I bought some little pepper plants at Home Depot today to put in the backyard in the only bed we have that gets much sun. I was just working in that bed a couple of weeks ago, and it was fine, but today it has several fire ant beds. OUCH! My bunnies play back there, so I want to get ride of them asap! I found the article that TexasTam (http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/923/) wrote a couple of weeks ago suggesting Spinosad and orange oil/agricultural molasses treatments. We found the Spinosad on Lowe's webpage, so dh is going to stop there on his way home and pick some up tonight. Any ideas about where to get the orange oil and molasses in Houston??
Grrrrr... Fire ants :-(
I wonder if Whole Foods or maybe one of the big HEBs would carry it. I know the HEB here in The Woodlands has a huge assortment of organic cleaners (maybe orange oil?) Health foods and Ethnic foods. I would think molasses would be failrly easy to find in most bigger grocery stores.
LOL I hvaen't had much problem yet with the little buggers, but I found out why about 2 days ago. I have a nice colony of harveter ants in the back of my yard. They had completely stripped a Virginia creeper on the fence. I could acually hear them snapping off bits of leaves! I understand they keep the Fire Ants away, but sadly they are no better. I have to figure out how to get rid of them before they find my tomato plants!
I have found both Orange Oil and Molasses at Lowe's, specifically the 249 @ Cypresswood but other locations may have it as well. All their organic type products are on a separate section in the air conditioned part (opposite the pesticides). I would guess that Houston Plants & Garden World ( http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109433574882206671689.00044b64d8d4260fdc857&ll=29.90971,-95.573502&spn=0.312475,0.462112&z=11 ) and Houston Garden Centers also carry them.
This message was edited Apr 23, 2008 2:51 PM
Try a Super HEB. I bought some from the store in Bastrop. There is an aisle with garden tools, gloves, etc. That's were I found it.
Hi Marilyn. I'm pretty sure Whole Foods carries the orange oil also. I found tea tree oil there. You can get the unsulphured molasses at just about any grocery store.
Awesome. Thanks, everyone! He found the orange oil and the Spinosad at Lowes. Do you suppose regular molasses will do, or should I go out tomorrow and look for the unsulphured stuff?
Are harvester ants the same as leaf cutting ants, jojoringer? Either way, you have my sympathy! I saw a HUGE colony of those at work on a hickory tree at a camp I was at last weekend. Amazing little critters... in the forest. In a garden, I can imagine they would be horribly destructive.
Houston garden centers has the orange oil and hort. molassess. I just bought some over the weekend along with 20% vinegar.. Orange oil and 20% vineger and dishwashing soap makes a nice weed killer!!!
Moodene, would you mind sharing that recipe with us? I'd love to try it.
Yes those are the same ants. I really hate to kill them as I read they are somewhat endangered, and the main food of the horned toad, which is why the toad is endangered, not that there are any around here, but still...
I read that article and can't find what the molasses is for? Am I missing part of the recipe?
I too would love that weedkiller recipe Moodene!
According to this site (http://www.urbanharvest.org/advice/pestsdiseases/fire_ant.htm), the molasses "used in conjunction with orange oil may enhance the effects."
Thanks so much! I'm going to try that on the harvester/leaf cutters. They don't have mound, just a big hole in the ground, but it's worth a shot!
Southwest Fertilizer on Bissonnet usually has quite a selection of products including molasses, and they are priced fairly low.
Thanks, Bill!!! :-)
Don't kill the harvesters!! They're good ants!
To kill the fire ants, you can apply a couple applications of beneficial nematodes to your yard over a 6-8 week period and they'll take care of them. You can get nematodes at an organic garden center or sometimes at a feed store. (You can also get dry molasses/agricultural molasses at the feed store also.)
If you use the spinosad/orange oil/molasses treatment, don't use regular molasses. You'll have a HUGE mess. Don't ask me how I know.... LOL
Stephanie
LOL Okeydoke, I'll get the real stuff. :-)
I know, I really don't want to kill them, but I have a toddler and we use our yard a lot. How do we coexist, they have a painful sting and while they don't swarm like the FA, they can sure lay a hurt on my curious little boy. They are also very destructive in the garden. But i'm willing for any advice that prevents me from having to commit antacide. (unless its Fire Ants)
Call your local county extension agent and ask for their advice.
Stephanie
I have started my own private war with the fireants in our yard. I try to be friendly with nature, but not when they bite poor little Gemma to the point that a friend asked if she had chicken pox.... :( She has just started to walk faster, and I can't always keep her away from the ants anymore.
The ants thought the raised bed I created this spring would be a perfect home and took over the whole bed. They also forage on our patio as well. I was trying to be kind and used the garden hose to flood them into relocating, but they didn't get the hint. I tried a borox/sugar bait, but they said "no thank you." I picked up some "Fire ant killer" to be quick about it, but returned it today because Gemma eats too much dirt and other things she finds around the garden. I decided to take stephanie's advice from another thread and bought beneficial nematodes last night online.
I will have to wait until the nematodes come in to wage the next battle.
Will the nematodes be enough, or should I buy more stuff to spot treat the "mound" that now covers almost the entire 12' x 3' bed? I have spent most of my gardening budget for the year, so I don't mind waiting a little if it is less expensive.
I did see the orange oil and molasses at Lowes while returning the fire ant killer today.
Tabitha
For fire ants, I use instant grits. I heard about it last year and was skeptical but tried it and it works great. I just sprinkle the grits on the mounds like i would poison. I don't get as much relocation as I would with flooding. Supposedly they take the grits to the queen and once in their system, the grits expand and...well, you get the idea. My MIL has used poison in the past but geez, one whiff of that stuff and you KNOW you shouldn't be anywhere near it. And with our dogs, I wanted something more organic. It works for us!
