We have an invading ant here in CA. It’s a special ant from Argentina.  The colony has more than one queen.  Super colonies. 
 

there is no beating them.  Only control. They virtually killed all of our native ants according to the Google, and my pest control friend. Tiny, fast running ants. Thankfully they prefer to live outdoors. Only coming in during floods and droughts.  Haha. We are always one of those two.  Mofos!
 

with our recent rains.  They are back.  I baited them and wipe out a colony in about 38-48 hours.  Then I seal the entry point w silicon.  If I had ants I felt my 92 year old neighbor would have ants. So I gave her a visit. Yup, I put down baits. I couldn’t control them. I realized she was spraying the conga lines with Raid! The superpower of the Argentine ant is the multiple queens.  The feel an attack, the colony will split up to increase the odds of survival.  Game over at her place.  I told her my limited skills are no match. She will have to call a pro.  She has lots of ants. 

 

I’m not expert when it comes to ants but I have learned one thing.  If you can buy it at the grocery store,  it won’t kill ants.  I bought some stuff online a few years ago that cost $30 for a small tube.   The ants loved that stuff and it would kill them all in about 48 hours.

I’ve always been able to kill them inside with Torro. Outside I don’t think there’s hope. Luckily I don’t deal with insects at work 

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve always been able to kill them inside with Torro.

Do you mean Terro?

 

I've dusted mounds in my yard with Terro powder - refresh every few days or after a rain...couple weeks, no more ants wandering the yard.

Just now, MN Fisher said:

Do you mean Terro?

 

I've dusted mounds in my yard with Terro powder - refresh every few days or after a rain...couple weeks, no more ants wandering the yard.

Yes that was it, my bad. I use the clear liquid 

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

Yes that was it, my bad. I use the clear liquid 

Ya - that's inside use only - use the powder or granules for outside.

Our biggest problem here is fire ants!!!

Top Choice is a great product for them.

We only treat once a year , and it completely wipes em out.

We also have a growing problem here with tawny crazy ants. They have multiple queens, colonies that work together. Continued baiting at least cuts down the population…

 

Where I live, carpenter ants are a non-stop problem.  I used to use Dursban but it's long since banned.  My real favorite for indoor use was always anhydrous silica, but as safe as it is, it's really hard to find in stores around here.  Drione dust is a favorite brand that is very effective, and available by mail order, I believe..

You sir are in need of a red crested, web footed, Argentine ant eater and black Friday is near, you’re in luck… 

ETA: don’t let them sell you the Pygmy specie as it doesn’t eat enough ants to my liking. If you have any questions about this I’m sure @TnRiver46 will be glad to answer ?

ants so bad in the philippines that i would have to take items like, honey, sugar, peanut butter and put them in plates with a good layer of baby powder. Lots of other food products had to go into the fridge.

I make my own ant poison with borax, sugar and water.  It is NUTS to watch it work.  Got the sugar ants so excited there was literally a 20' long train of ants going to the poison.  Right in a super small crack in my front door and to the living room where one of my boys had left them a treat.  I saw 6 eating and put one cotton ball down.  Needless to say it was a one and done treatment. 

1 hour ago, Deephaven said:

I make my own ant poison with borax, sugar and water.  It is NUTS to watch it work.  Got the sugar ants so excited there was literally a 20' long train of ants going to the poison.  Right in a super small crack in my front door and to the living room where one of my boys had left them a treat.  I saw 6 eating and put one cotton ball down.  Needless to say it was a one and done treatment. 

The Borax cocktail is our number 1 way of wiping out ants. 

I keep some in the house and then just grab cotton balls and put them anywhere I think there might be intruders and they are gone usually overnight.

Boric acid works well.

when i moved into this house a few years ago, grease ants would appear on one of my counters, and no where else.  i tried everything i could get my hands on.  nothing worked. for one month of the year, there were ants on my counter.  i ended up replacing the driveway next to my house because it was worn out, and someone offered me an amazing deal.  they tore out the drive all the way to the dirt. graded it, replaced the stone,  put down fresh asphalt.  i haven't seen an ant since.  lucky me