'Way OT: Ant control

Winston · 2010-08-02T15:40:21+00:00

I read that ants use pheromones to create trails andcommunicate with each other. I figured I coulddiscourage them by interfering with their communications.So I hacked an old EPROM eraser and exposed portionsof an ant trail to hard UV. I found that:1) The ants would avoid the area of the lamp.2) Placing the lamp on top of the trail wasn't effective because the ants detoured around it.3) Spacing the lamp ~0.36 m (~14") above the trail (inside a large cardboard carton) appeared to degrade the pheromones sufficiently that the ants all disappeared within a day, after a couple hours of exposure. Several days later, the ants have not reappeared.Obviously, if I had kids or pets, I would *not* leavea hard UV source running like that, but I found thislittle experiment interesting nonetheless.--Winston

Aug 02, 2010 47 Replies

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mike 16 years ago

Yep, I remember reading about the recipe and how it works, but can't remember where I read it...

It's been a slow year for ants in the house, but I'll report any results should that change.

What's been bad this year for me has been fleas, the squirrels keep them propagating outside and the cat keeps bringing them inside - what makes it really suck is that the fleas seem to have developed a resistance to Frontline, which used to knock 'em out within a few days of application to a flea-populated animal. Finally getting a handle on it after the vet gave me a free sample of Revolution, a new parasite-killer from Pfizer.

Mike

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mike 16 years ago

I found that about a quarter cup of gas is very effective against in- ground yellow jacket nests, you don't even have to light it (though I'll admit lighting it was usually part of the 'fun'.

Where would you get cyanide? Sounds like a potentially dangerous undertaking ...

Sounds like a good way to go to avoid killing off a bunch of plants - thanks for the idea!

Mike

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Winston 16 years ago

Well, I'll be.

(...)

Fleas are nasty. Modern chemistry to the rescue!

--Winston

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Martin H. Eastburn 16 years ago

Oddly enough this was in the early 50's - pre EPA etc... and you could find a small can that detents in the base to puff out small balls of Cyanide through a long (3") nozzle that was placed atop the hole of an ant hill. We had big bad ants. Once a couple of pushes on the bottom - a small rock over the hole and after the moisture in the hill hits the cyanide - the gas takes over and no more ants.

We bought it in the Pharmacy - in the chemical department - for the home and ranch. It was some place. The only Pharmacy within 20 miles or so (downtown yes) The first doctor had the storefront next door. She, the doctor Noren by name - was really something. She saved my sister - the first one to live with a serious (today still) disease or DNA issue.

It was out in El Paso in the old days.

Mart>

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Rich the Cynic 16 years ago

That's Divine Retribution for allowing those filthy, evil things into your home.

Good Luck! Rich

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dcaster 16 years ago

We were having problems with ants earlier in the year. So your Boric acid recipe got my attention. Looking on the internet, Walgreens seemed like the best bet for boric acid. 1 lb for 4$ , but at least no postage. On the internet it said 99% boric acid. So I go to a Walgreens, and they do not have it. Go to another Walgreens and they have it, but it is only 64% boric acid. Send PIC ( the corporation packaging the stuff ) an email and ask what gives. No reply.

And today went to yet another Walgreens and they have both 99% and 64% boric acid. Same price.

So I think PIC has switched to selling diluted boric acid, but there is still some of the 99% stuff around. So if anyone is planning on getting some boric acid, now is the time to get it. It is sold as roach powder, but also works for fleas and ants.

Dan

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dcaster 16 years ago

=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Dan

Got a reply from the PIC corp. saying that they had switched to 64% boric acid and then switched back to 99% boric acid. So there are both percentages out there. And you should be able to get the 99% stuff eventually.

Dan

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