ants
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 3:15 pm
hi, we have a lot of ants crawling around our vegetable seedlings... could anyone tell us how to get rid of them without using any chemical please?
many thanks,
tom
many thanks,
tom
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ants
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 5:17 pm
Ants on plants may mean you have aphids on your seedlings. If you have, get rid of those by squashing them. If you haven't, the ants are probably just using your plants as a route to somewhere else and will do no harm.
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 5:27 pm
Tom
As Anji says, ants will do no harm - unless, that is they are underming seedlings, which will happen if they are nesting under them. Best advice is don't worry unless they get too troublesome. Here is Garden Organic's advice
"Ants can be, literally and metaphorically, irritating, but they are not a major pest. They have some beneficial characteristics; they eat small insect pests and have a part to play in the recycling of plant and animal wastes in the ground and in compost heaps.
Typical symptoms
Ants make nests which can undermine both garden and greenhouse plants, causing them to wilt or die. Some species build mounds on lawns, and this can make mowing difficult and spoil the lawn's appearance.
Their craving for sweetness is satisfied by eating nectar, and they also relish the sticky honeydew that aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs produce. Ants have learnt to ‘farm’ these creatures, milking them for a fresh honeydew drink. Like all good farmers, ants look after their livestock, protecting them from predators and moving them to new feeding grounds. This can spread both the pests, and the diseases they carry.
Ants may remove seeds from pots and trays and take them back to feed the colony.
They have a part to play in nature’s recycling plan, processing plant and animal wastes, aerating the soil and eating some small insect pests. They also consume weed seeds.
Ants living in the home compost heap may not be a disaster – there is anecdotal evidence that their activity mixes minerals and increases the phosphorus-potassium balance. They could be a problem in a worm bin, however, because they tend to reduce the amount of carbohydrate available for worms to feed on.
Description of pest
Red and black ants are most common in the garden. Red ants tend to sting, while black ants are less aggressive. You may find yellow ants in orchards or old pasture – they make large grass-covered humps. Undisturbed colonies can survive for many years.
Life cycle
A new ant village starts in summer. The swarms of flying ants which are common on sultry August days are the pioneers. All the nests in the area release potential new queens and their mates at once. The workers who have nurtured them, choose ideal conditions for the one and only mating flight. The males gather in swarms which attract the females.
After mating, the males die and the females rub or bite off their wings and begin to look for a suitable home. They have been given enough sperm by the male to last their lifetime. If they survive the predators, which include swallows and ants from rival colonies, new queens begin to lay eggs straight away. These hatch out into sterile workers which will immediately start to work for the expansion of their colony.
Prevention and control
It is impossible to eliminate ants from a garden, so to some extent you have to learn to live with them. There are some actions you can take.
Encourage natural predators, such as
slow worms and frogsPredators: Encourage their natural predators, such as slow worms and frogs.
Water treatment: A troublesome outdoor colony can be doused thoroughly with cold water, or have boiling water poured into it. Flood pot plants with water to wash out a nest.
Barriers: Barriers are effective when a problem is localised. Use fruit tree grease or grease bands on free standing trees.
Ant barrier for
free-standing benchesIn the greenhouse: Protect individual pots, or the legs of greenhouse staging, with grease, petroleum jelly or non-drying glue.
In the house: Ants leave a pheromone trail to food sources for other ants to follow. Ant trails in the house can be mopped up with a soapy cloth or sponge. Keep all foods that might attract them, especially sweet things, in airtight containers. Try to find the entry point and block it up with a waterproof sealant. It is said that ants don't like talcum powder or chalk, so a little on the floor near their entrances could be helpful. They can't cross water with detergent in it either, so a ‘moat’ might be useful in some situations. Natural oils of eucalyptus, pennyroyal and citronella are also said to be useful repellents. Special sticky tape is also available, ants will not cross this or get stuck.
All barriers need to be checked regularly.
In the compost heap: Ants may colonise a compost heap, and will make an active contribution to the composting process. Regular turning of the heap will disturb them, but they are doing no harm. The compost will be quite safe to use.
Chemical control – a last resort: The number of ‘safe’ chemical controls for ants is limited, and they should be a last resort. An ant killer based on pyrethrum powder is available, and also an oil based insecticide that breaks down their waxy outer coating causing them to dehydrate and die."
Alan
As Anji says, ants will do no harm - unless, that is they are underming seedlings, which will happen if they are nesting under them. Best advice is don't worry unless they get too troublesome. Here is Garden Organic's advice
"Ants can be, literally and metaphorically, irritating, but they are not a major pest. They have some beneficial characteristics; they eat small insect pests and have a part to play in the recycling of plant and animal wastes in the ground and in compost heaps.
