Subject: Re: Boric acid and ants
From: wtmorgan@pilot.msu.edu (Bill Morgan)
Organization: Michigan State University
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 10:46:55 -0400
Message-ID: <MOD$970913.1711@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$970912.21692@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


In article <MOD$970912.21692@rec.gardens.ecosystems>, moholt@gardens.com
(Carol Moholt) wrote:

> I was given this receipe for an ant control:
>
> 3 teaspoons boric acid
> 1 cup sugar
> 3 - 4 cups water
>
> but the person who sent it to me neglected to say how it is to be used.
> Any suggestions? The ants here this fall are they've been in the nine
> years we've beein this house/garden. They are everywhere. And since it
> looks like we're going to have a mild winter, I want to see if I can
> reduce their population somewhat.
>
> Any ideas appreciated greatly.

It depends on the species of ant.

First of all, you want to make sure you are poisoning only those which are
actually pestiferous, and not those which are harmless or beneficial.

Second, this type of bait is not equally effective for all ants; it works
best with those which have a "sweet mandible". Those which eat a lot of
sugar will be easily dealt with. Those which use many food sources will
require more diligence. IT may take many treatments to destroy a large nest
of mound ants, for example. Some ants are more effectively dealt with using
grease or protein based baits.

The idea is to set up bait stations in areas that the *particular ants you
want to kill* are foraging. The workers will lap up the bait, take it home,
and feed it to mom, the larvae and their other sisters, resulting in the
death of the colony.

You should treat for a few days in a row, making sure the bait is kept
fresh. This is generally long enough to see an effect. In multiple queen
species (e.g., pharaoh ants), you may need to repeat application every
couple of weeks for awhile. This is because pupae are not killed (they
don't eat), so when they emerge, there may be new queens among them.

The recipe you have produces an enormous amount of bait. Generally, I put
the stuff out with an eyedropper, making a number of stations. Then, I can
renew the bait in any treatment period to deal with things like: the ants
ate it all, the rain washed it away, it dried up and is less appealing to
the ants.(It is best to put it on a non-absorbent surface [glass, metal,
plastic] and in the shade.) Believe me, a little of this stuff goes a long
way. For example, the commercially-available bait Terro is similar to what
you describe, and comes in a much small container, which lasts a long time
if used properly. [Terro is actually slightly different from what you
describe: the poison is borax, not boric acid.]

Regards,
Bill

--
Bill Morgan
wtmorgan@pilot.msu.edu
Center for Room Temperature Confusion