"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
Several times a year I undergo an ant invasion in my kitchen,
principally. They always seem the same - very small black ants, at the
most 1/10 inch long. This time, it's different. They are much larger,
probably 2-3 times the mass of the usual ants and around 1/8 inch long,
black. I'm in Berkeley, CA. Last week it was a little cooler and these
ants were very slow, and they wandered all over my kitchen, all solitary
(no trails) and I'd kill every one I saw with a sponge. I always keep
things pretty clean, but they still come. They kept coming all week.

I used to use those little Antrol bottles with an opening years ago,
with considerable success, placing the "traps" outside. For whatever
reason, I've been unable to locate external nests or ant trails leading
into my present house. I believe they are nesting in my walls, which
have brick facade, with crumbling mortar and many large cracks.

About 2000 or 2001 I bought a small plastic viol of Victor Ant Control
orthoboric acid sugar-ant solution (5% orthoboric acid, 95% "inert
ingredients").

I had little success with the smaller ants using this, but these larger
ants that began their invasion about a week ago just love the stuff and
I've been giving them a steady and considerable diet of it for the last
36 hours. However, they don't seem to be letting up, much less dieing
off. They're coming in large numbers now and forming trails. How long
does it take (or does it work)? Is it possible the solution has gone bad
sitting on my shelf for 6-7 years?

I suppose I can buy some boric acid at the pharmacy(?) and mix it with
some pancake syrup or sugar solution in a concentration similar to the
Victor stuff.

I'd appreciate some help because if I can't get the problem under
control in the next 10 days, I'm going to have to pass up seeing my
relatives at Thanksgiving and spend that 4 day period instead combating
my insect invaders. Thanks for any help!

Dan

This is what I do, YMMV. I buy the sacks of granules that look like
sawdust. The ants carry them back to the nest, and that way you get the
nest. Buy the bags that have the built in screen. You open the top, the
screen's there, there's a handle on the bottom, and you just walk around
spreading the granules while you walk. Put it around foundations, in flower
beds, etc. I like it because it is poison that is spread around lightly,
but covers a large area. It's not something your pet would eat. It just
falls on the ground, and you can spread it specifically where you want it.

Works for me.

Steve