This is obviously an old thread, there doesn't seem to be much activity on this site. I am fairly new here, haven't posted anything until now.
I fight a continuous battle against these obnoxious critters. You might try Amdro Ant Block, it lists 15 kinds of ants that it is supposed to kill. "They" say they can't be killed with bait, because they don't/won't take it. Yet they are listed on the label of this product. I use this in conjunction with Diatocomeous Earth. (That's probably spelled wrong, but hopefully you will know what I mean.) I sprinkle the Amdro around their holes, both the feeder holes and the mounds. The DE kills by contact, so they have to go through it, get it on their bodies. So I sprinkle it around the holes, also, but along their trails, too. And especially around the base of the plants they attack. It does protect the plants, if I get it put down as soon as I notice any damage. But, as you said, they can completely strip a plant overnight. And it has to be replaced often.
I don't know if this gets rid of them or not, doesn't seem to, at least not completely. But it does seem to reduce their numbers. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Hope this helps, and let us know if you try these products, and how (if) it works for you.
Rusty
