On 24 May 2014 03:49, Bob Blick wrote: > It took me eight years to figure out and get them under control. With > what I know now I think I could do it in three years. No formula with > Borax worked for me. Eventually I settled on this: > > http://www.raidkillsbugs.com/en-us/products/raid-max-double-control-ant-b= aits Sounds like you could grow your own! Ingredients: *Avermectin B1 (0.05%) Other Ingredients (99.95%)* Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avermectin The *avermectins* are a series 16-membered macrocyclic lactone derivatives with potent anthelmintic and insecticidal properties.[1] [2] These naturally occurring compounds are generated as fermentation products by *Streptomyces avermitilis *, a soi= l actinomycete . Eight different avermectins were isolated in 4 pairs of homologue compounds, with a major (a-component) and minor (b-component) component usually in ratios of 80:20 to 90:10.[2] Other anthelmintics derived from the avermectins includeivermectin , selamectin , doramectin and abamectin . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abamectin Abamectin is a mixture of avermectins containing more than 80% avermectin B1a and less than 20% avermectin B1b. These two components, B1a and B1b have very similar biological and toxicological properties. The avermectins are insecticidal and antihelmintic compounds derived from various laboratory broths fermented by the soil bacterium *Streptomyces avermitilis *. Abamectin is a natural fermentation product of this bacterium "Beyond Pesticides" http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidefactsheets/toxic/Abam= ectin.php The active ingredient of many abamectin products, like AvidTM, ZephyrTM, VertimecTM or Agri-MekTM, is actually a mixture of 80% avermectin B1a and 20% avermectin B1b (FCH 2000). These B1a and B1b avermectins are purified from a chemically complex insecticidal/miticidal toxin produced by an actinomycete bacterium, *Streptomyces avermitilis,* found in soil. Although, abamectin is a natural fermentation product of this bacterium, the pesticide is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a class II toxicity pesticide on a scale of I to IV, I being the most toxic. Abamectin has been fully evaluated by EPA for its effects on human health or the environment. History of avermectin and ivermectin, with notes on the history of other macrocyclic lactone antiparasitic agents. Abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22039784 EPA fact sheet http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/insect-mite/abamectin-bufencarb/averme= ctin/insect-prof-avermectin.html PAN pesticides data base http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=3DPC33818 EPA integrated risk information system http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0381.htm Mectins poisoning vs Avermectin poisoning Interesting introduction. Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei. http://www.asiatox.org/6th%20APAMT%20pdf/Mectins%20posioning%20vs%20Avermec= tin%20poisoning.pdf --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .