Ants are killing my plants!
crazylady
17 years ago
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melrt968
17 years agocrazylady
17 years agoRelated Discussions
ants , ants are killing my plants!
Comments (8)Just wanted to add some more thoughts on D.E. as to why it is so useful for the above purpose as well as many others. Insects don't have the ability to clot (unlike humans)their internal fluid (blood) there for if they get pricked they will literally bleed to death no matter how small the cuts are. D.E. can even be applied in a sprayer (with a small squirt of dishsoap to help stick it to plants or other surfaces) if kept agitated so as not to clog the nozzle. Then when it dries it will be reactivated. It will wash off so will need to be reapplied if rain or over head watering is used. The one thing I always remind folks about DE is that it is a dust and needs to be handled carefully so as not to breathe it into your lungs. (not a good thing). Use a standard dust mask if air borne dust is a possibility. Not trying to horn in Al, just offer more info on the subject.:) Happy Growing David...See MoreHow to get rid of fire ants in pots without killing plants
Comments (4)I hear that there is some product out there were you can put a ring around a plant and the ants wont cross it so if you submerge the pots again to get rid of the ants and then use that product as a barrier, the ants will not find their way back into the pots and you should be rid of them! Fire ants seem terrible. So far I havent seen any here, but there are tons of other plants that make problems and they are also pretty difficult to get rid of! Good luck! -Alex...See MoreAnts are eating my caterpillars!!!
Comments (20)Carol, you are right about caterpillars doing better in cool weather with the wasps disappearing. I have found 2 'wild' caterpillars in the last couple of days...the first living ones I have found since early July. The chrysalis, which are mainly attached to my patio fence, hardly ever survive - they are often 'adopted' by a garden spider. That is why I move them to a safe place whenever I find them. I keep them right outside my window, attached to a repurposed jewelry tree, where I can watch them hatch. They are protected by a 'moat' to protect them from ants, spiders....See MoreHow to safely kill carpenter ants in my sago palm
Comments (9)You've seen the actual ants among that dark granular material or it is instead part of the remains of the plant structure, which you are mistaking for evidence of a nest? Carpenter ants nest in wood, if you are tearing into a nest eggs and larvae should become visible at some point. Otherwise scattered ants are foraging and not indicating the exact location of a nest. Except for when they come into a house while doing this and get onto counters etc. this behavior is of little comparative importance - the most significant thing about them being found near a wooden structure is that they might be nesting in it, gnawing out the wood. And killing a percentage of the foraging ants is not going to eliminate the nest they are coming from, which will continue to generate more ants. Ants make trails that they follow, if you are in fact seeing a number of carpenter ants moving around there look for them traveling along such routes and follow those back to the nest. They don't eat wood so the presence of their nests is marked by dust-like sawdust that they have generated and disposed of outside the entrance. If they are infesting dried conifer wood such as might be used in buildings this material will often be yellowish or otherwise pale....See Morejan_515
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