***I received the below product in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation, nor any sponsor editorial control was given. All opinions are genuine and mine alone.
Momma Told Me: It has to be the right ant.
It's kind of ironic, or perhaps right on point, that the brand name for today's product should be COMBAT. Anyone who has ever had pesky pests invade their home or personal space knows it can certainly feel like a tactical plan is called for. I recall once, in college, I was renting a room in a very expensive multi-million dollar estate (how I got there is a story for another day). In any case, this beautiful home, with all of the amenities, was far from immune to the constant brigade of outside pests. One of my 'roommates' downstairs could often be seen carefully outlining his furniture and appliances with a 1" trail of cinnamon intended to keep ants at bay. Naturally, it seemed whenever the pest problem was under control outside, these insects were merely driven indoors, towards the people and food. As someone who's had pets as far back as she can remember, I usually lean towards natural aversions like the cinnamon trick, or spraying vinegar. But let's face it, you can't always stop an attack with flowers in guns; sometimes it takes the heavy artillery.Momma Told Me: It has to be the right ant.
I've been lucky, knock on wood, that we have to this point experienced minor surges of pests indoors. When we first moved in ants seemed to trail in from the fireplace towards the pet treats and food. Later on they began coming out of, well, I don't know where, in the most peculiar spots in the bathroom. It seemed like the kitchen would be the last place they'd discover and I was quick to discourage that. Naturally, living in a condo, we tend to push the pests out towards other sources (the neighbors), and they soon return once those tenants have caught on. It seems to be an endless cycle. Clearly the key to pest prevention is total annihilation (of the nest, that is). Unfortunately, there are many things to avoid when introducing chemical based pesticides into the home. I require a product that is ultimately effective, but also mess free for application, and easy to keep out of the range of pets and prying little fingers.
Recently COMBAT released a new concept of pest control to their award winning line up; Ant Killing Bait Strips. Utilizing the brand's signature gel bait, these rigid peel off sticks attach to virtually any surface, eliminating the traditional 'direct to surface' application of the pesticide. Sold with 5 strips per package, and also available in roach formula, this semi-translucent bait attracts the trails of unwanted pests, directing them to bring the bait back to the nest/queen as food. That is to say that one should not expect to find a trail of fallen ants along counters and foot-boards; Combat aims to poison the production of new pests through slow released transit.
As a Purex Insider I received a package of NEW Combat Ant Bait Strips to test out in our own home. Unfortunately (depending how you look at it), I haven't seen the little buggers surface in a month or so, so efficacy is hard to determine. I do, however, have some input and thoughts regarding the design and use of this new product. The 'strips' some in an easy to snap apart brick, with a small peel tab designed to reveal the adhesive on it's back. Directions suggest peeling the adhesive tab, then the activate strip (which is essentially just a cover for the pesticide). It would be my advice not to affix the stick then peel, and to handle the strips in a contained area such as a sink. When I first peeled back the 'activate strip' to reveal the gel pesticide some droplets sprung up at me and went flying all over my counters. I had a brief moment of panic as I tried to sanitize the area and locate any stray poison. Needless to say, future applications where much more contained and monitored.
Unfortunately, because I did notice the gel 'springing' from the strip chamber, I was a bit hesitant about placing it upside down, or even diagonal, anywhere where food or pets may come across it. I'm not sure if changes in temperature might cause it to drip, but I wasn't about to find out. I settled on placing a strip under each of our household sinks, behind cabinet doors, and between the stove and the cabinets. In all, I like the concept much more than traditional gel tubes, which can be messy and certainly hard to contain. I think the adhesive strip makes fighting pests out of the reach of kids and pets much more practical and look forward to a continued pest-free home for several months to come. Like most new Purex Insiders product launches, this one comes with a $1000 cash sweepstakes and free product giveaway, so be sure to head on over and enter now. Want to give it a try in your home? Print this money saving coupon.
What Daughter Says: Don't just take out ants; take out the colony with COMBAT ant bait strips.
One Momma Told Me reader will win a COMBAT Ant Bait Strips prize from Purex Insiders!
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Very cool for the ants and the summer months!
ReplyDeleteWe get frequent visits by sweet eating ants - eeeek
ReplyDeleteIf I won, I would totally use that money to save up for our move at the end of the year. Every little bit helps!
ReplyDeleteI hate ants. Seriously hate them. They are nasty. Glad there are things to keep them at bay.
ugh i hate ants! we had them a year ago and we very well could have them again w/ the summer months approaching!!
ReplyDeleteIf we get ants this year, I am totally getting these.
ReplyDeleteI would pay it towards our house!!!
ReplyDeletei would use to get a new computer i hate ants there is always so many
ReplyDeleteI think I would use the $1k to redo the floor in my kitchen!
ReplyDeletei would use it for a new dishwasher and microwave. thankyou, ken pohl19@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteI need both -- the ants are driving me crazy and I could really use the money to pay off some bills!
ReplyDeleteI would use it to get a new floor in my den
ReplyDeletego for a short vacation
ReplyDeletelmurley2000@yahoo.com