As I've mentioned in previous articles, getting rid of ants is not as simple as laying out a bait because it depends on the type of ant that you're up against. Different kind of ants eat different things, which means different things will get them to take the bait back to their nests. The most common type of ant that you're going to face is known as the pavement ant. The pavement ant are those sometimes large black ants that usually make their way into your home between the cracks in your foundation. They can also be found making those sandy brown ant hills in your driveway or sidewalk. They're usually attracted to sweet and greasy foods, but they are also known to eat pet food if it's not stored properly in a secured container.
Pavement ants are not generally find in any specific geographic region. They can be found all across the US, from the Atlantic coastal region to the Midwest all the way to the West Coast. The colonies and their nests can actually grow quite large if left uninhibited. The easiest way to identify where their nests is coming from is to locate the trail of ants that's traveling between a food source and the anthill. On rare occasions you may be able to see the trail during the day, but your best bet for locating the trail of ants back to the colony is during the evening hours at night. You want to look for a signs of this ant not only in the cracks of your driveway but also around the foundation of your house as they tend to displace loose soil along the cracks if there are any in your foundation. Remember that the best way to get rid of ant hills is to get rid of ants, otherwise they'll just rebuild.
Your best bet for getting rid of pavement ants is to use a baiting technique. I would recommend Terro Liquid Ant Baits as it is designed to kill common household ants, of which the pavement ant is one. It's the most popular pest control item in Amazon, and for good reason. It simply works. You can check out the reviews here, and you'll see that they are overwhelmingly positive. They come pre-filled with a liquid bait in a no-leak container, and they're ready to use without any prep work. The technique to use for placement is to locate the trails of ants and follow them back to their anthill, and place the liquid bait traps near the opening of the hill so the forager ants to take the bait back into the nest. This will contaminate their food supply and eventually wipe out the entire colony of ants including the queen ant thereby leaving your home ant free.