ayers@convexs.UUCP (08/23/85)
With all this talk about roaches and boric acid, I thought you might enjoy this item from net.garden: /* Written 7:58 am Aug 13, 1985 by ayers@convexs.UUCP in convexs:net.garden */ /* ---------- "ants & boric acid" ---------- */ While on safari in my garage I chanced across some bamboo I had stored some years back (and promptly lost in the clutter). Upon closer examination I discovered that a tribe of wood ants had moved into one of the tubes. "AH HA!" says I -- this would be a great chance to test out that boric acid I bought the other day. Fortunately I had not had time to move it to the garage for storage, so I knew where it was. Methodically I spread some on the sidewalk outside. Carefully I tapped some of the large ants out onto the middle of the "kill patch." Now, I knew that for the ants to a) get the boric acid on them, b) go elsewhere, and c) clean each other off so that d) it would get into their little systems and kill them would take some time. I'm not a child. I was willing to wait -- even 50-60 seconds if necessary. Imagine my surprise when the ants IMMEDIATELY started doing the "dance of joyous death!" In less than 2 seconds, all the ants were dead! I looked at the ants, then the bottle of boric acid, and went and washed my hands VERY carefully. This was great. I've seen ants last longer in gasoline than they did on that sidewalk. I happily proceeded to "dust" every anthill in the immediate area. My spouse, ever mindful of my great intellect and wonderful abilities, asked me 15 minutes later why the ants in the anthills were still moving around. "So powerful it must be bringing 'em up to the surface from the deepest reaches" was my smug reply. "I don't think so" she muttered, so I went over to take a look. Sure enough, the ants in the anthills seemed to be fine. I must have looked crestfallen, because she quickly said "Maybe it doesn't work on this kind of ant." In my diplomatic way, I muttered "Nonsense!" and checked the other anthills. All the same -- all apparently growing fat on the acid. My wife tried to encourage me: "Maybe it just takes longer for little ants." I felt betrayed. Taking some of the ants (on a stick) over to the sidewalk, I dropped them into the "kill patch." 1 second. BAM! all dead. Ahhh! All the anthills were in the shade. Now I had it! The sunlight made their little systems work harder and absorb the acid faster! As I explained this to my poor, less than understanding spouse, a look of pity crossed her face. Looking like a parent faced with the necessity of explaining why Billy the Bunny no longer hops around and must be buried before he stinks, she went over to one of the "undusted" anthills (we do have a bit of a problem with ants), got some on a stick, and dropped them on a piece of "untreated" sidewalk. They lasted about a second and a half. Big dance. All dead. "It's 104 degrees out here," she said sadly. "Want to measure the temperature of the sidewalk?" I passed up the offer. Days later the anthills are still doing fine... <sigh> Back to the drawing board, blues, II