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fire ants in veggie garden
I started preparing my garden beds for my veggies and have discovered that
both beds have become the home to fire ants. I need a non-toxic (I will be eating what grows in that soil!) way to get rid of them. Anyone have any suggestions? This /is/ Texas, so I'm sure someone out there has had this same problem. Fire ants....I hate them! ~ Michelle Ryan |
fire ants in veggie garden
On Mon, 24 Mar 2003 18:53:54 GMT, "Michelle Ryan"
wrote: I started preparing my garden beds for my veggies and have discovered that both beds have become the home to fire ants. I need a non-toxic (I will be eating what grows in that soil!) way to get rid of them. Anyone have any suggestions? This /is/ Texas, so I'm sure someone out there has had this same problem. Fire ants....I hate them! ~ Michelle Ryan They are actually beneficial as they aerate the soil, but if you want non-toxic in the way of foodstuff, orange oil is a rather toxic control for the ants. You can buy it at Walmart or Whole Foods or anywhere these days. Try to buy concentrate and try for it to be 100% d-limonine (orange oil). Dilute it with water 10:1 water/orange oil and drench the mound. You can also use Amdro, which is a bait and relatively non-toxic, but read the whole label before buying or using. |
fire ants in veggie garden
www.dirtdoctor.com is Howard Garrett's website - organic landscape architect
up Dallas way. He has a couple mixes for fire ants that all include orange oil and, like everything on his site, are non-toxic. -- John T. Jarrett http://logontexas.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Web Design - Program - Host - Maintain - Databases - E-Commerce $9.95 Nationwide Dial-Up ISP new customers welcome... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Michelle Ryan" wrote in message . .. I started preparing my garden beds for my veggies and have discovered that both beds have become the home to fire ants. I need a non-toxic (I will be eating what grows in that soil!) way to get rid of them. Anyone have any suggestions? This /is/ Texas, so I'm sure someone out there has had this same problem. Fire ants....I hate them! ~ Michelle Ryan |
fire ants in veggie garden
Yes - didn't we just have this conversation?
:) That website's stuff (and his books - I have Organic Manual by Howard Garrett) are as non-toxic as recipes go that I've seen. He doesn't, for instance, give instructions on Sulphur for use. -- John T. Jarrett http://logontexas.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Web Design - Program - Host - Maintain - Databases - E-Commerce $9.95 Nationwide Dial-Up ISP new customers welcome... --------------------------------------------------------------- "animaux" wrote in message ... This is a misunderstanding. Orange oil (d-limonine is the active ingredient) is indeed toxic. It's not synthetic, but it's a poison. I only say this because by calling something "organic," or "natural," does not mean it is non-toxic. Some of the most toxic pesticides are found in nature. Orange oil is naturally derived, if pure. If there are surfactant and other spreader/sticker or synergists involved, it is no longer natural. Victoria On Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:10:11 -0600, "John T. Jarred" wrote: www.dirtdoctor.com is Howard Garrett's website - organic landscape architect up Dallas way. He has a couple mixes for fire ants that all include orange oil and, like everything on his site, are non-toxic. |
fire ants in veggie garden
Sorry, to be more clear...
The chemicals, natural or not, are toxic. Even coffee is toxic. What I said in my last email was that his recipes are non-toxic. You could drink his brew for Fire Ants and, with only a teaspoon or two of orange oil in each gallon, it wouldn't kill you. Well, that said, maybe the compost tea would be more likely to be deadly (or at least sickening) from bacterial growing in it so I still wouldn't drink it myself... -- John T. Jarrett http://logontexas.com "animaux" wrote in message ... Yes, and you keep calling things non-toxic. They ARE toxic, but they are natural. Wording is important when referring to poisons. All poisons are toxic, even natural ones. Arsenic is natural, but I'd never call it non-toxic. Not trying to be argumentative, but for people beginning an organic program, these terms are key. On Tue, 25 Mar 2003 19:36:41 -0600, "John T. Jarrett" wrote: Yes - didn't we just have this conversation? :) That website's stuff (and his books - I have Organic Manual by Howard Garrett) are as non-toxic as recipes go that I've seen. He doesn't, for instance, give instructions on Sulphur for use. |
fire ants in veggie garden
This is a misunderstanding. Orange oil (d-limonine is the active ingredient) is
indeed toxic. It's not synthetic, but it's a poison. I only say this because by calling something "organic," or "natural," does not mean it is non-toxic. Some of the most toxic pesticides are found in nature. Orange oil is naturally derived, if pure. If there are surfactant and other spreader/sticker or synergists involved, it is no longer natural. Victoria On Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:10:11 -0600, "John T. Jarred" wrote: www.dirtdoctor.com is Howard Garrett's website - organic landscape architect up Dallas way. He has a couple mixes for fire ants that all include orange oil and, like everything on his site, are non-toxic. |
fire ants in veggie garden
You can use neem oil mixed with orange oil. We sell it.
Dave Gardens of the Ancients Herb Emporium www.gardensoftheancients.com "Michelle Ryan" wrote in message . .. I started preparing my garden beds for my veggies and have discovered that both beds have become the home to fire ants. I need a non-toxic (I will be eating what grows in that soil!) way to get rid of them. Anyone have any suggestions? This /is/ Texas, so I'm sure someone out there has had this same problem. Fire ants....I hate them! ~ Michelle Ryan |
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