Well...
At least they weren't army ants!

They might've fought back!

I'm sure you sent many uphappy ants into the drain but if it were my plant, I would submerge the pot in water. I think you will be amazed to find more ants running for their lives, for hours.

Brooke

Tee hee... army ants... although ants in other locales can be really scary. I feel lucky to have our fairly run of the mill if very persistent ants.

Brooke, you're probably right. It was just a time thing. I needed to flush a bunch out quickly and then go to bed. I'll do more extensive work when I have a day off. At least the majority of the ones I flushed out were dead. Soapy water is surprisingly effective.

Off to go peek at my unintended science project again...

Are you trying to treat the pot itself, or the area in general? Are you averse to all chemicals, or just pesticides, or just sprays?

For regular non-orchid potted plants, one expert friend suggested a capful of PineSol or ammonia diluted to a gallon of water, water once in a normal amount. I tried the ammonia thing, and I didn't think it worked well, but the plants were in a commercial building and I think the ants were coming through a crack somewhere from the mulched planter bed just outside. I recommended it to a coworker and he said it worked great for him.

My preferred method, if there are no pets or kids around, is to put an ant trap on or naer the pot, or scatter a few around the shelving in your growing area. Within several few weeks, no more ants!