Ants

[Palmə häl′ik]

I got ants.

Everywhere. Digging taverns around the bases of palms...

Will tobacco dust handle them?

~Ray.

[newtothis]

Just throw ant bait down, I just did it, even in pots. The whole yard was covered in them. Find the mounds, stir 'em up, sprinkle the food, spread a little extra on the grass and flowers, they take it to the queen and all dead on 1 day.

[yachtingone]

Terminite carpender ant and termite killer! The box stores have it.

[CromulentKevin]

I have so many ants in my yard here in California, that I decided instead of trying to get rid of them, it was easier to pledge allegiance to their queen and do her bidding.

[Palmə häl′ik]

I've learned to deal with them for the last few years, but now I want them gone.

I notice they make little sand nests up in my Plumeria and Croton foliage too.

Shake 'em around and they get really pissed.

And then they'll dig all through my palm roots; no doubt...

I can see their holes right at the base of the palms...

~Ray.

[paulgila]

I have so many ants in my yard here in California, that I decided instead of trying to get rid of them, it was easier to pledge allegiance to their queen and do her bidding.

good one,kevin!

its so bad in my yard i have to ask THEM what to plant.

[freakypalmguy]

I have so many ants in my yard here in California, that I decided instead of trying to get rid of them, it was easier to pledge allegiance to their queen and do her bidding.

good one,kevin!

its so bad in my yard i have to ask THEM what to plant.

They make me BBQ for them at my house.

[paulgila]

they are rather demanding overlords.

[LJG]

I have a stuffed Anteater in my yard. Seems to fool them so they stay in my neighbors yards.

[mjff]

If you have that many ants, I bet you don't have a lot of other insect pests that the ants kill. I'd give anything for an ant infestation to replace the grasshoppers currently munching their way through my Trachycarpus and Trithrinax.

[CardiffPalmNut]

There is a great bait / Poison called SEVEN, safe around the kids and dogs, the ants will be gone in a week or so, I use it at the house and the PALM STORAGE / GROWING FACILITY can't call it a nursery more a Rabbit habitat. But SEVEN works great Depot & Lowes both have it I'm sure you can find it pretty easy.

Aloha from Ant Paradise.

Bill

[Palmə häl′ik]

I've got some Sevin.

I'll give it a go around.

~Ray.

[ghar41]

Argentine ants. Check this out.....

" Global super-colony

According to research published in Insectes Sociaux in 2009, it was discovered that ants from three Argentine ant super-colonies in America, Europe and Japan, that were previously thought to be separate, were in fact most likely to be genetically related. The three colonies in question were one in Europe, stretching 6,000 km (3,700 miles) along the Mediterranean coast, the "Californian large" colony, stretching 900 km (560 miles) along the coast of California, and a third on the west coast of Japan.

Based on a similarity in the chemical profile of hydrocarbons on their cuticles of the ants from each colony, and on the ants non-aggressive and grooming behaviour when interacting, compared to their behaviour when mixing with ants from other super-colonies from the coast of Catalonia in Spain and from Kobe in Japan, researchers concluded that the three colonies studied actually represented a single global super-colony.

The researchers stated that "enormous extent of this population is paralleled only by human society", and had probably been spread and maintained by human travel."

Baits containing low concentrations of boric acid (Terro) are effective in temporarily reducing invasions as the transporting ant lives long enough to take the bait to its immediate colony. There are many websites that offer info on mixing your own. Also, this method is low in toxicity to humans.

[paulgila]

i have heard that diatomaceous earth keeps ants away.

[R.E.Var Kotobuki]

Try one of these three "Organic home brews" (or all three):

1) Coffee grounds: take the left over stuff after you make your coffee in the morning and sprinkle it near the affected area.

2) Diatomaceous earth: pick it from a pool supply store, make a ring around the palm or scatter around the area...this stuff cuts the buggers up like broken glass.

3) Wom casting tea: this stuff work on all sorts of stuff--fungal as well some pests.

hope these help!

