ANTS!!!

Hi everyone. I was told years ago that Boric Acid in the powder form is an abrasive. It is supose to scratch the protective coating on the bug/ant and the bug/ant will dry out and die. Not sure about this but sounds good to me. I was told at the same time that crushed (powder) sea shells do the same thing if you lik the beach.

freetwofarm

Pinger. Do things grow fast in Mooresville?

Can you elaborate on "things", Free...?
My Crap Grass sure does... hee hee. (My own version of weedsn'grass)
And my seedlings sure did. I started my tomatoes,peppers, basil and marigolds on March 4. My marigolds sprouted on the 6th, basil on the 7th, all the diff. tomatoes on the 8th and all the peppers on the 10th. (This is my first time and I wasn't sure when to start) Since then, I have adjusted my germinating time quite a bit so as not to have to much ready to put out and then the weather not cooperating.
In fact, I haven't put anything in the garden yet...I've chuckled inside at the sight of all the buckets in the neighborhood...hee hee. I'm starting planting on the weekend of the 21st for everything. I have 6 tomato plants starting to bloom...in their 4" pots. I hope that's not a bad thing...
Did I answer your question? If not...ask away!

As for the Boric acid...here's what I did (I just couldn't wait for the replies...I just had to do something!) I got a 5 gallon bucket and put really, really hot water in it (about a 1/4 of the way), then added 4 cups of sugar (just thought this was the thing to do) and then I put a whole bottle of powered acid in it (12 oz.). Stirred it up and started pouring on the mounds. They freaked out! I don't know the outcome yet...I did this right before dark last night and now it's raining...yeah!!!!!
So we'll see tomorrow...and the next day...and the day after that...
And I have a back up 12oz. bottle just in case. If my method doesn't work, I'll just sprinkle!

Hi Pinger. I thought Mooresville was where a lot of the race car shops are at and things just happen faster there. Be sure to measure what you put in the ant killer. If it works you can get a patent. lol!

Free

You're right, Free...NASCAR heaven (to some). Even our police cars look like race cars...no kidding.

Interesting thought on "Pinger's Powered Punch:Kills Ants Dead" LOL

Pinger, please let us know how your exposive punch worked on the ants when ya get a chance. that sounds entertaining. LOL

I've heard that you can use Borax instead of boric acid and that it's cheaper. Anyone know if that is true? Also don't know if it's true, but Paul James says ants are a good thing for the garden, they aerate the soil, and that he doesn't allow them killed in his yard. Of course it wasn't fire ants, and I don't know if he would feel the same way if they took over.

If he saw my yard he would change his mind. Those ants have killed alot of plants that I had planted and they also invade the house in different spots. I have ants everywhere. And some of those hills are big enough that you can see them from the road.

I have to admit, I keep their colonies down here, too. Those little sweet ants take over the house (and potted plants) here, and in the last year I have been finding swarms of them outside. I watch for the swarms outside and spray them, but would like a safer way to do it. I have found that if you catch them very early in the season, it is easier to control them. Once summer comes, it seems they can hold their own!

This message was edited Apr 14, 2007 5:25 PM

Windex is what one of the gardeners use at work. I would find a hill and pour some in there. Try that in a spot and see what happens.

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boric Acid does not work either! They just move over about a foot and start anew...
I am so bummed. I guess I'll just keep pouring the boiling water on...
Wish me luck,
Ping

Have you tried the ant attacks with the shovel?

well you probably are just exterminating everything that eats the little bugers.
if they ain't biting you or killing something I'd just let them be. I know they get on peonies but they don't harm them.
certainly the boric acid pesticides and borax would probably harm your garden more. Plant a daffodil bulb or something in their hole.
maybe throw a little birdseed out I know the birds come to the seed and then check the trees and ground for insects.
I think ants are always around, I think when it's dry they have to bury down in the ground deeper so they bring more soil to the top making them more noticeable.
that's just an off the top of my head guess though. good luck.

or maybe some non-organic over fertilization, it seems to kill the earthworms and then after their dead you can just flood the area with water to wash the salts away
and you'll be ready to plant your garden already fertilized.

