Diana,
I've just had a problem with ants in my orchid house and I am using a
product called Dethlac which is available here in the UK. It's a spray on
lacquer which kills ants and other crawling insects by contact as they crawl
across the surface.
I've used it outside effectively & hope it'll be OK among the orchids.The
active ingredient is 0.02% deltamethrin. Might be worth a search to include
lacquer - I would think there should be something similar in America.
DAvid
"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
All,

Down here in 'South Flahda' we are experiencing more ants this year than
in
recent memory. The worst are a species called white footed ants. They do
not respond to Amdro, and what bait they will take they do not deliver to
the nest, the selfish SOB's.

They are not particular about what they get into. I.e. they are crawling
in and out of Catt and Dend pots that hold only stone or Aliflor.
Primagra
is infested as well, and we don't want to talk about anything potted up in
spagh, bark or CHC. It's not just me - we have Terminix come in once a
month, and all their customers are having problems, as well as most of my
local orchid buddies.

The exterminator gave me a diluted bait spray which has some limited
effect,
but is no panacea. Alcohol works on contact, but is impractical with so
many bugs. Raid kills them, but again, how much can you spray? So, two
questions.

1. What do you all know about "Terro" (sp?) which is supposed to sell at
WalMart and is on the pricey side (I don't care, if it will work)?

2. The stuff that Terminix uses on the exterior of the house is called
"Demand", and is petroleum based. He - and I - are reluctant to use my
orchids for guinea pigs to see if it would harm them. Anyone know?

Diana