Cinnamon does not work very well with the red ants. For those you should use ant bait stations. The cinnamon works best for the tiny sugar ants, they will disappear for sure. I have been using cinnamon in conjunction with bait stations for year with lots of success. I also live in a dry climate with very little rain, so I only need to apply the cinnamon 2-3 times per year. Wind has not been to much of an issue, and we do get wind every day in the afternoon. I have my hives sitting on top of rails, which sit on top of concrete blocks. The cinnamon really clings onto the concrete blocks. I also have tree frogs, and having a vent notch in the inner cover allows them to climb in. They catch any ant that makes it in that way and the bees never bother with the frogs.