I had been looking and looking for the ant killer I used last year. Didn't want to open my big mouth on here until I had the name. I bought it at Home Depot for about $1/4 traps. I had a huge invasion of ants in my indoor plants--very large pots, lots of ants. This stuff is in a small red box and is called MaxAttrax Ant Bait and is made by Hot Shot. They are just small black plastic traps that you stick where you need them. Every single ant I had was gone in 24 hours. The box says you can use them outside, but I have not personally done that yet. If the ants outside begin to cause a danger to children, I will use these traps on them. I like Paul James, but have not heard him say that about ants. I watch them outside and they are digging up the soil and that can't be all bad. I don't have fire ants, though. They are probably harder to get rid of, nasty things. I was bitten by several recently in Florida and I sure understand the name. The sores lasted for a week.

Len...I'm pretty sure that the ants on Peonys aren't fire ants. And I can't just 'let them be'...too many mounds and every time I mow, I'm sure they all don't come back and probably just start more. Plus I just don't want to have to watch where I walk every single time I go out in the yard...lol. And thank goodness, They are not in my garden either.

I posted an ad on Craig's List for free monkey grass...I was tired of the look and wanted something new. So I thought, why go to all that hard labor? Let someone else do it! WEll, this lady that came by said that she's used an killer called Spectracide and they used it last summer and haven't had any yet. I think I'm heading to Lowe's tomorrow...when I mowed the grass today, I found 13 new ones!!!!!!!! AARGH!!!!!!!!!!
Time for the heavy duty stuff...I'll let you now how it goes.
And Gram...I know what you mean by the fire ant bites...a couple of weeks ago, I got a total of 12 bites on my arms and legs and one got up to my neck! I felt like a walking radiator...and I still have scars where the bit me....darn things!

Oh, Pinger, I am so sorry they nailed you that bad. They got me four times in the soft skin (I may be old, but I still have a little soft skin left) between my thumb and forefinger. No matter what I did they just hurt.

I am glad you have something to try for your ant problem. I don't have many and they are not a hazard to anyone. Please be careful. They are going to be really mad at you!!

sorry I didn't know they were fire ants.

If not fire ants - just leave em alone. They are just insects the same as butterflies and such and will not hurt anything. Most people do not realize that ants can actually be pollinators as well. If they are fire ants - go to home depot or somewhere and ask for fire ant killer. Its a powder you put on the mound itself without disturbing it and it works well. Fire ants have multiple queens and if you disturb the mound they will become nomadic and soon you will have many small mounds. Good Luck.

how about fight fire with fire. get one of those propane blow torches that they are using to torch weeds with now. at least it sounds like fun

LOL Len....now there's a solid approach!

Ms Garden...these are definatley fire ants. If they were just normal ants, they wouldn't bother me one iota. But fire ants are a different story.

""go to home depot or somewhere and ask for fire ant killer. Its a powder you put on the mound itself without disturbing it and it works well.""

As I stated in my very first post...I've tried many times, with several different 'powders' and they did not work and even hired a professional to spread very potent ant killer over my entire yard. So as I am finding out...just as there are many different kinds of deodorant...I guess you just have to find the right "powder" that works for you. And I am happy to report, so far so good on the Spectracide! Let's keep our fingers crossed!

I use it all the time here in MS and it works great - I know there are a lot of different ones, I will try to look at that package in the garage so I can give you a name. Its a very fine white powder - you do not have to add water, just put it on the top of the mound and it kills the entire colony in a matter of a few days.

GOod luck.

