Hello Brooks, I didn't really aim to kill those ants only to get them out of my house. The talcum powder is still on the floor and also outside on the patio around the door and in the garage around the door and I have no ants in the house. I left the dog food bag in the original place where it was attacked by them. What I used was not Baby Powder but medicated Body Powder. Several members pointed out that it was the eucaliptus part that deterred them and that is most likely the reason. Still no ants in the house. Thank you so much for your input :) In the future, if I need to eradicate the colony I will remember the Diatomaceus Earth and/or powdered Boric Acid.
Barbara > Dear Barbara, > It is welcome news that you have enjoyed success through the use of talcum powder as a control methodology for ants. We were not so fortunate in our investigations. Maybe Marshall's observation regarding the possible inclusion of additional components....within the composite Baby Powder dust, may have an important role in your superb result. > Please do not consider this posting to be adversarial. We have, in the past, conducted experimental investigations seeking effective ant Repellants/Controls. Briefly: Our results revealed only two genuinely effective....easily available substances....which were universally effective against ants (and cockroaches). These substances were amorphous diatomaceous earth and POWDERED Boric Acid. Both have demonstrated to be effective to a very powerful degree. The mechanisms of control differ however. Diatomaceous earth kills via a dehydration effect; while Boric Acid requires ingestion. Ants and roaches are "instinctively" fastidious and will clean their bodies.....especially their feet. Boric Acid is the ONLY acceptably non-toxic substance we have found for controlling roaches.....throughout the spectrum of their various visitation methodologies. Boric Acid controlled Every Ant insult encountered....regardless of extent or type....within 14 days of instituting ! > a simple application of a 1" wide X 1/16" depth, band of powder, along several feet of their walkways.....provided a dry powder-line was maintained (water and heavy moisture will effect a "caking" effect and result in voiding > the effectiveness of the boric acid). Principal walkways are, generally, where walls meet ceilings, baseboards, countertops, etc., and floor cracks, holes, etc. > Diatomaceous earth applied, liberally, as a dust, to fire ant mounds....will result in an instantaneous explosion of chaotic activity. While this result is visually pleasing to observe....and > does---in a majority of cases----effect a physical movement of the colony, it rarely succeeds in the immediate (or even eventual) death of the queen: but it does inflict death on a consequential number of workers. Boric acid powder DOES result in the eventual death of the queen as a by-product of the physical activity of the workers......probably because of contaminated food exchange. > Sincerely, Brooks Bradley. > -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: [email protected] Silver List archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html Address Off-Topic messages to: [email protected] OT Archive: http://escribe.com/health/silverofftopiclist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
