Help with ants!!!!

[jeda78]

I would appreciate ANY advice on getting rid of ants in my flower beds and parts of our garden. I think they just like to eat the Bengal Ant Poison I usually sprinkle on them.

Thanks in advance
Debbie

[LSU2001]

Talstar granular works very well when broadcast in a spreader.  I use it about twice a year and fire ants simply aren't a problem

 http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/talstar-ez-granular-insecticide-p-85.html

Hope this helps,
Tim

[klwillis]

You can also try using cornmeal.

Ants will take it back to their colony, but they can't digest it and eventually die.

Another method is my spraying a weak solution of molasses on the
infested area, it creates an environment ants don't like.

[Cubman]

diatomaceous earth won't touch 'em...cornmeal is an old wives tale...both a waste of time...

and if ya really want ants...feed 'em something with sugar...LOL..

you can either mix dish soap and boiling hotwater, and repeat as needed to the mound(s)...or use Amdro...

dish soap and boiling water while carefully stirring the mound is a good organic treatment...

I use Amdro in the spring when mounds appear and for the most part...I'm done with 'em for the year...

if ya got neighbors...get them to treat with Amdro at the same time too...

Amdro is the best thing I've used in years...

[klwillis]

Cornmeal and molasses do work, many organic gardeners use it - (no disrespect Cubman).

I never had to do it, but some gardners saturate the cornmeal in boric acid, the acid
assists in disolving the ants exoskeleton.

Diotomaceous Earth is also effective, although I use it more for pill bugs and such.

What ever works, stick with it - I guess these are super ants.

[countryboy]

i second amdro, i use it personally and it kills ants, period.  Kills North Carolina ants dead.

[jeda78]

Wow thanks for all the responses! I'll give some of these a try. I actually tried orange peel and orange pulp today. Had juiced about 35 oranges and googled some uses for it and it suggested that is was good for ants. Went back this evening and they are still active. Will check back. But I think I will try something different.
 
Debbie

[Cubman]

Cornmeal and molasses do work, many organic gardeners use it - (no disrespect Cubman).

I never had to do it, but some gardners saturate the cornmeal in boric acid, the acid
assists in disolving the ants exoskeleton.

Diotomaceous Earth is also effective, although I use it more for pill bugs and such.

What ever works, stick with it - I guess these are super ants.

yup..no disrespect...but I'm telling ya...cornmeal does not kill ants...nor does molasses...BOTH myths...

now..I guess ya can beat them to death with a bag of meal..or drown what ya see with molasses...LOL...that's about it...don't need to feed 'em...

I've tried these meathods...several times...have you?

we had a big thread on this last year...and several folks tried the above also..like mybusters would say...BUSTED...LOL...

ain't even gonna waste my time typing about DE anymore...LOL...

and yes...tried that too...

[countryboy]

yup..no disrespect...but I'm telling ya...cornmeal does not kill ants...nor does molasses...BOTH myths...

now..I guess ya can beat them to death with a bag of meal..or drown what ya see with molasses...LOL...that's about it...don't need to feed 'em...

  , now that's funny right there now, i don't care who you are !  

[Cubman]

now granted...just realized we could all be talking different ants...most times, when someone is talking problem ants outside here, as in many places of the south..it's fireants...

I assumed fireants...my fault for not asking...

and, I do realize that Willis may not have ever dealt with fire ants...

SO...like Willis said..whatever works for ya...!

[SETEX_GARDENER]

Cubman,
    I was advised NOT to use Amdro in the garden close to the veggie plants. Something bout contamination of the veggies. Have you heard that? Need to know if it's just bull or not. Do you use this product inside the garden? Many, ain't nothin worse than pruning your plants and lookin down and your pant legs are coated in red & black!!! 

Curtis

[LSU2001]

I can't speak for anyone but myself.  I use Talstar around the pasture and house, I do not use it in the garden I also won't use amdro in the garden but I do occasionally use it as a spot treatment. The small bottle I have has lasted 2 years and I still have half a bottle. 

  I use the Talstar as a barrier treatment around the garden and then treat any mounds I find in the garden area with liquid seven.  I mix up a batch and pour about a gallon directly on the mound.  Using this method I really don't have much trouble with fire ants.  Remember, a couple of years ago the land I am living on was a very remote cow pasture and there were giant fire ant mounds everywhere.  Using Talstar spread on the pasture and Seven in the garden has pretty much solved that problem.
Tim

[countryboy]

you can't use it in the garden.  works good in the yard though.  i probably should have mentioned that since we ARE talking about gardening.

bout the only thing or best thing for "in the garden use" would be this;

[Anole]

While we are talking about myths-- how about the grits and the exploding ants myth. I fed the ants a whole box before I realized my leg was getting pulled.