Pinger, this is the powder that I have used on fire ant beds here in MS and fire ants are really bad here. I just sprinkle it on a mound and by the next day they're gone! Many people around here have made comments on how it's the best thing out there. Even people when I'm purchasing it at the store!
I would also like a full broadcast product that would work on fire ants as good as this product does, so let me know on the broadcast Spectracide. But if I keep this product on mounds as they pop up in the beginning of the season I get great control. http://www.ortho.com/index.cfm/event/ProductGuide.product/documentId/8fcd3c1758a23cf552ff54f79075b601

Thats the stuff - Ortho. It works very, very well.

I actually saw that brand right beside the Spectracide but since I had heard from that lady that got my monkey grass that it worked for her, I just got it. But it looks almost identical...same shape bottle and colors...http://www.spectracide.com/ProductCategories/OutdoorInsecticide/FireAntKillerReadyToUseDust/

I'll be posting by the weekend with an update to see if we have a winner!

Pinger

Pinger, so you are using this on the mounds themselves like I use the Ortho?

Here's a link to epinions about the spectricide broadcoast product if you are interested - they have 8 different personal reviews on the product from users. http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Lawn_and_Garden-Pest_Control-All-Spectracide_Fire_Ant_Killer_Mound_and_Broadcast_Granules/display_~reviews

This message was edited Apr 27, 2007 7:07 AM

Oh yeah...I was going over the yard every single day, treating any new mounds I see. However, I've been sick for the last four days and when I went to get the mail yesterday, I saw about 6 new ones. Today is the first day I've felt like attempting to lift my arms higher than brushing my teeth...so I'll put on my armor and venture back out. Hopefully, these suckers will be gone by weeks end.

I'll check back in with update!
Have a great week everyone! And remember:

Take time to "moil in the soil" but make time to "frolic in the fescue" :)
Pinger

Gimme a D!
Gimme a E!
Gimme a A!
Gimme a D!

Gimme a A!
Gimme a N!
Gimme a T!
Gimme a S!

Yes, folks....we have a winner! 14 days and no new ants. HaPpY DaNcE, HaPpY DaNcE (twirl, twirl, shake, shake, and just a little wiggle) Spectracide...Kills Ants DEAD.

Next venture: Grackles.......now where did I put my pellet gun?.....hmmmm

Oh My GOD, you guy's have kept me entertained for the last half hour reading all your Walt Disney antict's, it is just like a comedy skript, I think I am a wee bit sad that these dumb ants are gone, what a let down, only kidding.
Can I add another bit of humour, a while ago our neighbour yelled at pitched tones, to come see what he had uncovered in his yard, thinking dead body or something, we ran over to his yard, husband trying to get his pants on, me trying not to notice but look cool and normal, anyway, the neighbour was re landscaping his yard, (as you do 8:30 on a Sunday morning) he had lifted a couple of pavers and low and behold, he had uncovered a huge ANT's NEST, they were currying everywhere, some carrying the grubs, some just running around or into each other and some going deeper down holes in the sand that the pavers had been set onto, I am talking thousands of ant's "what do I do the neighbour yelled" as his wife shut all the doors and windows, LIKE as if the ants really had no better things to do at this time but go right for her back door, we all gave sugestions, like, (dont know) oh my God, that is a work of art, or leave them alone and they will move away, anyway, neighbour said he had seen an old guy pour gasoline on the nest, set it alight, and they just fried in seconds( this guy was one of those know it all TAX INSPECTORS) so he just knew, WEEEEE, were all idiot's) so he would do what he saw with his own eye's, and set light to the nest,
we stood watching the ants (incase they escaped the death sentence) neighbour came back with his can of gasoline and poured it over the nest,AND down the holes in the sand, this sent the ants into a bigger rage and were even more determined that they must save the nest at all costs, Bet this works the neighbour smirked at us with glee in his voice, next we faffed around looking for a light, found the matchsticks and wooosh, his face was as black as the Earl of Hells waistcoat, his wife, looking from behind the drapes, assessed that it was safe to venture outside, eventualy managed to leave her compound, and give him a wet cloth for his face, but, with the strictest instructions that he was not to enter the house untill he got stripped off, as he took the cloth from his face, we decided it was time to leave, we could hardly walk for laughing, as it became evident that he had no eyebrows, a very curly fringe along his forehead that he did not have before, a bright red ear where his wife decided to add to his injuries by slapping him with the wet cloth, and WE, had the most entertaining day in a long time. NO, NO, NO, the ants were still scurrying about looking for a new home by lunch time as we timidly looked over the yard fence to enquire if he was OK, maybe I should TRICKLE the gasoline next time he said, we moved the following year before he was starting his next DIY job, which was to move the garden shed as he had a hedgehog under it, he would move that by rocking it onto wooden battons, still full to bursting with toys and garden tools etc, YEH RIGHT my husband said, you realise the shed is only a few feet away from the river bank, no trouble neighbour replied, I will just rock it away from the river.
NOW the ants we have here in Scotland, are tiny, the only time they fly is when they have to leave to start a new colony and select a new queen, but they do bring diseases to plants as they always hang around where greenfly or other sap eating insects are, they live of the honey dew that these sap suckers secreat, so we also try to get rid of them, I think it is called combat, a powder, you only need a small amount as we are talking ant size diet not lions, we lay it at the entrance to the nest, remember they have more than one entry/exit, and as you say, they take this into the nest and it kills them, the queen cant survive as she aint getting fed, hey presto, no more ANT'S, well, till another lot come along and dig for victory and it goes on again. if your neighbour has not got rid of her ants, then when the next lot fly to pastures new, it will be your garden again, so best time to kill them is as soon as you suspect a new nest is in the making, good luck and thank you all for such a fun evening.
WeeNel UK.

