The information you have described is the manufacturing date that the Advion Ant Bait Gel was made. When stored at room temperature the average shelf life of an insecticide bait is 3 years unopened and up to 1 year once opened for use.
There could be a couple of different reasons why the Advion Ant bait may not seem like its working for you. If they are going to it a little but you are still seeing activity of ants, it is likely because the product has not been down long enough for an entire colony to be eliminated. It can take at least a month if not longer for you to see an ant colony diminish or be gone from your home completely. If you aren't sure where the ants are coming from there could be multiple colonies or satellite colonies that are utilizing items in your home including the bait as a food source to sustain themselves which will take longer for the whole population of ants to be eliminated.
Another possibility is if you are only using a bait gel (which is a sugar based bait) and the ants are looking for a protein right now (which is normally a granular bait like Advance 375A) then they will pass by that gel all day long if that is not the nutrient they need. Now their nutritional needs for the colony to grow can change on a day to day or week to week basis. This is why we normally recommend putting down both a sugar and a protein bait at the same time to accomodate any needs the ants have and want. We go over this and other recommendations and tips in our Ant Control Guide.
If for any reason the ants dont go to a gel or a granular bait then you would need to get the type of ant you have ID'd. There are certain types of ants that do not readily accept baits because they make their own food. We recommend that you get the small ants identified to see if this may be your problem. You can contact an entomologist through your local cooperative extension office to get an insect identification. If you do have a species of ant that doesn't accept bait you can always use a product such as Termidor SC. Termidor SC is a non-repellent product that is picked up on the fine hairs of an ants body and then inadvertently spread through the ant colony by normal social interaction. Most people notice that the entire ant infestation is gone in 1-3 weeks. The only downside to Termidor SC is that it is an outdoor only product. If you need to treat indoors you can use Phantom. Phantom is a lot like the Termidor but it does take a little bit longer to see results and it can be used indoors.
Ants generally look for either a sugar or a protein food source. Advion Ant Bait Gel is a sugar. We always recommend using something like Advance 375A Select Granular Bait in conjunction with the sugar bait. This will take care of both of their food sources. Please check out our Ant Guide as well for tips on how to prevent and treat for ants.
Advion Ant Bait Gel is only labeled to be used for ants and would not be recommended for termites. We have many other products that would be more recommended for termites and they can be found here.
Although the active ingredients of the Advion Roach Bait Gel and the Advion Ant Bait Gel are the same, with a slight difference in percentage, the inert ingredients might be different to bait the pest in question specifically. If you haven't used it, you can return it and get the right product instead.
The Advion Roach Bait Gel and the Advion Ant Bait Gel both have the same active ingredient but the inert ingredients are different and are designed to attract either roaches or ants only. They would not be interchangeable for either pest.
Advion Ant Bait Gel can be used outside, but will not stand up very well to outdoor elements. You may want to consider applying Termidor SC around the outside of the foundation for ant control. See our Ant Pest Guide for more information about treating ants in and around your home.
Advion is not organic and would not want to be used in an organic setting. You would want to contact your Agricultural dept for further recommendations.
Indoor applications of Advion Ant Bait Gel can include cracks and crevices; along walls or floors, in and around furniture and cabinetry, behind or under appliances, around sinks, within or near garbage collection areas, attics and crawl spaces. Inspect applications periodically for consumption/activity and apply additional bait as needed. Do not apply to surfaces that food contacts or to areas that are routinely washed, such as food preparation surfaces. Do not apply Advion Ant Bait Gel to surfaces where the temperature exceeds 120-130 degrees F because this could cause the bait to liquefy and lose effectiveness. Placements of bait should be small pea sized placements 6-12 inches apart in previously listed areas. Please follow the product label for safety concerns. There is also a helpful baiting video on the product page if you scroll down into the text.
The date on your tubes of Advion Roach Bait Gel is not an expiration date as professional insecticides and their shelf life is entirely dependent on how you stored it. The REL is referring to the release date, or the time in which that batch was packaged so they know if any problems occur when it was made and how many tubes were distributed. The shelf life of unopened tubes when stored in temperature stable environments is normally 5 years. The active ingredient within the product is not what usually goes bad, its the food based ingredients that make up the majority of the product to attract the insects. Just like any food, over time it will start to become stale and less attractive to the insects to eat. While we cant say for certain that it will still be attractive after the 5 years, you are welcome to still put it down for the insects to go to as a food source and may continue to see control.
Please see our recommendations on how to treat for fire ants by clicking on the link below. You do have a few options depending on where the mound is located, size and preferred method:
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fire-ants-a-470.html
To remove old Advion Gel you can first try hot soapy water. If that does not work vegetable oil takes it right up.
The code on most insecticides of any sort including Advion Ant Bait Gel will be an indicator to the manufacturer of what batch the product came from and when it was produced or packaged. The shelf life and expiration is all dependent on how you store the product once you receive it. The product you received should have a shelf life up to 5 years from the date of manufacture.
We recommend that you contact your veterinarian. In most cases, an animal would have to eat very large quantities of ant bait gel for there to be any problem. The product label and the MSDS are always available on the Advion Ant Bait Gel page if you need to contact your veterinarian. In the future, be sure to apply to the gel in small dots directly into cracks and crevices, so that the ants will have easy access to the gel and your pet will not.
