely exacerbate the problem by attracting more ants, rather than controlling the infestation.