I can not stand any sprays, so I though I would try these Ant baits as they work ok late last year. Two days ago I had this long trail of ants in the lounge room yes another dead moth so I followed the trail and where they were coming in under the skirting board I put one of those Ant Baits they are about 5cms square and are plastic covered seem the ants go in and eat the bait then take some back to the nest and those that eat it die, aparently it will kill the queen also. Yesterday there were no signs of ants in the house anywhere.

Now I dont know if it will kill your big ants but maybe you could give it a try, if you do you must not use any spray near the baits they are between $3-$4 a box of four from the supermarket, and if you do use them let us know how you went.Good luck with whatever you try...Cheers..MM.

I don't know if it will work with bull ants tho.

if the nest is outside boiling water is a good cure for the nest

Borax... 20 Mule Team Borax powder in your laundry isle.

Sprinkle it anywhere and everywhere, inside, outside, in window sills, door ways, closets, porches, the ground, driveways, floors etc etc.

IT is the only thing we use now.. commerical and residental sprays and bug killers do not work, we have tried them all.. even local pest control can not keep them away.

It uses somewhat what Daisy referred to...only use boric acid....bought at any drugstore.
To two cups (450 millilitres) of boiling water, add two teaspoons of boric acid, and two cups (450 grams) of granulated sugar. (I know how to measure metric...but I'm still not used to writing about it)
Stir to dissolve sugar fully. Let cool.

Then, into a small container....much like a margarine container, you put holes at the sides at the bottom to let the ants enter. Into the container you place about 6 cotton balls (also bought at the drugstore) after soaking them in the solution.
Put the lid on to prevent other insects such as bees from entering. Then place the containers where you see the trails or mounds of ants.

The idea is for the sugar to be the come-on...the boric acid the killer. The worker ant takes the liquid back to the nest and feeds it, like a good ant will, to Queenie..
she gets a terrible tummy ache....and the colony dies with her.

Any pointed shoe can kill an ant in the corner...it takes a wise wearer to know how to kill hundreds without putting your foot down.

Anyway, its supposed to work on the feared RED ANTS of southern U.S. so I cant see where an Ausie ant's stomach is any less upsetting.

Now there are a few more suggestions and they are talked about widely whether they, in fact, work or not.

Grits....that southern U.S. morning food.....tastes like bland cream of wheat...
well, this stuff expands when moistened and figuring an ant's stomach has such acid, it suggests when an ant eats the grits, the stuff explodes inside its stomach.

Another one....make the ant cross through some baking soda.
He gets it on his feet (or whatever an ant calls his feet), some of it gets into his mouth...and the old story....
when baking soda gets wet it turns into carbon dioxide....
GAS that is....and since an ant cant burp, cant flatulate, he goes all to pieces.

Anyway, that's the theory.

Of course we should not rule out the problem could be bedbugs, an insect that has made a spectacular return in the last ten years

Supposedly ants communicate constantly via their antennae and the fumes from the oil interfere with this communication somehow. In any event, we had a huge problem with ants last year, the bug guy sprayed, tracked them, used powder, all those horrible things to no avail. This year I sprinkled the tea tree oil at the first sight and they vacated the premises. If I see even one, I re-dose the area under my sink and they head for the hills.

I hope it works for you.

Flibbity