Ants are considered by many to be among the most successful of all insects!
In Australia, there are well over 4000 known species of ants. While this is a significant amount, there is only a handful of these (mostly introduced species) that are considered pests.
Ants are often regarded as a nuisance trailing in and around buildings, labelled as scavengers or predators. Ants commonly scavenge in kitchens, food-handling areas and garbage bins. With being a possible source of disease their potential for transmitting diseases to humans should not be overlooked.
Ants can be repelled by certain insecticides but these solutions are often short-lived, as they are very resourceful in finding new routes to a food source. It is extremely important that the barrier treatment be a comprehensive one that attempts to isolate the nesting site from the food source. Baits are used mostly in situations where nest location and treatment is difficult or impossible. The baiting approach usually relies on the transference of bait back to the nest where individuals including the reproductive female(s) will eventually consume the poison and cause death. This may be a relatively slow procedure.