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Thread: Eliminating outdoor ants |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 8
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Having lived in condos, this gardening/landscaping business is all new to me, but I love it.
My problem is: How to get rid of the ants using a benign approach (sans insectiside). I found an on-line forum on which a member claimed: - - - - - - - - - - You have problems with ants???? Grab a handful of washing powder, and throw it amongst the wee devils ... they love it ... they pick up the wee bits of the washing powder, take it back to their 'nest', munch on it then ... disappear. The acid in the washing powder, (Persil, Daz, or whatever is there), burns them up. By the way ladies & lads, you don't have to pile the washing powder up ... just throw it around in the area where the ants are. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Has anyone tried this method, or some other equally creative one with any real success. Thanks. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Julied --
I found a number of web sites promoting the use of Boric Acid for pest control (in addition to ants, it works against cockroaches, termites, silverfish and fleas). I wonder if that isn't what is working in the washing powder. I saw other products mentioned as well such as Johnson's Baby Powder, WD-40 and anti-fungal foot sprays. I can't vouch for any of these, but Boric Acid seemed to have the most support from the web sites I looked at. Good luck. I hope they aren't fire ants. Your friend and team mate, |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
I have lived in Africa for about half of my life. Ants and bugs are part of life out there. There are clever ways to control them and "brute force" methods using pesticides and other chemicals.
What kinds of ants are you refering to? black ants, sugar ants, white ants ..... these names may sound strange, but desribe the kinds of ants you have, when the, and I will tell you how we use to deal with them (manage the process as oppossed to droping an atom bomb!) Interesting topic this.... on a comp type forum - makes change hahahaha ;) RobSab |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Interesting topic this.... on a comp type forum - makes change hahahaha ;) RobSab Yeah, Rob, I was thinking the same thing myself. This way we get to talk to each other in the same everyday way that we actually live. Anyhow, while I am not an entomologist, they appear to be ordinary "garden-variety"  very small brown, or reddish brown ants. They can be found all over, but it is the ones that live in the beds that concern me. There is a good deal of organic material and the moisture content is often high.The ones at my neighbors house bit/stung me, but since then I have always worn gloves, so I am not certain about these. Hell I'll just go outside and check them out to find out more. I'll post back in a bit. Thanks to both you and Dave. They really have to go. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
The ones that live in the beds in front (high organic material and moisture) are medium brown and about 1/4" long. Slender abdomen, with a noticeably rear end that is wider than is the head and has a lighter or shinner sheen to it. They have a "long look" despite the medium size. They do not appear to be biters. These guys will not climb on me unless they have to.
I could only find one in the rear yard (in the bait trap that must have gotten the others). It was quite small, very fast and light brown or red. It was in the dry clay bed of the Norway Spruce, a tree that does not like moisture. I think these guys are bitters as when I set the trap I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, they were aggressive and I kept having to brush them off of me There are at least 2 varieties, then, one in wet high organic matter sites. The other is in dry clay/sandy sites. So, does this help. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
You seemed to be getting there since you cannot find too many of the little blighters! If you are using bait stations (the type, that the ants go to and carry food back to their colonies) then that should do the trick. As far as dealing with the ones that come into the home, have a look at this:
http://www.ecologycenter.org/erc/fact_sheets/ant_control.html It is a good instruction guide on how to get rid of them. btw, if you find them in your compost heap, then leave them there. They are actually doing a lot of good. The only problem is keeping them out of the house. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
julied,
are you sure Paws hasn't been round  |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
julied, are you sure Paws hasn't been round I doubt it, Sanj. The oak tree isn't wilting.  |
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