They are eating my sweet corn...What non-toxic, organic method will send them away and let me eat my own corn?
Ants in my plants
Feed them finely ground grits. It makes them swell up and go bust!!
Domebldr ~ what type of ants?
me too, I got ants I need to get rid of. They are black not red ants. They are killing my lacewings and making too many aphids. I think if I can get rid of the ants everything else will come in line...
Ratfood ~ are they the tinier black ant? They are probably hurting the lacewings but are coming to the sweet sticky mess that aphids are causing. I suspect if you could treat the aphids, the ants would move on...
Ho Podster,
Ants were there from day 1 , aphids didnt show up till a year later. Ants (black) are all over my yard. Some are nice and some bite and leave welts (twice they swarmed on my babies feet while watering - lots of stinging bites). Either way I really need them gone.
It sounds like the biters are the fire ants. There is nothing short of a nuclear strike that will wipe them out. Sadly what works is usually toxic. If your baby gets stung again, try ice packs. It really does stop the burning and the festering. I have noticed on some plants that have aphids, the smaller black ants are drawn to their sticky residue but the fireants... who knows. I don't know a cure for them, sorry.
I have those small, black "sugar" ants eating holes in the leaves on my huckleberry plants. I have put sevin dust out and now I am spraying with some liquid something or other but nothing seems to stop them.
I read somewhere that pouring sugar on the soil will chase the ants away. I read it on the internet so it's probably true. I will probably try it tomorrow and see if it works.
Please let us know.
feed them grits. It is cheaper than sugar. Or corn meal. Put the grits or cornmeal in a blender and "powderize" it just like you would convert regular sugar to powdered sugar. Put your hand over the top of the blender so you dont breathe that stuff or coat your kitchen with it. Re-sprinkle the ant trails and beds after each rain.
I'll surely give it a try. The beggars are driving me nuts. Grits are cheap and I have plenty because I love to eat them.