Boiling Water works. Right on the ant hills.
--
Dave,
remodeler, drummer, farmer, soapmaker
cutting, banging, sowing and milling!
Hello all,
My mother has put out an all-call for help. They're being invaded by
nasty biting ants, and don't want to put a persistant poison down for
fear of harming the birdlife.
Any ideas? I have a vague memory of borax being mentioned, but no
details.
Thanks.
--
Lorna Noble
Strathbungo
Glasgow
Scotland
Lorna pleaded:
1/8 teaspoon boric acid in a cup of honey or molasses will eventually
eliminate the nest. This weak solution will be carried by the workers back
and slowly destroy the queen ant and the rest of those back there. A
stronger mix will kill the workers on the spot but that just means the queen
produces more workers to bring her food. This probably should be placed in a
container that will allow the ants entry but exclude others.
Kimm
And we're back to ants. Pee on the nest. It works.
Thu, 6 Apr 2000 Lorna Noble wrote:
All the recommended tactics are great, and will work to one degree or another.
You say your mother doesn't want to use a persistent poison, and yet I bet
she
would like persistent control. Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth along cracks,
crevices
and any access point where ant are seen. I put DE in my window sills and door
jams.
I may also do a crack and crevice treatment from time to time. When you
purchase DE, b e sure to purchase insecticide grade or food grade DE, not the
filter grade DE. Food grade DE contains less than 2% crystaline silica
(typically
less than 1 %) and filter grade contains greater than 40% crystaline silica.
It is
the crystaline silica content that some people express concerns about when
they
ask if DE causes cancer. There has been no case of silicosis reported due to
Food grade DE. Food grade DE is safe enough to eat, yet it does a great job
of controlling crawling insects for extended periods.
Pissing on the ants, pouring boiling water on the ants, laying out boric acid
laced
baits and such are all PART of the effort to control the ants. What happens
typically when an ant colony is under attack is that the colony splits into
two or
more groups, each with several potentially reproductive females. A new queen
is
designated and the new colony begins from scratch. The young queens are
prolific
egg producers. I do not intend to imply that it is impossible to control
ants. People
just have to understand the dynamics of one of the most successful insects on
the planet.
The best way to keep ants out of the house is to make the house either ant
proof or ant "hostile". DE is one of the tools you can use to make the path
into your home a literal obstacle course. Enzyme based cleaning products help
to break down the simple proteins that scout ants leave behind as a scent
trail which worker ants follow. Enzyme cleaners can also break down fat and
carbohydrate residues which attract ants in the first place.
All the best,
Eric W. Acosta - Director
Biocontrol Network
Bio-rational Alternatives for an Ever Shrinking Planet
***************************************************
URL http://www.biconet.com E-Mail: ebugs@biconet.com
***************************************************
Mint oil is sometimes used. You can mix it into a spray with water. It
works on the little guys' nervous system, but it is totally poison free.
Nancy Martin
Zone 6 in PA
Poison-Free Certified http://www.victorpest.com
Traps and Cages http://www.havahart.com
The Simpsons http://simpsons.about.com
Hello all,
My mother has put out an all-call for help. They're being invaded by
nasty biting ants, and don't want to put a persistant poison down for
fear of harming the birdlife.
Any ideas? I have a vague memory of borax being mentioned, but no
details.
Thanks.
--
Lorna Noble
Strathbungo
Glasgow
Scotland
Lorna Noble wrote:
Yes Lorna
Borax mixed with sugar and laid out along their runways. They will
actually take it back to their nests and even feed it to the young.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
Most ants in that area (Durban, SA) come into the house in search of water,
not food. You will find ant bridges across the loo, in the sink, onto the
taps....
Cleanliness is NOT an issue - and I hope you didn't mean to imply that.
Lorna
--
Lorna Noble
Glasgow
Scotland
Hi Kimm,
You wrote:
> 1/8 teaspoon boric acid in a cup of honey or molasses will eventually
> eliminate the nest. This weak solution will be carried by the workers back
> and slowly destroy the queen ant and the rest of those back there. A
> stronger mix will kill the workers on the spot but that just means the
queen
> produces more workers to bring her food. This probably should be placed in
a
> container that will allow the ants entry but exclude others.
> Kimm
I haven't tried it so I present this as a bit of rural hearsay, but I've
been told that sugar alone is enough to kill the ants. Anybody have any
experience with this?
Cheers, Bob
--
Bob Carter
Kootenay Bay, BC
Hardiness Zone 6b
"Mars is essentially in the same orbit...
Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun,
which is very important. We have seen pictures
where there are canals, we believe, and water.
If there is water, that means there is oxygen.
If oxygen, that means we can breathe."
--Vice President Al Gore, 8/11/94
Eric,
Would diatomaceous earth spread around plants keep ants from farming aphids
or scales on them? How often does it have to be spread and does water
decrease its efficacy?
Barbara
Lorna Noble
Cleanliness, per se, may not be the real issue, but removing all attractants
is.
If that includes eliminating access to water, then that is a step to be taken.
Laying down DE along the pathways that the ants are using, and along the way
to the water source, can hinder them significantly. In addition to, or even
instead
of, you might want to try peppermint oil soap as a repellent.
All the best,
Eric W. Acosta - Director
Biocontrol Network
Bio-rational Alternatives for an Ever Shrinking Planet
***************************************************
URL http://www.biconet.com E-Mail: ebugs@biconet.com
***************************************************
