8 LEAFLET 14 7, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



it back to the nest, and feed it to the queens and the young, and so 

 poison the colony. Sometimes the poison container can be placed 

 along the line of march followed by the ants rather than about the 

 sink, pantry, or kitchen cabinet. Care should be used to keep children 

 and pets away from these baits. 



Another method of exposing baits is to use pill boxes cut as shown 

 in figure 5. When the bait is prepared, pour it over strips of blotting 

 paper, being careful to add only what will be absorbed easily. Place 

 some of these poisoned strips, previously cut to fit the box, in the pill 

 box, the interior of which has been paraffined, and put on the cover. 

 When the boxes are ready to use, merely raise the covers enough to 

 allow the ants room to enter. Tin boxes or other containers can be used 

 instead of pill boxes. 



The following formulas for poisoned baits have given good results, 

 but no one formula can be relied on to destroy all kinds of ants under 

 all conditions : 



Formula 1. — Dissolve 4 ounces of sugar in 1 quart of water and stir in one-half 

 ounce of tartar emetic. 



Formula 2. — Dissolve one-half pound of sugar iu 1 pint of hot water and add 

 one-seventh ounce (62.5 grains) of sodium arsenate ; bring to a slow boil and strain. 



Formula 3. — Recommended particularly for the Argentine ant: (1) Mix 9 

 pounds of granulated sugar, 6 grams of crystallized tartaric acid, and 8.4 grams 

 of benzoate of soda in 9 pints of water ; boil the mixture slowly for 30 minutes and 

 allow it to cool. (2) Dissolve 15 grams of sodium arsenite (C. P.) in one-half 

 pint of hot water and allow to cool. Add (2) to (1) and stir well, then add iy± 

 pounds of strained honey and mix thoroughly. 



Formula 4. — For ants that will not eat sweets but prefer grease and meat: 

 Work small quantities of tartar emetic into grease or pieces of bacon rind. 



Formula 5. — For control of large black carpenter ants: Mix 1 teaspoonful of 

 paris green with one-half pound of chopped meat or hamburg steak. Cook the 

 meat in a frying pan sufficiently to brown it slightly to delay decay. Granulate or 

 pick it apart and place it in a tin box, with a tight-fitting cover, through which 

 holes large enough for the entrance of the ants are punched. The box with poison 

 should then be attached to a tree, log, porch rail, or wherever the ants forage. 



Formula 6. — When lawns or gardens are covered with small ant hills, scatter 

 broadcast a mixture of 1 ounce of paris green and 1 pound of brown sugar at the 

 rate of 1 pound of the mixture per 10,000 square feet needing treatment. A second 

 treatment is usually necessary after a period of 10 days. Scatter the mixture so 

 finely divided that birds or pets will not pick it up. 



Community Effort in Ant Control 



AMien ants are very abundant throughout a city block or over a 

 greater area, the best results are obtained by a community campaign 

 directed by the local authorities on the advice of specialists familiar 

 with ant control. Such campaigns have been very successful in the 

 South in combating the Argentine ant and doubtless would prove 

 useful for controlling other ants elsewhere. With certain species, 

 individual effort at control is not effective, particularly if there are so 

 many ants in the neighborhood that a single property is rapidly 

 reinfested. 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 15 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - - - Price 5 cents 