Typical symptoms
Ants make nests which can undermine both garden and greenhouse plants, causing them to wilt or die. Some species build mounds on lawns, and this can make mowing difficult and spoil the lawn's appearance.
Their craving for sweetness is satisfied by eating nectar, and they also relish the sticky honeydew that aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs produce. Ants have learnt to ‘farm’ these creatures, milking them for a fresh honeydew drink. Like all good farmers, ants look after their livestock, protecting them from predators and moving them to new feeding grounds. This can spread both the pests, and the diseases they carry.
Ants may remove seeds from pots and trays and take them back to feed the colony.
They have a part to play in nature’s recycling plan, processing plant and animal wastes, aerating the soil and eating some small insect pests. They also consume weed seeds.
Ants living in the home compost heap may not be a disaster – there is anecdotal evidence that their activity mixes minerals and increases the phosphorus-potassium balance. They could be a problem in a worm bin, however, because they tend to reduce the amount of carbohydrate available for worms to feed on.
Description of pest
Red and black ants are most common in the garden. Red ants tend to sting, while black ants are less aggressive. You may find yellow ants in orchards or old pasture – they make large grass-covered humps. Undisturbed colonies can survive for many years.
Life cycle
A new ant village starts in summer. The swarms of flying ants which are common on sultry August days are the pioneers. All the nests in the area release potential new queens and their mates at once. The workers who have nurtured them, choose ideal conditions for the one and only mating flight. The males gather in swarms which attract the females.
After mating, the males die and the females rub or bite off their wings and begin to look for a suitable home. They have been given enough sperm by the male to last their lifetime. If they survive the predators, which include swallows and ants from rival colonies, new queens begin to lay eggs straight away. These hatch out into sterile workers which will immediately start to work for the expansion of their colony.
Prevention and control
It is impossible to eliminate ants from a garden, so to some extent you have to learn to live with them. There are some actions you can take.
Encourage natural predators, such as
slow worms and frogsPredators: Encourage their natural predators, such as slow worms and frogs.
Water treatment: A troublesome outdoor colony can be doused thoroughly with cold water, or have boiling water poured into it. Flood pot plants with water to wash out a nest.
Barriers: Barriers are effective when a problem is localised. Use fruit tree grease or grease bands on free standing trees.
Ant barrier for
free-standing benchesIn the greenhouse: Protect individual pots, or the legs of greenhouse staging, with grease, petroleum jelly or non-drying glue.
In the house: Ants leave a pheromone trail to food sources for other ants to follow. Ant trails in the house can be mopped up with a soapy cloth or sponge. Keep all foods that might attract them, especially sweet things, in airtight containers. Try to find the entry point and block it up with a waterproof sealant. It is said that ants don't like talcum powder or chalk, so a little on the floor near their entrances could be helpful. They can't cross water with detergent in it either, so a ‘moat’ might be useful in some situations. Natural oils of eucalyptus, pennyroyal and citronella are also said to be useful repellents. Special sticky tape is also available, ants will not cross this or get stuck.
All barriers need to be checked regularly.
In the compost heap: Ants may colonise a compost heap, and will make an active contribution to the composting process. Regular turning of the heap will disturb them, but they are doing no harm. The compost will be quite safe to use.
Chemical control – a last resort: The number of ‘safe’ chemical controls for ants is limited, and they should be a last resort. An ant killer based on pyrethrum powder is available, and also an oil based insecticide that breaks down their waxy outer coating causing them to dehydrate and die."
Alan
Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 4:50 pm
Interesting article. I'm just waiting for July 18th and 19th. Every year on these dates I get swarms of flying black ants. Can't believe their diary is so accurate but on these dates we just have to keep all the windows closed because they appear in their thousands.
Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 2:36 pm
Ants are a pretty big problem in my garden because there are so many of them.
Colonies under plants rooting systems makes it even harder for them to survive in dry conditions.
They love black bean aphids and are happily farming them onto my broad beans as i type.
They love seeds and carry away over half anything i broadcast sow (mesclun be a favourite as are grass seeds).
They also love half rotted compost which i use as a mulch - one day i thought i must have been overdoing it as everything around me seemed to be moving. On closer inspection (i do need to get some glasses) there were litterally thousands of ants carry off my compost top dressing.
I pour boiling water onto the colonies when i find them and use talc but they keep marching.