Anole

[Cubman]

Cubman,
 Have you heard that?

Curtis

yes..

and, I'll try the scalding soapy water trick 1st, if that doesn't do it...I will break out the amdro... i'll sacrifice a plant or two to get rid of fire ants, and no, I don't eat what amdro has been aroud...I hope folks do read the instructions and warnings...

I do use in extreme moderation, not even the recommended dose...I've found even then, if you treat every mound you can find..they'll leave or die in short order...that's all I care about...

but yes...do read the instructions and use accordingly is the best meathod...

[Cubman]

While we are talking about myths-- how about the grits and the exploding ants myth. I fed the ants a whole box before I realized my leg was getting pulled.

Anole

BWHAHAHAhahahahaaaaaaaaa...!!! I remember that...!!!  

same goes for the cornmeal...

[SaBenDa]

Gang,

My 15 yo likes to take a shovel full of one pile, and toss it on another pile.....Does seem to work unless Ben does not get a large enough shovel full....

Of course, I have yet to see the pile that will survive gasoline.....

David

[klwillis]

While we are talking about myths-- how about the grits and the exploding ants myth. I fed the ants a whole box before I realized my leg was getting pulled.

Anole

BWHAHAHAhahahahaaaaaaaaa...!!! I remember that...!!!  

same goes for the cornmeal...

Well it works for me  . . . very well as a matter of fact.

[VinceSilverFox]

Last year I used cloves...  lots of it, in my strawberry patch, there was a lot of small black ants.  What I learned is that it does not kill the ants, but they really don't like it, so they go away.  So, for a time I had almost no ants there, but after 2 or 3 rains, the ants were coming back.

So in the end, not the best way to counter an ants problem.   

[PawPaw gene]

I'm with LSU on using the Talstar. If you've never had to battle fire ants then you have no idea. Feed them grits and they'll come back and ask for bacon and eggs. Although Talstar is not rated for use in the garden doesn't mean it can't be, it's just not rated as such. With further searching on the web I found where it is not taken up by plants and shouldn't be a threat. It's been tested on sorts of fruit and vegetables with no problems noted. Strawberry fields and citrus orchid in Florida were treated with it to knock the out the ants, but is not used regularly so as the ant don't become immune to it. I have to treat my whole yard with it because my wife is hyper allergic to their sting and she goes into shock when stung. It's a matter of live and death to her.  I use it around my garden as a barrier but if they get inside and make a mound, I treat it with the Talstar. The next day after treatment the mound is covered with dead ants where they crawl to the surface and die. For me and the wife the 50 dollars a year it cost to insure her safety is cheap.
"gene"

[jeda78]

I bought some Amdro yesterday and walked around my yard and flower beds sprinkling on each mound. My grandkids helped me find some of them, sure don't want them getting ate up by those nasty pests. I didn't make it out to the garden area yet but will try something different there. I thought about the boiling water but haven't tried it. I have never seen them soooooo bad. Happy Planting everyone!!!

 
Debbie

[fiShArnEked]

Instant grits only works in extremely, extremely dry areas. Any moisture in the air or ground is just feeding them... when i lived in the desert, it worked to just use a little bit, as the morning dew wil ruin the effect.

Iv been trying DE for about a week now. Not too effective if you just sprinkle a little around. I did however dump some on a pile and stir it around, It took about 3 days to get rid of them. im not sure if they just moved or died.  I think the DE is more of a defensive measure, not good for wiping out the masses.

boiling water and soap is efective, but is too much work.

I tried dumping used fryin oil on a mound, it kind of worked, but i think they just drowned or suffocated, not very quickly.

boric acid works, but any powder doesnt last very long with the weather.

seven seven (carbonyl) works very slowly, but is another powder.

stinkin ants just got in my worm bin, i had to try and scoop the pile out with hand shovel.

I have tried all of the above, this is from personal experience.

[Pjames]

A couple hours ago, I was messing around in the yard and got swarmed by some fire ants. I broke immediately my resolve to use some kind of organic, homemade approach and went to the poison... used the Amdro I had in the shed and cut open a bag of that Ortho- max... although I only used it mound by mound. I still cannot bring myself to using a full broadcast approach.

[bigwad1]

Has anyone tried cinnamon?
Grandma used it so it must be ok!
Get a big can and sprinkle it liberally on the top of the mound or find their trail if they are entering a structure and sprinkle the cinnamon like a brown carpet for them.

[thebayougardener]

Here's what I use to kill fire ants.  Rate:    1 oz. to 3 gallons of water.  Soak the mound and spray about 1 foot around it.  You can do quite a few mounds with a 3 gal. sprayer.  Works every time.  Oh, it's not organic.         

To use in the vegetable garden read the label.

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dow/indepth/labels/lorsban-4e.pdf

Donald