I let my mulch bin go.... for a long time.... and now i need to add green
stuff i am weeding out of the garden, but there is a huge ant pile in there
(i think fire ants... didn't get that close)....

The bin is a store bought, black plastic cube with a removable lid and side
vents and side doors.....

Any suggestions? i am allergic to most insecticides, but could get my
husband to do that if it is my last resort. Would rather try to bake them
to death or something, but not sure how.

Kellie
near Houston, TX

Kellie J. Berger wrote:

I let my mulch bin go.... for a long time.... and now i need to add green
stuff i am weeding out of the garden, but there is a huge ant pile in there
(i think fire ants... didn't get that close)....

Your compost is too dry

Pee on it, regularly, 2-3 times a week; or put nettle water (nettles in
bucket, water, let sit 5-10 days) on it. Once it gets damp enough the ants
will leave.

Henriette

--
Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland
Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed
Best of RHOD: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/rhod

In our last fun filled episode, Wed, 19 Nov 2003 11:13:12 +0200,
Henriette Kress proclaimed:

Kellie J. Berger wrote:

I let my mulch bin go.... for a long time.... and now i need to add green
stuff i am weeding out of the garden, but there is a huge ant pile in there
(i think fire ants... didn't get that close)....

Your compost is too dry

Pee on it, regularly, 2-3 times a week; or put nettle water (nettles in
bucket, water, let sit 5-10 days) on it. Once it gets damp enough the ants
will leave.

If it is fire ants, the problem is ..ahem..a wee bit more
serious. Fire ants can be very dangerous, especially if there
are small children or pets around.

The good news is that if you disturb the nest several times,
they'll move out of the compost and you can treat the mound
when it pops up in its new location.


Pam






--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

Kellie J. Berger wrote:

I let my mulch bin go.... for a long time.... and now i need to
add green stuff i am weeding out of the garden, but there is a
huge ant pile in there (i think fire ants... didn't get that close)....

The bin is a store bought, black plastic cube with a removable lid
and side vents and side doors.....

Any suggestions? i am allergic to most insecticides, but could
get my husband to do that if it is my last resort. Would rather
try to bake them to death or something, but not sure how.

1) One of the benefits of having a lover is to have someone to do
your scut work. g

2) Flood the ants out by filling with water to above the pile
level 4-5 days in a row.

3) Get a pound of habenero pepper from www.redsavina.com and spread
it around the compost bin one a month after the ants leave. The
stuff is so strong that it will also drive off mothers-in-law g

Dick

will start the flooding today! As for the peppers, the dogs already drove
off MIL :~) gonna toss the jalepeno bushes in the compost soon.... DH
never does much with them and the rest of us won't eat 'em.... they are, of
course, producing like mad! need to figure out how to make one of those
chili pepper wreaths! lol

can i mix the pepper with the coffee grounds and get rid of the slugs AND
ants at the same time?!

Kellie


3) Get a pound of habenero pepper from www.redsavina.com and spread
it around the compost bin one a month after the ants leave. The
stuff is so strong that it will also drive off mothers-in-law g

Dick

"Kellie J. Berger" wrote in
message
m...
we do have both wee children and dogs--- which is why i
DIDN'T get a closer
look will try hosing it down for a few days. Wish i
had thought to take
the cover off this week during our torrential downpour.
I figure we got at
least 6 to 8 inches of rain in one day!

ah well....

Kellie

Ortho has a new formulation for fire ant bait; you might
check out the label to see if you can use it. It's not the
older white stuff that blows around easily and smells badly;
it is yellow almost meal looking. I personally don't think
it works as well as the smelly white powder but I buy what I
can get. (I have raised rose beds interplanted w/ herbs and
I get a LOT of fire ants.)

If you really want to avoid pesticides is there any way you
can dump some boiling water into the mulch pile? I haven't
tried that method myself, but seem to recall reading (Aggie
site?) that boiling water works. Maybe do as others suggest
first: soak the pile to get the fire ants to build up. Then
boil the little suckers.

Good luck -

Gail
near San Antonio TX