Ants are a communal stomach. The only reproductive individual is the queen, at the far end. You must hit the queen to kill the colony. Acute poison (mow pyrethroids) is satisfying and ineffective. Juvenile hormone mimics are H-bombs, especially commercial Nylar (pyriproxyfen) when you compound it for ants.
Boric acid sneaks up on the whole colony. Macerate in honey, flour, or butter depending on the kind of ant. The problem is children - isolating the baits - and tolerating the flood of ants doing your work for you. Boric acid baits are also effective against cockroaches.
I have a trip upcoming to Helsinki. After this I'll be tied up in family business, and then my husband goes on a business trip and I have the kids alone. Then Kindergarten will be closed for a day (forgot why, I'm sure they must have some reason), I have to deal with an ant-infection in our apartment, and more family business follows. In summary: busy times.
I have a book review to appear on this blog later today, but after this you won't hear much from me for a week or two. Keep in mind that since I have comment moderation on, it might take some while for your comment to appear when I am traveling. With thanks for your understanding, here's a random cute pic of Gloria :)
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posted by Sabine Hossenfelder at 8:10 AM on May 30, 2016
"Away Note"
3 Comments -
Ants are a communal stomach. The only reproductive individual is the queen, at the far end. You must hit the queen to kill the colony. Acute poison (mow pyrethroids) is satisfying and ineffective. Juvenile hormone mimics are H-bombs, especially commercial Nylar (pyriproxyfen) when you compound it for ants.
http://www.amazon.com/Insecticide-Ig-Regulator-1-Oz/dp/B003VW3UO2
http://www.pestproducts.com/igr.htm
Boric acid sneaks up on the whole colony. Macerate in honey, flour, or butter depending on the kind of ant. The problem is children - isolating the baits - and tolerating the flood of ants doing your work for you. Boric acid baits are also effective against cockroaches.
1:59 PM, May 30, 2016
Ants - look up Borax and sugar. Borax is a laundry additive that is basically just scraped out of some field in Death Valley or some other hot place.
6:04 PM, May 30, 2016
You really are a "busy B"! :)
1:27 PM, May 31, 2016