School sports fields use a cleanser like ajax or comet. It is safe around the players and all it does is encourage the ants to move elsewhere.
I guess the ants must not have liked the borox. I saw a few roaming from the back corner to the grass area, but now they are gone. I have my bed back with NO ANTS!!!!!!! Gemma can play on the patio with NO ANTS!!!! I spread about 1/2 inch of coffee grounds on the vegetable bed to keep future ants from finding it inviting. I heard ants don't like coffee grounds. We will see.
Tabitha
I have used beneficial nematodes in my yard for the last 7-8 years. Not only do they take out the fire ants, but they also take care of grubs, termites, and fleas. They are expensive, but if you don't want poisons around, they are well worth the cost. We've found that just one application in late May or early June lasts the whole summer.
I tried Spinosad last year, because it also knocks down mosquitoes. We didn't have fire ants, but I don't know how much the Spinosad had to do with that. I was disappointed because I couldn't see that it helped with our serious mosquito problem. :( Cedarcide pellets worked, but unfortunately not for long.
You can get all these products in the organic gardening section of Calloway's. I would think Cornelius probably carries them too.
Do benefical nematodes hurt the eartworms, or do they just prey on larva? I was wondering how they affect the overall balance in the soil. Has anyone mail ordered BN before, and which company have you used?
Nematodes won't hurt the wormies at all. We have ordered them online before, but DH did it and I have no clue where he got them. Check the Dirt Doctor's site for some organic gardening links. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/links.php
Earlier today, I tried to look for a source of those beneficial nematodes, but struck out. Without a name of the nematodes or the product in which they come, finding them will be difficult. The only local nursery doesn't carry them so I will have to get them on line somewhere. Stephanie, would you see if your DH remembers where he placed the order?
Here ya go!
http://www.gardensalive.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1209439174
or
http://ladiesinred.com/
Hope that helps!
This is where we buy them locally. You can oder them online or call them. They do have to stay refrigerated, so I'm not sure how they'll ship them to you. We get the $34.00 ones which is for 2 applications. We apply them about 2 weeks apart.
http://www.marshallgrain.com/marshall/product.asp?s_id=0&pf_id=PAAAAAOODIHMJECM
We had termites in our backyard and sunroom a couple of years ago and DH researched online to find the specific nematode that kills termites. Those are the ones he ordered online. (There are different types/species of nematodes and they do different things.) We were going to order more of the termite killing ones last year, but DH couldn't remember where he found them and we couldn't find a receipt. I'm happy to report we haven't had termites again!
I've had good experience with Gardens Alive that someone posted a link to. Try them if you can't get them from Marshall Grain.
Probably TMI, but there you have it! LOL
Thank you both for the links. I've bookmarked them to use tonight. I have to go out to wait for the bulldozer guy.
The best nematodes we've used are more expensive, but we've only needed one application with them. I don't think they sell them online, but you could write and ask them for a local dealer. http://www.beorganic.com/products/green_sense.html
I just tried the link to Rohde's and didn't find anything on nematodes. Do you remember what the product is called?
what are nemotodes? i went to the site and it said to mix with water--so they are not a living insect--i am having trouble with ants in my mulch and in my compost--but i didn't know they will eat my plants!! love the grits idea--will borax be ok to use around veggies?
Nematodes are round worms. They resemble earthworms, but are much much smaller — between 1/50 to 1/4 of an inch. Most are parasitic. Texas A & M has been trialing a specific species on several ranches located throughout Texas. So far, nematodes are the best hope we have against fire ants.
Nematodes are microscopic living organisms that eat the larvae of various pests such as fleas, ants, grubs (which mature into june bugs), roaches, termites, and a host of other annoying things. They will NOT hurt plants and veggies. They live in the soil. You have to apply them with water to broadcast them on your yard.
If you have ants in your compost pile, you might not be turning it often enough. You can try adding dry molasses to your compost to kill the ants, turning it more often, and watering it more frequently until the ants are gone. Spraying nematodes on your mulch and compost won't hurt it either.
I checked the type of nematodes we get and they're called "ANTidote" brand.
http://www.gulfcoastbio.com/antidote.htm
This company is located in Huntsville, so give them a call and see if they will sell directly to you or refer you to someone in your area that sells the nematodes (for the original poster in Humble).
There are varieties of nematodes that will hurt plants. To the point that tomatoes have been bred to resist nematodes (look for varieties of tomatoes with N in the name). Stephanie is talking about those few beneficial nematodes which have been discovered and cultivated.
And of course without a microscope, it is difficult to tell if the nematodes you just spent big bucks for from GardensAlive, etc. are still alive when you put them out in your garden.
This message was edited May 1, 2008 9:14 AM
I just disposed of three fireant mounds yesterday with my tried and true method - a kettle of boiling water poured directly into the entry hole. Pouring carefully minimizes damage to adjoining vegetation and the mound collapses.
An Update:
I sprinkled the Spinosad around the multiple ant holes. I could see ants toting the little pellets around almost immediately, which was encouraging. That evening it rained. (sigh...) So the next day I sprinkled them again with the rest of the bag.
Yesterday, 3 weeks later, I was back out in the same area and all but one of the ant colonies are gone! Yayy! I only got bit once, on the hand (and it itches all the way up to the elbow... arrrrrghh!!). So the Spinosad worked great, and probably when I was sprinkling the second time, I missed this patch; it's almost under a small tree. I'm going to get some more today. :-)
Tea Tree Oil will take the sting out of the ant bite. You can find it in the vitamin/supplement aisle at Wal-Mart or the pharmacy.