Tango gel bait is a publicly available formulation of water, vegetable oil peanut butter, Xanthan gum, and the active ingredient Tango. This mixture is applied monthly to greenery as a bait, attracting workers that then transport this mixture back to their queen. Instead of acting as a poison, Tango functions as an insect growth regulator (IGR), which means that it prevents reproduction in insects.

IGRs prevent the queen from laying more eggs, and larvae from maturing into new workers. Given the short natural lifespan of worker ants, it only takes a few months to see results from natural worker die off without replacements. This formulation is specially designed to attract little fire ants and does not affect the reproductive health of vertebrate animals, so it is safe for you and your yard, even being safe to apply to fruit trees.