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