Colonies under plants rooting systems makes it even harder for them to survive in dry conditions.
They love black bean aphids and are happily farming them onto my broad beans as i type.
They love seeds and carry away over half anything i broadcast sow (mesclun be a favourite as are grass seeds).
They also love half rotted compost which i use as a mulch - one day i thought i must have been overdoing it as everything around me seemed to be moving. On closer inspection (i do need to get some glasses) there were litterally thousands of ants carry off my compost top dressing.
I pour boiling water onto the colonies when i find them and use talc but they keep marching.
Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 10:54 am
I'm pretty tolerant of ants outdoors but don't like them in the house. One very effective killer I've found is a product called Ant Stop. It comes in a little round black container which is sold in hardware/kitchenshops in a cellulose plastic bubble acts on cardboard. The container is a bait station and the ants go crazy for it. Whenever we've had an indoor ant problem, this clears it within 24 hours. Initially it seems to encourage more ants but within a short time of them taking the bait back to the nest they are all dead.
Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 9:54 am
I've used three methods:
1. watch where they all go, and if you find it's a small fissure or crack, dig up that area to around 2-3 inches - that's the nest. Squish as many of the little white eggs and grubs you can find. You may have to do this 2-3 times over a couple of weeks, eventually the nest will die as all the eggs and grubs are killed off.
2. Brutal but effective if it's in a flagstone/brick type of crack - pour around half a cupful of paraffin or turps or something, into the nest, then drop in a match and nuke the area. Take obvious care when playing with volatile fuels and naked flames blah blah blah, and I wouldn't try this on an area I'm growing crops in.
3. I tried boiling water, but it seems to cool down too much to cause damage, before it gets to the ants - unless you dig them up first, as in method1.
I must say, normally, I just leave them to it - if they're only eating aphids, then they're OK by me.
1. watch where they all go, and if you find it's a small fissure or crack, dig up that area to around 2-3 inches - that's the nest. Squish as many of the little white eggs and grubs you can find. You may have to do this 2-3 times over a couple of weeks, eventually the nest will die as all the eggs and grubs are killed off.
2. Brutal but effective if it's in a flagstone/brick type of crack - pour around half a cupful of paraffin or turps or something, into the nest, then drop in a match and nuke the area. Take obvious care when playing with volatile fuels and naked flames blah blah blah, and I wouldn't try this on an area I'm growing crops in.
3. I tried boiling water, but it seems to cool down too much to cause damage, before it gets to the ants - unless you dig them up first, as in method1.
I must say, normally, I just leave them to it - if they're only eating aphids, then they're OK by me.
Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 10:17 am
Gaga
If your ants eat aphids you're a very lucky person!
What they usually do with them is farm them (and "milk" them).
http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th3a.htm
Alan
If your ants eat aphids you're a very lucky person!
What they usually do with them is farm them (and "milk" them).
http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th3a.htm
Alan
Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 9:51 pm
I have millions of them - but am marginaly more tolerant since I saw them attacking a chaffer grub and they cheerfully inflicted GBH on a catapillar I put in their path to see if they would. Compost bin is heaving with them and where I have uncovered them, the blackbirds devour the eggs. I havent seen red ants since I was a child - I thought they had gone the way of the red squriel - do they still live here? I remember getting quite badly bitten as a child after inadvertently sitting on some 
Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 5:15 am
Hi Sue
We have masses of red ants - but fortunately only in the grass and not among the vegetables. I can send you a colony or two if you want to relive your childhood
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/ant.htm
Alan
We have masses of red ants - but fortunately only in the grass and not among the vegetables. I can send you a colony or two if you want to relive your childhood
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/ant.htm
Alan
Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 6:19 am
oohh noooo! Thanks for the offer Alan but happy not to have them 
Ants
Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 12:11 pm
Glad I logged on today! I was wondering whether I should do about the three ants nests I have in one bed on my allotment, not to mention the other two I have found in other beds. Didn't really want to do anything too nasty to them, as they didn't cause a problem last year, just a bit concerned about planting in those areas - Got a few nasty stings last year from red ants, but so far these just seem to be black ants. The bed with three in is destined for squashes - Does everyone think they will be OK planted with the nests intact?
Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 1:46 pm
My experience with growing squashes is that their roots tend to remain very close to the surface so depending on how close the nests are, they could be a problem. I've also got stuff planted close to nests (red ants) so will be keeping a close eye on them. If the plants start to suffer, I'll be putting some Ant Stop discs down, protected from the rain but if they're not interfering with the growth I'll let them live. I don't feel so benevolant about slugs though.