Danny

[mnorell]

We have so many imported fire ants here (I assume this is what you're also dealing with at your place in FL), and because I came to the realization long ago that any extermination methods are only temporary, I have also pledged allegiance to their Queen(s)...I prefer to look on the bright side of things: they aerate the soil beautifully in heavy rains, they are good predators of some other major pests (boll weevil, TERMITES, etc.) and they provide food for wildlife, they've become part of the ecosystem. Of course, on the negative, an innocent footstep in the wrong place brings the dreaded army that positions itself quietly on your leg until the leader blows the whistle, and the subsequent nightmarish pain, pustules, etc. I have a healthy respect for these critters and if I want to plant something where they've made a nest I usually just sigh loudly, plant somewhere else and wait until they decide to move to a different place...in short, we manage to successfully co-exist. The USDA has imported Brazilian phorid flies in the southeast to reduce fire-ant populations, google it for an interesting read, they implant eggs in the fire-ants, and the larvae hatch and eat the ant's brains for food, decapitate it and then pupate in the head's remains. Diabolical!

[Patrick]

Hitler Schmitler- THESE guys are out for world domination!

For the ants at my house, I put out some of the stupid bait stakes that you can get at the supermarket, the type where they take the poison back to the nest. I placed the stakes here & there in the paths of where they traveled and it reduced them to a degree. I figure that they're beneficial in moderation- they must be helpful for some things so you don't want to totally get rid of them. Moderation, man! I still have some ants but they're not excessive at this point. Just here & there. I guess we now have an "understanding. I just figure a sterile yard is a bad thing......

If they're coming in the house, get the silicon out and watch for where they come in- patch it up when you find the spot. Otherwise, I agree that the powder works well around the perimiter of the house.

As for the palms- FLOOD 'EM!

[R.E.Var Kotobuki]

I heard ants cant live underwater for a few days....dont know if flooding them will be the most effective way.

[Alicehunter2000]

and then pupate in the head's remains.

Uh......Moderator......isn't this language restricted

[Palmə häl′ik]

Attack of the ants!

Thanks Dave!

I've already spread the Sevin. This stuff's garbage... It just may attract pests...

They were crawling all over the Sevin dust, having a real nice time...

I don't think it effected them. D.E. probably would have sliced em up...

I'll try some flooding next...

Thanks all.

~Ray.

[Justin]

Let me ask this - aside from being an annoyance, do I actually need to be concerned with these? In other words, do they cause any damage? The reason I ask is that I have literally millions, in fact I would not be shocked if I had a billion if I added up everything in my yard. Digging a hole anywhere will reveal tons of them. All of my plants seem okay, but maybe the ants are bad for them, and I have no real way of knowing.

[John Case]

Let me ask this - aside from being an annoyance, do I actually need to be concerned with these? In other words, do they cause any damage? The reason I ask is that I have literally millions, in fact I would not be shocked if I had a billion if I added up everything in my yard. Digging a hole anywhere will reveal tons of them. All of my plants seem okay, but maybe the ants are bad for them, and I have no real way of knowing.

Ants will have the following impact:

1) eating the leaves on some plants

2) cultivation of aphids on new growth

3) cultivation od scale insects

4) transport of bacteria potentially fatal to your plants

5) biting/stinging you when you accidentally step on the wrong nest

6) annual invasion into the home for water/grease, whatever

7) your wife/girlfriend thinking how much a slob you are for allowing ants in the house

And much, much, more.....

[Al in Kona]

We used to have a big problem with ants both outside and inside. Plants such as citrus and gardenias were especially bothered. Then after the tiny Coqui tree frogs moved into our area the ants almost all seemed to have disapeared.

Then I read that ants are a big part of a tree frogs diet. I'm now convinced that they play a big part in controlling ants in a garden, at least here in our area. It's so nice not to have to use poisons anymore. I used to use Antrol, a granular bait that would help a lot, but no longer need to. On the negative side, at least for many people, is the evening noise the Coqui make, especially after an evening rain. And this is probably more of a problem in high rainfall areas. Anyway for us, it's been a blessing in more ways than one. That's all I wish to say about it here as this can be a very controversial topic with many in Hawaii.

[DoomsDave]

and then pupate in the head's remains.

