ants in the mailbox
lipwak
16 years ago
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Comments (10)
Kimmsr
16 years agolipwak
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Mailbox milkweeds
Comments (8)Sorry for the delay.Yes they are common milkweeds,Asclepias syriaca.I usually gather the eggs as fast as the monarchs lay them,but the ones I miss seldom make it past the first instar.I think ants and spiders get them when they're tiny,and wasps when they're a bit bigger....See MoreMailbox planter
Comments (6)i simply made a bottomless box from treated wood planks and lowered it over my mailbox. i mixed potting soil with regular soil and stuffed the box with all kinds of flowers, including a carolina jessamine vine. somehow a crepe myrtle snuck in there, so i keep it nicely trimmed. there are so many flowers that you can no longer see the box. i doubt if a homeowners assn would approve of such a simple wooden box, but it wouldn't hurt to find out....See MoreWhat should I plant near my mailbox? PICS
Comments (11)Do you have to worry about the plow shoving icy snow over this area as well as the salt Wendy asked about? Does the town come through with machinery and redig the ditch every few years? If either of those is the case, you might want to consider whiskey barrels or another large pot that you can move out of the way with one of those 2 wheeled hand carts every fall. You probably want to at least consider annuals regardless since you want long bloom or else colorful foliage with various textures to carry the time between bloom. I have a couple of large pots by my mailbox in part shade. I have ribbon grass (green & white variegated running grass) in one, so it is contained and won't spread. In the other I put annuals that will look good with the ribbon grass, varying from year to year: pansies in early spring, followed by impatiens, begonias, fuschias, coleus over the last few years. Perennial plants that have variegated or colorful foliage and like part shade include variegated Solomon's seal, hosta, the maroon foliaged Cimicifugas (AKA actea), Japanese painted fern and most of these will look nice with Bill's astilbe suggestion. You might consider bulbs like daffodils or species crocus that if they will be in mostly sun before the trees' leaves emerge should grow fine. If you plant bulbs or perennials in the pots, they should be hardy to about 2 zones colder than where you are to ensure survival. With regard to watering: if you mulch around your plants and then when you haven't had rain for a while take a couple of capped gallon jugs of water with you (either walk them down or in the back of the car as you are on your way out) most plants except swamp plants should be fine with the moisture levels....See MoreSuper easy ant repellant!
Comments (28)If these were imported fire ants at the base of the mail box, you'd be inclined to get rid of them in a hurry. I've seen them swarm the inside of a mailbox. Anyone stung by even one fire ant will soon feel differently about the need to get rid of them in any location where people, pets, livestock, baby birds, etc. frequent. gmom, dishsoap will not work for your big fire ant mound. Invest in a small canister of Amdro, still the best product around for fire ants. It's a bait, so it need to be sprinkled gently around the mound...do not disturb the ants when applying. They will soon come and get the little granules, take them down into the nesting chambers and it will eventually (over a couple of days) get fed to everybody, including the queen. Once the queen dies, the colony will cease to exist. A mature fire ant colony can have chambers that go down 2 to 3 feet, with tunnel systems much deeper than that. That's why boiling water, dish soap, and other physical deterrents simply can't work. Amdro, as a true bait, entices the ants to do all the work....See MoreKimmsr
16 years agolipwak
16 years ago
Lacey Montgomery
7 years ago
Kristina Mirell
6 years agoI have ants in my mailbox. (I know,,,,, it sounds like a personal problem. lol lol).
except I have a metal post!. so I assume they're coming from the ground. There's three piles of eggs too.
I SWEAR BY Terro Ant Baits, been using them for years and ants have been gone in less than 24 hours. I put a trap in the mailbox last night at 9 pm and 12 hours later they're still going but many ate it because their belly's are nice and full (they all got big butts lol) I'm hoping they take the bait and die off before the mail lady comes. I think she didn't leave me mail yesterday because of them.
Funny I don't like killing them, but am poisoning them w/ Terro. Is that sadistic or what?> lMAO.
I'll keep this updated.
Kristina Mirell
6 years agoMel Thoeny
2 years agoAudra Vanzant
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
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