Winter Ants

[Swimmer]

They are not looking for anything but water. Buy the ant cups so the ants can eat the bait and bring it back to the queen and kill the queen, well thats not happening. Why because they don't go into the little plastic house to eat the bait. All the ants want is to hang out in the sink (pool) and drink H2O. My only happiness is to see how many I can wash down the drain. But in all the infinite wisdom on this site there has to be an ant expert. What do I put out that they will eat and then DIE? Any and all ideas will be entertained.

[Raven]

they are usually coming in via a crack between molding and the wall
thats where i take my bottle of (safe to humans and pets) boric acid
powder and squeeze some into that crack... or on their scent trail.

all ants follow the scent trail of previous ants unless they themselves are
the initial scout ant blazing new territory.
so look for that ant trail and use plenty of powder ....real cheap at home depot.

[LT. DAN 2]

Raven,
I'm in total agreement with your solution. My son had a huge ant problem surrounding and inside his home. I placed the boric acid (Mixed with Sugar) around the four corners and around a couple of nests in the ground and in 3 weeks there wasn't an ant to be found.

[spence]

Have you tried talking to them?

-spence

[stripersnipr]

Originally Posted by spence

Have you tried talking to them?

-spence

[UserRemoved1]

like you do to your vacuum jeff?

Originally Posted by spence

Have you tried talking to them?

-spence

[spence]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

like you do to your vacuum jeff?

Actually, I am cleaning the basement right not. Nothing like a little flood to prompt some extra attention.

But, if it does come to genocide...I've always had luck with the Terro brand products, and only that brand.

-spence

[Jenn]

I have used the Terro with great success. I believe Terro has boric acid in it, no?

[thortum]

Boraxo & sugar [50-50] blows up their stomachs. I had good luck in the yard with this. Is Boraxo the same as boric acid?

[Raven]

boric acid is made from borax so they are related...

the thing is... all insects wear their skeletons on the outside.
called the exo-skeleten ...and once you perforate it with
something they dehydrate.

if you look at this enlarged photo you'll see tiny fibers on the legs of
ants.... thats where borac acid powder clings to the ants leg and it
burns a hole in the leg and they die.

[Swimmer]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I have used boric acid in the past as a precaution on the inside of my foundation on top of the sill. Also I spray the outside every year, sometimes twice, with a bonide ant spray product. My bulkhead though is in need of replacement and thats where I am sure they came in, probably when it started getting cold. I have some Terro products laying around, liquid included. I know your supposed to let them eat it and go back to the queen but I get "antsy" and wash them down the sink or flush them. I'll get some more boric acid later and spread it inside the bulkhead. Thanks again