It seems my local ant population likes electronics, but not sugar.

They like anything that hums like a distressed insect, so the
inductors in the MPPT controller in an OLPC XO laptop get quite a bit
of attention during the day.

They like power socket switches that are open; they die at the sliding
contact, accumulate, and cause small currents in the appliance.  We
compensate by disconnecting cables and leaving all switches on when
not in use.  Visiting children ask why the power points are on!

There's a paper on containing ants in laboratory; a vertical barrier
made with two horizontal bands of self-adhesive copper tape, with 24V
DC across.  Doesn't kill the ants, they just let go as they climb.

The same technique can be used on horizontally to distract ants on a
foraging trail.  Leave exposed a pair of conductors with 24V DC across
them, 1mm apart, and the ants become quite excited.  Widen the exposed
area; e.g. parallel copper traces, and even more ants become involved.
They don't die, but they react, and this attracts others, apparently
wasting their time enough to reduce the foraging.  If placed on the
established trail, they keep finding it during trail optimisation.

Using too much voltage seems a waste of time; the carcasses make a new
food source which draws more ants.

The small currents drawn can be measured as detection.

Our other procedures are to remove all food sources, and then
eliminate trails.

Isopropyl alcohol seems to work well for eliminating a trail, but the
time taken to re-establish is generally measured in tens of minutes.

I've experimented with a few barriers.  Silicone caulk is effective
for a few weeks, before being mined by the ants.

PTFE is effective for a while, but needs reapplying, and the
application process stinks.

Insecticides are amazingly unhelpful.  There's an endless supply of
nests out there, and killing the nearest just makes habitat for the
expansion of others.

--=20
James Cameron
http://quozl.linux.org.au/
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