Have you tried any of the liquid boric acid bait trays? I've had to resort to using them once or twice and have been very impressed. Terro makes them. Do not make the mistake of thinking that your home remedy is as effective as the commercial stuff....it isn't.

The secret to using ant BAITS (as opposed to contact killers), is to try to figure out a primary foraging path and place a bait station there. Then, leave it alone! No wiping, cleaning, or spraying of the area at all as the ants discover the bait and begin the process of communicating to colony members about the new food source.

The ants will literally swarm the station, taking the toxic brew back to the rest of the colony members.....wherever they might be hanging out. Word will rapidly spread through the population (usually within a few moments) and then the fun begins.

You must simply sit back and watch the swarming...if you disturb the activity, you've wasted your money. In my experience, the number of ants in the feeding frenzy will dwindle out in a few hours. If they empty one bait station, put another one out. When you don't see any more ants, they're all dead.

Do you think that they are getting in through little cracks in the foundation? Come spring, it might be time to figure out where they are gaining access.

You need to find out where those ants are coming from and then devise a strategy that will move them out. The ants are going where there is a source of food and moisture and the nest they are coming from may well be inside.
Lemon juice and Peppermint oil, the real stuff not the more common manufactured stuff, is a deterrent and can be used to redirect them. I have not known cinnamon, chalk, or Pine Sol to be much of a deterrent of ants.
If you use a boric acid bait be sure it is not too strong a mixture, 1 teaspoon of boric acid per cup of the attractant, and realize that this will take quite some time to work.
You may want to look up Dances with Ants by Andy Lopez for more information about controlling ants.

I would check for leaks in the roof, basement, a moisture situation.

That would be if the ants in question were Carpenter Ants, which usually are not apt to try to make themselves very visible as these are.
But it is always a good idea to be sure the roof does not leak, or that there is not a moisture problem which can cause other heath problems.

Then we had an outside company come and spray 3 times in three months and they won't go away.

==>>> the ants .. or the company ...

did they not guarantee their work???

did they happen to ID them??? .. and if not.. it makes one wonder ....

you might want to invest in hiring another company ... who will guarantee their work ... and solve your problem ...

in every project.. there does come a time.. when checkbook resolution is the only option.. if for no other reason.. peace of mind ... and frankly.. when i found them crawling ON ME ... it would be the time to do such ...

good luck

ken

ps: i use the type at the link when they invade in spring [various versions per manufacturer] ... its the type rhiz is talking about ... over a couple days... i watch their paths ... and place them in places i know they travel.. and usually within a week.. they are gone.. until the next horde moves in [i figure.. a new nest???] .. lol .. and as noted.. the scouts leave a trail ... for others to follow ... so your repeated.. frequent washing.. kinda obscures the fact that the scout has to report back and his scent followed back by the workers.. who will bring the goo back to the hive .... [ i place some under the stove.. near the sink.. and near the toaster ... all food sources IMHO]

Here is a link that might be useful: link

The product Ken has recommended creates major health problems for me and many other asthmatics.

Ken, that is not the same product that I was referring to. Terro manufactures a self contained plastic (see through) feeding station, already prefilled with a liquid boric acid solution.

13 natural remedies for the ant invasion

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/13-natural-remedies-for-the-ant-invasion

Have you tried any of these remedies?

Many of the "remedies" suggested at the link above are simply myths. Ants do not eat solid foods and would no more eat Plaster of Paris then you would. I have seen chalk art on sidewalks and watched ants walk over that.
Ants would not be able to ingest enough club soda to cause them to need to burp.
A mixture of blackstrap molasses and boric acid is more effective than the sugar water and boric acid mix because ants seem to prefer the molasses over the white sugar.

This is an old thread, but Pine-sol no longer has pine oil in it. I just used a cheap pine cleaner with pine oil from dollar store and there are no more ants. Maybe it only works with certain species.