Interesting idea about oranges as a fungicide.
I wonder if the now-nearly-ubiquitous citrus cleaners have the same effect or
are missing some key naturally occurring component.

The corn starch idea is interesting as well - I'd never heard of that.

I think the key though, as mentioned in the Sci Fi story, is to target the
queen.  Else all you're doing is racking up a body count of drones without
addressing the root of the problem.

Boric acid has been effective if employed properly.  Mix it well with sugar or
flour, or both, and then moisten it.   The boric acid will then become chelated
by any vicinal diols (adjacent hydroxyls) in the chemical structure, and be
ingested along with the bait feed.  Supposedly this gets brought back to the
nest and fed to the queen, etc.

Ants make their trails to follow with formic acid.  Perhaps laying a false trail
using natural formic acid - from ants or nettles or something - would lead them
elsewhere (maybe to your bait).  You might also spray something alkaline, and
that might ruin the trails. (baking soda, TSP, etc.)

My grandparents used "whitewash" {assuming it some kind of lime} painted onto
the base of their trees - presumably to keep the bugs off of them.

YMMV
Best of luck battling the Empire of the Ants

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