LOL. I love that story!! That is something I will have to tell my parents about. They will love that!!

Great story Wee! What an awesome visual...like a cartoon, when the dynamite explodes in the guys hand and then leaves him with like 4 hairs on his head...too funny! Thank for sharing!

And if you want another little chuckle...head over to the Beginer Gardener's Forum, March 31st, Aliens in my Soil....another long post but hilarious!

I remember that one!! LOL

Some species use decaying wood as their nesting area. If you live in a newer subdivision you just may have a pile of construction debris buried in your yard. But the piedmont area of north and south carolina is a serious ant breeding ground. Try looking into biological pest control. Such as other insects that will feed on the ants, but not disturb your yard. buglogical.com is a good place to start.

I use diatomaceous earth, DE for many bug problems and it works great. Nothing will work with one treatment and last forever. But this is cheap, safe and works well. Do a google search and you will see tons of info. You can find it perty cheap in hardware stores, ebay and online.

Coffee was mentioned as an ant killer... I recently stopped drinking the coffee at work because I thought there was something wrong with it. Every time I noticed it spilled on the floor there was a pile of dead ants in it. They just crawl into it even after it's dry, eat it , and die!

Yes, coffee works and so does the grounds. If you want to put a barrier around the house use coffee grounds that have already been brewed. For individual ant hills just pain ole coffee will do the trick. It's not a permenent solution but it does work.

I guess I can stop going to Starbucks for lunch!

lol

half borax and half sugar and they carry it back to their nest and it kills them inclucing the queen.

just put some cornmeal from your local grocer on the nest, always worked for me

Have any of you guys checked out your AgCenter's website? I know here in La. (lsuagcenter.com) and in Tx, they are using a new product to sterilize the queen, actually she produces sterile eggs, so they are eradicated in 2 generations. It is very cost efficient, $10-20 per acre, it only affects the queen ant, no other insect, and it is a broadcast bait which is very easy to apply, and you only have to do it 2x the first year and once a year after that. It is best when a whole neighborhood is treated, but it works when the ants are foraging, spring and fall. We did it in the fall and noticed a significant decrease in ants, and we have just done it again for the spring application. We will not have to treat again until next spring. There is a list of different products, and some also contain an insecticide for an immediate relief. Most are very safe, recommended for use in parks and school yards. Go to the LSU website cited above and type in fireant remediation. A whole bunch of articles come up.