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Black ants
- Thread starter tsaw
- Start date
Lia
Banned
Extensive vocabulary you have there tsaw, lol. *crosses eyes*
But seriously, Ants can devastate a lawn in a matter of weeks. I have red and black Ants, a lot of them. I've never had them in the house, fortunately. Chemical eradication does work to some extent, but heres a good tip for solving the problem permanently...
Fortunately my lawn areas are intact and thriving, and its because I encourage birdlife, who feed on the seed that I put out for them, but who also eat insect life. Woodpeckers especially will eat Ants. They have an insatiable appetite for Ants. But any birds, small birds, right up to Blackbirds will eat insects and Ants.
It isn't necessary, but I feed the bird wildlife right throughout the year, not just in the winter; and I've never had a problem with Ant hills. Don't put out any human food for them, such as bread, cheese, or bacon, because that will only encourage rodenmts. But, four bucks a week, or every ten days is all it costs me to scatter bird seed, wild bird seed that is.
Choose a designated area to scatter the seed, because Pheasants and Partridge will scrabble amongst the dirt to get to the seed (I see that you have wooded area close to your lawn, so select a small circle area there, and make sure that you only scatter the seed in that designated area.
Also, one or two bird tables just at the edge of the wooded area's would be good also, and apart from solving your Ant problems its wonderful to have the many and varied birdlife and fowl come onto your property.
Problem solved...
Oh, and don't forget to put out water for them also... invest in a concrete birdbath. Good investment, believe me!
But seriously, Ants can devastate a lawn in a matter of weeks. I have red and black Ants, a lot of them. I've never had them in the house, fortunately. Chemical eradication does work to some extent, but heres a good tip for solving the problem permanently...
Fortunately my lawn areas are intact and thriving, and its because I encourage birdlife, who feed on the seed that I put out for them, but who also eat insect life. Woodpeckers especially will eat Ants. They have an insatiable appetite for Ants. But any birds, small birds, right up to Blackbirds will eat insects and Ants.
It isn't necessary, but I feed the bird wildlife right throughout the year, not just in the winter; and I've never had a problem with Ant hills. Don't put out any human food for them, such as bread, cheese, or bacon, because that will only encourage rodenmts. But, four bucks a week, or every ten days is all it costs me to scatter bird seed, wild bird seed that is.
Choose a designated area to scatter the seed, because Pheasants and Partridge will scrabble amongst the dirt to get to the seed (I see that you have wooded area close to your lawn, so select a small circle area there, and make sure that you only scatter the seed in that designated area.
Also, one or two bird tables just at the edge of the wooded area's would be good also, and apart from solving your Ant problems its wonderful to have the many and varied birdlife and fowl come onto your property.
Problem solved...
Oh, and don't forget to put out water for them also... invest in a concrete birdbath. Good investment, believe me!
Lia
Banned
Ok, that'll sure work, but its radical and will devastate your lawn tsaw. You're a naughty boy muley! lol
Look, tsaw, Ants do a lot of good also, they clean up dead insects and aerate the lawn, amongst other things, so some are necessary. However, you have a plague of them, and so you need to get reid of a good many...
There are plenty of options open to you. Pour lemon juice around the Anthills, or Cinnamon, Cinnamon is highly effective, but neither are permanent solutions, whereas the bird seed is, eventually. Baking Soda is another alternative, they won't cross a line of Baking Soda, try it and see... the same with Talcum powder.
Mint, Vinegar, Citrus Oils are all good deterrents, and pouring boiling water over the nests and surrounding area's destroys the scent trails, so they move camp, literally. Dry grits will swell up inside them when they drink, killing them. There are so many much more eco-friendly solutions to choose from, which won't kill your lawn.
When you've eradicated the nests fill the bare patches of lawn with Rye Grass which re-roots itself prolifically. Not all of the solutions are permanent by any means, altho the boiling water seems to work for me in border beds. But the best thing is, as I said before, to encourage wild birdlife, which will keep the Ants at bay permanently.
Good luck!
Cowboy
Wait for it.
All good ideas so far Tom . You might find this video interesting of what an ant colony looks like underground . Granted this video are ants of a different varity and far more of a problem then you have , but it will give you an idea of why its so hard to destroy an ant colony plus the fact that they reproduce so fast .
I have been fighting carpenter ants for years ( Our large 100+ year old trees are full of them ) that have been here since before we got our place and theres only one sure fire way to get any control over them , Diatomaceous Earth (DE). I will post a few links as to what it is and its many uses but it will rid you of perty much any insect problem you have if applied correctly . Its best to use a mask when you use it so the dust particles dont get in your lungs though .
There are several pesticides that have it in their ingredients but its much more expensive packaged that way then you can buy it online . I buy it in bulk 50 lbs at a time and use it all over the property as well as in and around the house for spider control . Good luck on getting them under control .
From wikipedia . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
Pest control
Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate.[9] Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness. Medical-grade diatomite is sometimes used to de-worm both animals and humans, with questionable efficacy.[10][11] It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate cockroach and flea infestations. This material has wide application for insect control in grain storage.[12] It has also been used to control bedbug infestations, but this method may take weeks to work.[13]
Interesting reading as to its other uses .
http://www.wolfcreekranch.net/defaq.htm
Where to buy online in bulk . http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=Gm4lTv6gBYSssQLEm4jYCw&ved=0CFgQ8wIwAg#
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6d5pcr4X30"]Worlds Biggest Ant Hill AMAZING - YouTube[/ame]
I have been fighting carpenter ants for years ( Our large 100+ year old trees are full of them ) that have been here since before we got our place and theres only one sure fire way to get any control over them , Diatomaceous Earth (DE). I will post a few links as to what it is and its many uses but it will rid you of perty much any insect problem you have if applied correctly . Its best to use a mask when you use it so the dust particles dont get in your lungs though .
There are several pesticides that have it in their ingredients but its much more expensive packaged that way then you can buy it online . I buy it in bulk 50 lbs at a time and use it all over the property as well as in and around the house for spider control . Good luck on getting them under control .
From wikipedia . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
Pest control
Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate.[9] Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness. Medical-grade diatomite is sometimes used to de-worm both animals and humans, with questionable efficacy.[10][11] It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate cockroach and flea infestations. This material has wide application for insect control in grain storage.[12] It has also been used to control bedbug infestations, but this method may take weeks to work.[13]
Interesting reading as to its other uses .
http://www.wolfcreekranch.net/defaq.htm
Where to buy online in bulk . http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=Gm4lTv6gBYSssQLEm4jYCw&ved=0CFgQ8wIwAg#
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6d5pcr4X30"]Worlds Biggest Ant Hill AMAZING - YouTube[/ame]
Cowboy
Wait for it.
Your welcome Lia, I allways find that kind of stuff interesting because its amazing what really goes on in the ground we dont know about .My goodness me Cowboy. That was an amazing video. Abslolutely riveting. I followed on to watch the next one, 'Ants v's Crabs, and that was stunning. Thanks for sharing.