Uh......Moderator......isn't this language restricted

Is that an astronaut salaaming in the background?

[DoomsDave]

Let me ask this - aside from being an annoyance, do I actually need to be concerned with these? In other words, do they cause any damage? The reason I ask is that I have literally millions, in fact I would not be shocked if I had a billion if I added up everything in my yard. Digging a hole anywhere will reveal tons of them. All of my plants seem okay, but maybe the ants are bad for them, and I have no real way of knowing.

I've got ants in my plants, sometimes in my pants, and, aside from being an odd nuisance, I've had no real problem with them. They love scale and aphids on the Archies, but they Archies don't seem to care, gorwing faster than the speed of light.

Ants do cultivate aphids and other pests, but if your plants are in good health, they don't do much harm.

Where they do pose a problem is if you're raising plants for sale or for show, which is a whole other ball game . . . ..

[DoomsDave]

I heard ants cant live underwater for a few days....dont know if flooding them will be the most effective way.

It kills some kinds, but others just float away to a new home . . . .

[Palmə häl′ik]

Yeah. The flooding did nothing aswell...

These buggers just keep coming and coming...

[Tom S]

I own a pest control company and the best product for getting rid of ants is Termidor. I don't know if you can get it without a license, but at my home I spray once every 3 years and never see an ant.

Tom

[paulgila]

thanks for the input,tom.are you talking about inside or outside? what would the cost of something like that be?

[Palmə häl′ik]

Hey Tom. I use CyTick inside... No problems...

What about exterior?

Does that come in a granular form aswell?

~Ray.

[Tom S]

I spray outside never inside. It's comes in a liquid only I believe. It's expensive, I think a 20oz bottle is around $60. The application rate is around 1oz per gallon so it goes a long way. I typically spray the perimeter of the house and that does the trick. It's pretty amazing stuff.

[Palmə häl′ik]

yEAH. Sounds like my CyNick stuff. I spray it around the perimeter of the house, and inside too...

My problem is around plants, and palms. Not inside.

They do their thing all around my plants...

~Ray.

[MattyB]

I've applied Termidor all around my Dad's house as a termite deterant. You dig trenches around the foundation, inside and out, and pour in the diluted liquid. It supposedly gets on them and they pass it to each other by contact and grooming and it makes it so they can't reproduce somehow. Maybe you don't have to dig trenches if you're just trying to kill ants. You cannot buy it yourself, you need to have a liscensed pest control company apply it for you.

[paulgila]

I've applied Termidor all around my Dad's house as a termite deterant. You dig trenches around the foundation, inside and out, and pour in the diluted liquid. It supposedly gets on them and they pass it to each other by contact and grooming and it makes it so they can't reproduce somehow. Maybe you don't have to dig trenches if you're just trying to kill ants.

it has also ensured that YOU wont reproduce...

[Tom S]

If you spray around the plants it should stop them there also. Cykick I believe is a repelent and won't kill the ants as well as Termidor which the ants don't even know is there. I have actually sprayed entire palms with Termiidor to kill Mealy bug, etc. and it has not hurt the plants. The active ingredient is Fripnil sp?, which is the same as in the flea stuff for putting on pets. If you have a trail of ants and just spray one small section of the trail, and the entire colony will die.

Tom

[George Sparkman]

Termidor - the end.......

You can get on Ebay.

It can be used indoors according to manufacturer but as Tom says do it outside around your house and they are toast.In regards to plants it is not phototoxic and it works.

Happy killing,

George Sparkman

Cycads-n-Palms.com

[Palmə häl′ik]

I'm goin' on a ant killin' spree after workie...

I'm gonna spray like nobodies business! The CyKick CS's active ingredient is Cyfluthrin...

I had to have my buddy with a pest control license get it for me...

It works like a dream on cuca-roaches! I see none around here.

And if I do, their already belly up... Which is a good sign.

~Ray.

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

I hear there are no ants in the Antarctic . . . .

[Palmə häl′ik]

Too cold for me there.

Penguins are cool though.

I doubt they'd mess with me palms...

There's only oneway I'm goin'... SOUTH. maybe WEST too.