We have millions of ant colonies in our yard - in NW Indiana. They
have spread everywhere. To give you an idea we have a 1.5 foot wide
round planter they invaded and they have about at least 1.5 dozen
colonies/hills in it. The same ratio goes for the five acres around
our house. I have tried spraying but they just come back after a few
weeks - it does not kill many of the nests. These ants are the
harmless midwest small red ant colonies you see all over the midwest
but they are in my yard in plague proportions. We have always had
this issue and it is getting worse. Our yard used to be a alfalpha
field but that was 5 years ago. Any clue what I can use to at least put
a dent in these pests. I obviously do not want to get rid of all of
them and I know they are good for the ground and harmless BUT when you
cant even drive the mowing tractor in the yard because the millions of
2"-3" high ant hill bumps makes it impossible to drive with any speed
whatsoever there is a problem.

Thanks

Rick

We never had a problem that large but here BORAX takes care of them.

Look into making up a batch of boric acid bait.
The concentration needs to be around 1% with the rest taken up by sugar
and some form of flavorant. figure 1 oz of boric acid 5 lbs of sugar
and a quart of water, make the sugar syrup and stir the boric acid in
while it's hot and then add a small jar of mint jelly so the ant's can
find it by smell.
I load it into small pieces of bamboo and set em around near the
mounds.
It takes a while before it works but it kills the entire colony.

wrote in message
oups.com...
We have millions of ant colonies in our yard - in NW Indiana. They
have spread everywhere. To give you an idea we have a 1.5 foot wide
round planter they invaded and they have about at least 1.5 dozen
colonies/hills in it. The same ratio goes for the five acres around
our house. I have tried spraying but they just come back after a few
weeks - it does not kill many of the nests. These ants are the
harmless midwest small red ant colonies you see all over the midwest
but they are in my yard in plague proportions. We have always had
this issue and it is getting worse. Our yard used to be a alfalpha
field but that was 5 years ago. Any clue what I can use to at least put
a dent in these pests. I obviously do not want to get rid of all of
them and I know they are good for the ground and harmless BUT when you
cant even drive the mowing tractor in the yard because the millions of
2"-3" high ant hill bumps makes it impossible to drive with any speed
whatsoever there is a problem.

Thanks

Rick


Check your phone messages. Has Stephen King called and asked if you wanted
to be in his next horror movie, which, coincidentally, involves ants?

wrote in message
oups.com...
We have millions of ant colonies in our yard - in NW Indiana.
Thanks

Rick

You might try a shovel full of ants/dirt from one colony and put on top of
another. They go to war and get rid of each other. LTG

I have heard of the borax cure before but forgot about it and did not
have the recipie. I will definitly try it. We also have a wood pile
that has the occasional carperter ant problem so I will use it there
too. The wood gets burned within the year so there never is any huge
problem with these ants because any small next gets burned but I will
always keep the borax traps near the pile now as an extra preventative.
Thanks for the info.

Rick

Personally, I think that this is unreasonable. Why are you so afraid
of a bit of wildlife? Before you go on about a Limey who doesn't
have a clue, my childhood was in Africa, where ants eat people. A
few anthills really aren't a problem.

Seriously. Live with nature. Reintroduce wolves and lynx to the UK.
And, yes, I do mean in my back garden.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
(Nick Maclaren) wrote:

Personally, I think that this is unreasonable. Why are you so afraid
of a bit of wildlife? Before you go on about a Limey who doesn't
have a clue, my childhood was in Africa, where ants eat people. A
few anthills really aren't a problem.

Seriously. Live with nature. Reintroduce wolves and lynx to the UK.
And, yes, I do mean in my back garden.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Wonderful...I'd add dip em in chocolate and eat em.

I keep em out of my house as a primary directive. Most effective is to
deprive them of food. Last resort oil of pennyroyal which drives them
away. Affects my cat and me too so less is more.

Have boric acid and sugar about in basement.

Bill

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Afraid? Who said anything about being afraid? Get a clue. This aint
Africa and there aint a few! LOL! Your perspective is irrelevent.
Ever think that an imbalence in nature is an indication of a problem
and needs intellegent responsible intervention? Sorry, I don't
worship nature as a perfect dieity, I intellegently manage it because
it is not perfect. It is typical socialist thinking that condems other
freedoms/thoughts as being inferior to their own. Narrow thinking
idealology over praticality and realism. Go ahead and reintroduce
wolves and lynx into your back garden and see what other ecological
disasters you cause because of this simplistic nonthinking feelgood
idea. The USA alone is full of such consequences. I will continue to
intellegently manage the wildlife in my area.

Personally, I think that this is unreasonable. Why are you so afraid
of a bit of wildlife? Before you go on about a Limey who doesn't
have a clue, my childhood was in Africa, where ants eat people. A
few anthills really aren't a problem.

Seriously. Live with nature. Reintroduce wolves and lynx to the UK.
And, yes, I do mean in my back garden.