Even if the queen is not killed, baits will usually stop an ant invasion. If a colony has been starved by effective sanitation measures, baits will be more readily accepted. Always place baits out of sight and reach of children, or, if this is not possible, use baits at night or on weekends and remove when children are in school. Some ants are very susceptible to baits, some are less so. There are many reasons for these differences, only some of which we understand.
Some baits contain a sweet attractant and others use a protein or oily attractant.
Therefore, the attractant in the bait must be preferred by the type of ant identified. If you cannot determine the type of attractant by looking at the label, call the manufacturer for more information. You should also ask if the company has data to support the efficacy of their product against the ant species you are dealing with. After setting out bait, observe to see if the target ant is taking the bait. Ant colonies have changing nutritional requirements that can pose problems in baiting.