Heavy red ant infestation in apartment (everywhere: beds, kitchen, walls) – need advice

Hi everyone,

I’m dealing with a very heavy red ant infestation in my apartment and it’s getting out of control.

Ants are literally everywhere—on beds, wardrobes, kitchen counters, walls, and around appliances like the water purifier and washing machine etc

There are long trails with 50+ ants at a time, and they are active throughout the day, not just at night. They don’t seem to be attracted only to sugar; they also go for peanut butter and protein/fat-type food. I tried a homemade bait using borax + peanut butter, but it didn’t solve the problem.

I suspect there may be multiple nests either inside wall voids or somewhere in/around the building.

So far I have tried basic cleaning and DIY baiting, but the infestation is still spreading across rooms.

I need advice on:
What is the most effective way to eliminate such a heavy infestation?
Are gel baits (like fipronil or imidacloprid-based ones) the best option in this case?
Should I treat first and then seal cracks, or do both together?
Any product recommendations available in India would be really helpful.
I’m trying to avoid just spraying random insecticides because I read that it can make the problem worse long-term.

Any help from people who have dealt with similar infestations would be really appreciated.