Oh man, those tiny brown ants are like uninvited party crashers, huh? Okay, so Terro usually rocks, but these critters sound like they've got their own playbook. Here's a game plan: First off, good call on avoiding harsh sprays with your kitty around. You might wanna try diatomaceous earth, for sure. It's like walking on broken glass for ants but safe for pets. Sprinkle that stuff around the plant's base and any ant highways you spot. Also, give your plant a spa day by repotting it with fresh soil just to kick those squatters out. Cleaning up any food crumbs and sealing up sugar or anything sweet can also tell those ants the party's definitely over. Stay vigilant, and with some patience, you'll send those tiny gatecrashers packing

Those sound like pharaoh ants. I got them in my kitchen last year and they're a nightmare! You're absolutely right, Terro doesn't work with them. Since they're virtually in every room in your house, I think you'll have to get an exterminator. 😕

@tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a), so you say that imidacloprid is more effective topically than systemically. My curiosity: do you use it in case of infestation or as prevention? I think that in case of infestation, topical imidacloprid is more effective and obviously quicker. However, perhaps administered systemically its action is more long-lasting.

Even when applied topically, it works systemically. The advantage to using it topically (when the vehicle allows) is in the fact it doesn't have to move from the roots (when used as a soil drench) to the plant's most distal parts. The insecticidal properties remain in play longer when it is used as a soil/root drench because photolysis, microbial degradation, and water dilution impact the efficacy of products applied topically.

FWIW - I tried to reply to your other question several times and was unable to upload the info. I'll try again soon.

Al

@tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) when I tried the liquid kind it didn't seem to work. However, I only sprayed the plant, didn't pour into the soil. Is that the difference? Wouldn't the effectiveness of a soil drench be minimal when using a gritty substrate?

Deanna

@tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) I had never heard of alkaline hydrolysis so I Googled it and Holy Crap! I had NO IDEA pH had anything to do with the effectiveness of insecticides!! I've been gardening for literally decades and have never come across this information, and the pH of the tap water in my city is 9.3. Seriously, you should write a book about growing plants. You're a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to share that wealth.

Deanna

I appreciate the kind words, Deanna,

The long term effectiveness of imidacloprid depends in large part on the bulk density and CEC (cation exchange capacity) of the soil/ substrate. IOW, it binds itself to soil particles. The bulk density of the gritty mix should be about 75% of the average mineral soil, meaning the gritty mix will bind less of the insecticide than a mineral soil would; however, the volume being treated would normally be extremely small compared to the volume of soil treated in the landscape and making an extra treatment is nowhere near the production treating woody plants in the landscape is.

I honestly can't say whether or not spraying with a dilution of the 1.47% imidacloprid product is any more or less, effective than using the 3-in-1 product designated as sprayable. I use the 3-in-1 for spraying and the 1.47% product for soil drench applications. Both are effective but the 3-in-1 spray works faster because it hasn't far to move in the plant.

Thanks again.

Al

@tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) if you don't mind, I have some followup questions about the alkaline hydrolysis issue. I understand that it's a chemical interaction with the alkalinity. Is the pH also an issue with organic insecticides like BT, cold-pressed neem oil, insecticidal soap, and spinosad? What about watering and fertilizing pH? Do you pH your water or fertilizer before giving it to your plants? Have you ever tested the pH of the water or fertilizer after it has run through the substrate?

Also, do you use spreader sticker with your insecticide?

Deanna

Is the pH also an issue with organic insecticides like BT, cold-pressed neem oil, insecticidal soap, and spinosad? It definitely is with raw cold-pressed neem oil (best to use) and insecticidal soaps. On the flip side of alkaline hydrolysis is acid hydrolysis, both of which are capable of breaking up large molecules of products with insecticidal properties into smaller molecules with reduced or no insecticidal properties. That's something you'll need to check on for each product. You can probably check it out easily by using the products active ingredient followed by the word hydrolysis.

What about watering and fertilizing pH? Do you pH your water or fertilizer before giving it to your plants? No, even though my water pH is slightly above 8.0 at the tap. Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 is an acid forming fertilizer which helps buffer the pH of the water.

