Aloe and fire ants

I haven't seen fire ants at all in my yard but today I dumped a big aloe plant out of its pot (was sitting out in the garden bed) and it is swarming with tiny tiny red ants which I am figuring are the fire ants everyone talks about. If so, yuck! My first instinct was to throw the whole thing in a big black trash bag. And I did that. I was going to bring pieces of aloe to the San Antonio swap but don't want to pass along any fire ants, nor do I want to get anywhere near them.

Anyway, I am wondering if aloe specifically attracts them, or if I just got "lucky." I got my aloe from someone else, but it's been growing here now for maybe 2 years. As for how to get rid of fire ants, I know that's been a topic so I won't ask about products, but if you have any advice, please do tell.
LiseP

Fire ants like dry places and I've often found them living in my potted plants, especially the ones that don't require lots of water. So, you're not "just lucky". I just dust them with diatomaceous earth and dry molasses and go on about my business.

Thanks, stepanietx, I didn't know that. I'll have to learn to deal with them like everyone else, I guess.
L

You can mix in the DE and molasses in your potting soil mix. Also, when you transplant, you can knock off as much dirt as possible, separating the roots. Then when you add your new soil mix, you'll hopefully kill off the ants as well as deter others from nesting there.

They seem to move into the drier pots if the ground soil is really wet. I wonder being "tiny" if they are fire ants? Did you get stung? I don't think aloe is the ant magnet but the dry soil is the draw. Other ants are drawn to eat bugs some times and will be found in and on plants.

I also don't think I would discard the aloe. Aloe roots are fairly coarse and the dirt can be removed completely. You can visually see there are no ants attached before repotting them. I try to use an ant deterrent under the pots both on the porch and those setting on the ground. Good luck! pod

I was wondering the same thing Podster. One easy thing that I read to determine if you are dealing with fire ants or some other variety of ants is that fire ants have ants of varying sizes. There is a noticeable size difference among the ants that come swarming out of the mound. Some will be small, but I don't think I would describe them as tiny. Some will be larger.

Lise--if the pots not that large, you can sprinkle 3 or 4 Tablespoons of plain old sugar and very lightly water (just enough to move the sugar thru mulch into soil) and they will move out of that pot within about 6 hours. It'll work in a pinch for a pot when you are out of other stuff.

Not sure if ya'll have crazy ants over there or not yet (the ones that move super fast) but I always leave those alone as they are natural enemies of the fire ant. And they aren't a big problem here either. Never seen them near the air conditioner electrical stuff or the outside gfi outlets.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5781180.html

I seldom see fire ants any more because of these guys. About the only place for them anymore is the hell strip out front and in the cracks of that sidewalk. I use an organic drench (safer) that's mostly orange oil (you can smell it a long way off) but there are no plants out there I care that die as a result of using the drench.

This stuff really works as does the original Amdro. http://www.amdro.com/AntBlock/index.html

Jerry

stephanietx, mixing DE and molasses in your potting soil mix to deter ants is a great idea. I'll do this from now on.

podster, what kind of ant deterrent do you use under the pots?

dmj1218, I am glad you posted the sugar method which seems pretty simple. I'll be doing it to one of my containers today! :o) Send me some crazy ants!

Usually, I know if I have fire ants because they sneak up on me before I know they are on me and then attack. One year while sitting on a landscape timber weeding a flowerbed, I did not realize that fire ants had made a bed there too. As they attacked my upper legs, lower body parts and back, all I could think of to do was to take off my shorts right there in the front yard and beat them off which I did. Talk about ants in my pants!!

I'll box them right up for you hazel! Out in today's post.

I doubt the sugar would work well as a widespread deterrent but it sure worked on a couple of pots. I was out of molasses and determined not to drive anywhere the other day--figured molasses is sweet...so is sugar...a dangerous thing, I know, to much thinking.....
Debbie
=)

You won't believe how well a household cleanser will repel them ~ comet or ajax or borax. It won't remove them so I do use a chemical treatment when the ants are too firmly entrenched. Taking off the shorts I understand! LOL It seems they can climb all over you before you feel them and then one will signal them all to BITE!!! What misery.

I stay organic here--don't even own comet or ajax or borax--so I stick with the molasses (which I am out of and forgot again on my Lowe's trip yesterday)--so I'll stick with organic sugar--always have that (although I should not consume so much--but I'm thin so can handle it, or at least that's my excuse). But I really do need to remember it on my next supplies trip in April.

I use Borax all the time, and it's organic. I use it in the laundry, but I also use it to clean the toilets and the sinks. Good scrubber!

I use a mix of 4 ozs orange oil, 1 tsp of liquid soap in a gallon of water. When ants get in a pot and go attack crazy when disturbed, I spray with my Orange Power and that calms them down immediately, it is like they are tranquilized and they stop attacking. A real good spraying and they normally gone from the pot by the next day. The orange oil destroys their #$^%skeleton.

You know, I read a few years ago that A&M (if I remember) was experimenting with orange rinds to treat fire ant hills. But never heard more. The orange oil in that light a dose won't hurt your plants? Good to know...

WildcatThicket, I have used diluted orange oil spray to ward off cats for a few days. Thanks for the another means of attacking ants.

I have been told and read that orange oil is not good for earthworms, so I use it, but only to treat mounds, not widespread in the beds.

Anytime you use something to kill there is always collateral damage. Orange oil is very environmental friendly. Boiling water used to eradicate ant mounds will cook earthworms if they are close by. When attempting to eradicate one thing there is always someone else in the neighborhood. Fire ants are not good for my health. Earthworms or not the ants have got to go. Ever see fire ants do in an earthworm? Wiggle wiggle.

For you organics out there

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/fireant.html

Jerry

shuggins, I did not drench my large flowerbed in orange oil. I sprayed the plants that were being stomped by the cats with very diluted orange oil. I just have been digging in this flowerbed and I have lots of earthworms of all sizes including babies. Perhaps I would have more if I hadn't spray the orange oil. :o) Thanks for the reminder of its effects on earthworms.

Wildcat...I wasn't criticizing the use of orange oil. I agree that most anything that you do will have some unwanted result, but ultimately the ants have to go!. The only reason I mentioned it was because when I first heard about using orange oil, no one told me that it would harm the worms. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew.

Orange oil really will only affect the earthworms within a couple of feet of the mound (which are also probably being harmed much more by the ants). If you have healthy soil with lots of earthworms--they'll move back into that area soon.
Debbie

shuggins I didn't take it as a criticism I was just on my soap box blowing aboot how smart I am.
Another thing I do with the orange oil spray is to spray myself when attacked, skin and clothes. That really helps getting them off and out of the biting mode.

This message was edited Mar 21, 2009 10:39 AM

Hadn't thought of the spray, maybe I should keep some around.

WildcatThicket, just made me a little spray bottle with orange oil in it to protect myself as best I can from the fire ant attacks.

I use the spray inside on ants that want some air conditioning. Smells good to me. I clean my TV screen with it. I next thing I will claim it does is, never mind I will quit now.

Something else to remember, beneficial nematodes. They will kill fire ants and a host of other things like roaches, fleas, and ticks. When we treat our yard, we always spray some on the compost pile and in the potted plants.

Where are you getting the BN's?

We get them at the feed store. You might look in the phone book (or online) for an organic nursery in your area. I know there are several resources in Houston.