Ants and Lady Bugs

I released some lady bugs into my garden and they are very happy and doing a great job. Also have some ants that have decided to take up residence as well. Not to many yet. How do I keep my ladies happy and healthy and get rid of the ants? I am trying to be organic. Any help would be fabulous.

If they're nor fire ants, you might just let them be, the most organic solution of all.. If they are fire ants, to heck with organic - get the poison.

I would be most concerned with ants and fruit. The may eat some veggies, but are more likely to go for the sweeter foods. I don't know about any organic remedies. I use peanut butter mixed w/ borax to kill the ants. It will not get on your veggies so you won't be eating it. I just put it in a milk lid and place next to the ant hill. If you have pets you might want to cover it with a small pot so the pets don't eat it. My small dog ate a few lids of it and just had a bit of diarrhea from it, but nothing really bad. I now keep it covered to keep her out.

You guy's are awsome. No, they are just regular old ants. I'm probably gonna just let them be unless they get out of hand. I'm so happy that my "ladies" have stayed. I just picked my first 3 squash this morning and you would think that I hit the lottery. Can't wait to use them for dinner this evening. I'm blessed to have found this web site.

You can try diatomaceous earth (DE) for the ants. That never seems to work for me, so I use a product called "Mound Drench". You can also use beneficial nematodes, especially for the fire ants.

Ant stories.

We regularly have volunteer sunflowers because of the bird feeders. One variety of ant that lives here is very small, DW calls them sugar ants. Anyway, when the sunflowers bloom, the bloom heads are just covered with the little ants, gathering nectar I assume. Must work well because every one develops a perfect seed head.

The larger ants don't seem to get involved with the garden at all. Their sting is unpleasant, but they aren't aggressive, so unless a colony is in a bad location, I just let them be.

If the ants are on your plants, chances are you have aphids. Ants will herd them like cattle and even milk them. They will also transport them from place to place.

The tiny sugar ants are Argentine ants and are farming the aphids for the syrup they cause plants to produce. I allow them on the okra blooms as it doesn't have a bad effect but prefer to keep them off other plants.

I had saved this info from another thread on a home remedy for sugar ants. Not sure if you would consider boric acid organic but it is not applied to the soil and the only other warning is to keep away from pets and children. If interested, here it is http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/viewentry/228658/

Hello I am new to the Group . I too have lil ants they seem to be building around everything I have planted new sprouted seedlings and plants as well . but what is gitting me is something is cutting my seedling down from down under the ground . at night all’s well in the morning when I go to the garden to drink coffee and see what new seedlings have sprouted (yes they do as I replace the ones that are being cut down ) there are a few new fallen sprouts that have been cut down what is doing this . And how do I kill this varmit .

Sounds like cutworms. You can place toothpicks next to the seedling and the worm can't wrap itself around the stem and cut it off. You can also use straws cut in half.

Thank You ALL so much. I am going to look up how to introduce nematodes into my garden. I noticed them at Orchard Supply last week.I just might pick some up. Again Thanks!

What exactly do Lady Bugs eat? They are not very big.

They eat insect eggs and aphids.