Ant bait works by combining an attractive food component with a slow-acting insecticide. Worker ants are drawn to the bait, consume it, and carry it back to their nest. There, they share the bait with other ants, including the queen. The slow-acting insecticide ensures the poison spreads throughout the colony before ants realize the danger, eventually killing the queen and collapsing the colony. This method targets the entire colony effectively, not just the foraging ants that come into contact with the bait. It typically takes several days up to a couple of weeks to fully eliminate a nest depending on its size and complexity.