My strategy for dealing with the high pH is 2-pronged. In winter, I water everything indoors under lights with R/O water which comes out of the filtration system

at 6.7 - 6.8 consistently. The water comes out at 0ppm dissolved solids. The slight acidity is due to the dissolved CO2 in the water. If allowed to stand for a day in an open container, the CO2 gasses off and the pH rises slightly to 6.9 - 7.0. Since I'm using an acid forming fertilizer, there are no pH issues. In summer, everything I grow is outdoors, where I water from the hose. I formerly would see some chlorosis attributable to a pH-induced Fe (iron) deficiency. This, I addressed by supplementing with an iron chelate (Sprint 138) formulated specifically for high pH applications. I have noticed no issues I can relate to specific nutrients other than Fe.

Have you ever tested the pH of the water or fertilizer after it has run through the substrate? Yes, but I gave that up a very long time ago. Soil solution pH varies widely in containers due to temperature, fertility levels, plant type, watering frequency, ..... . If I was doing it for a living I would have the wherewithal to maintain pH within a narrow and predetermined range most advantageous to the crop. If ever you hear a hobby grower say they are maintaining any given plant at a specific pH, take it with a grain of salt because they are almost certainly pulling your leg. It takes sophisticated equipment and titration products typically injected into the water supply to keep pH from fluctuating outside of narrow parameters.

Also, do you use spreader sticker with your insecticide? If I spray plants with leathery and glossy leaves (ficus, e.g.) that cause water to bead up on the foliage, I use insecticidal soap as a surfactant to help with coverage.

Al

"Also, do you use spreader sticker with your insecticide? If I spray plants with leathery and glossy leaves (ficus, e.g.) that cause water to bead up on the foliage, I use insecticidal soap as a surfactant to help with coverage."

In this regard, do you like this Bayer product?

OLIOCIN

Emulsified mineral oil with a high degree of sulfonability (95%) – Oil in water emulsion

Insecticide-acaricide for the fight against scale insects, aphid eggs and red spider mites of citrus fruits, ornamental plants in the open field,

of fruit trees and olive trees

COMPOSITION

100 g of Oliocin contain

80 g of mineral oil (CAS 8042-47-5) with 95% unsulphonability (= 696 g/l)

co-formulants as required to 100.

@tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) very informative. Your information has made me a better gardener. Thanks for letting me "pick your brain"!!

Deanna

You're welcome. Thanks again for your kind thoughts.

Al

I'm afraid most of this discussion is over my head. I still haven't done anything about my ant problem.

LOL

IDK if DE kills ants, but it's worth a shot. It works on soft bodied insects, but IDK if ant bodies are soft. If the ants are living in the pot, it sounds like the soil might've become hard and hydrophobic. Ants do not want to live in a wet place. In other words, when you water, the soil is repelling the water because the soil is too hard and dry. I'd suggest you soak the plant, pot and all, in a bucket of water until the soil is completely saturated with water. You'll know if it's saturated simply by lifting the pot to see how heavy it is. Also, I'd check the leaves for any clear, sticky residue. If the plant has scale, they exude sticky stuff as they feed, which in turn attracts ants.

Deanna

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is the siliceous fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. Food grade (amorphous) DE is not toxic and we've all swallowed quite a bit of it in toothpaste and foods. It is not poisonous, rather, it works mechanically. If you envision what finely pulverized glass would be like, you have a good idea re what DE is. It's primarily silica and very glass-like. It is effective at eliminating a wide variety of household and plant pests, including ants. It works by sticking to the natural fats, oils/ wax in the exoskeleton of pests. It absorbs the fat/ oil/ wax, which causes dehydration. The process is further hastened by the product's abrasiveness.

It's efficacy depends almost entirely in how well it sticks to the target pests, so different species of ants will be more or less susceptible to the effects of the product. The food grade product is relatively safe and is often ingested to combat constipation and high cholesterol. Use ONLY food grade product as other DE products (crystalline silicon dioxide) can accumulate in lymph nodes and cause lung issues (silicosis) and other serious irritations of tissues.