Hi, Bill,

Diazonon works real well for ants. And, if you wish a fairly safe but
temporary remedy, you can buy Schultz' Insecticide at Vons (when they
aren't on strike). Schultz has Chrysanthemum pyrenes that work on
contact for ants and are not toxic to humans. I have not found Schultz'
to harm plants, including the buds.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System
http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

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"Bill H." wrote:

"gal" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

I grow my orchids inside the house and recently there are ants all
over them. I do not want to spray with chemicals - what is a natural
ant repellent I could use without causing damage to the plants.

Ants in your plants, huh? (sorry, couldn't resist)

Are the orchids in pots? If so, you can keep ants off them indefinitely,
but you'll have to get rid of them first. To get rid of them, I'd lightly
dust the orchids off with a clean cloth or brush. Or just pick 'em off one
bye one.

Check that they haven't nested in the substrate. If they have, you'll need
to get them out of there or repot the plants.

After that, I'd recommend getting a wide, shallow, water-proof container
(glass, plastic, etc). Place another container or raised support mechanism
inside that and fill the surrounding area with water. Then you can support
your plants on the "inside" container. This creates a type of moat that
ants can't cross to get to your plants. Some might try, but they'll drown.

Once you've prevented ants from getting to your plants, you'll want to get
rid of all the ants in the surrounding area. I know from experience that
getting rid of ants can be a pain in the ass. Basically, you don't want to
give them any reason to be there. That means no food and no shelter. Terro
will work to kill of some of them. I wouldn't recommend any aerosol
pesticides. I hear vinegar mixed with water scares them off...

Good luck, even if you don't try this method.