Borax is not baking soda it's used as a household cleaner😀 I have used it and the ants definitely like it. Mix in these ratios: 1/2 C sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp Borax, and 1.5 C warm water. I took little plastic takeaway sauce containers, punched holes about halfway up the sides and then filled the bowls with the mixture to just under the holes and put the lids back and placed them in strategic spots. It's not an immediate fix but it definitely gets rid of them.
My climate is so hot and dry I could not even consider raised beds or unlined wooden box gardening. In fact, I use tons of mulch to try and keep the water in the soil.
You'll know for sure if it's bugweed - Solanum mauritianum - by the smell if you crush a leaf
Thanks fro the tips!! 👍