"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Well, you can either ignore them, encourage them, or discourage them.

Igno Just pile some stuff in the corner, and they can march behind the
stuff.
Encourage: Put out jelly donuts, and other moist foods with high sugar
content.
Discourage: Log on to www.gardensalive.com and buy a couple bottles of
"Liquid ant bait" and use it as the instructions say.

Now, as to my carpenter ant problem, I chose to discourage them. And the
liquid ant bait was very effective.

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"allan" allan at his dot com wrote in message
...
spring in Wash Dc and I get little black ants in kitchen and laundry
room making a trail if there is any food in the sink, even to cloths
on the washer. Both next to an outside wall, any ideas.


There are a number of authoritative publications that define boric acid as
an insecticide. This is from http://www.beyondpesticides.org/
"As an insecticide, boric acid acts as a
“stomach poison” for ants, cockroaches,
silverfish and termites, and is most
commonly used in a bait formulation
containing a feeding attractant or as a dry
powder. The powder can be injected into
cracks and crevices, where it forms a fine
layer of dust. Insects travel through the
powder, which adheres to their legs. When
the insects groom themselves, they ingest
the poison, which causes death due to
starvation and dehydration 3-10 days later.
Boric acid can also abrade the exoskeletons
of insects.(5) As long as the
material is not allowed to become wet, its
continuous presence ensures that hatching
insects, which sprays commonly spare,
are exposed and die as well. Many
insecticidal formulations contain a
desiccant to protect the boric acid from airborne
moisture. These formulations can be
effective for more than a year.(3)