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Ants
On 31/07/2014 21:27, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Whilst pulling weeds today, I pull up a root and exposed a large black ants nest,( and the damned things got all over me!). As there were a lot of small winged ants there, my immediate instinct was to dig out the ant powder fom the shed, but.... I suddenly wondered: Do ants do good or harm in the garden,? Do we need them? Are the flying horrors best off despatched? I realise that poor ignorant man that I am, I don't know! Usually, if not near the house, they aren't a problem. If they start looking for food or a new nesting place inside, some dissuasion is required. The biggest problem I have found is ants excavating pots for new nests, Ants typically look for dry places to nest, and a pot which has a cactus or succulent plant often makes an ideal home, as it doesn't tend to get watered much. Also, pots used for bulbs which are dormant in summer, and are allowed to dry out, can also be a target. If it's a small pot, it isn't difficult to remove the ant-infested soil, and replant in new, ant-free soil. But if it's a large plant in a 40+ cm pot, it isn't that easy, and you often have to deal with a mass of swarming ants, who, not surprisingly, take exception to being evicted! -- Jeff |
#2
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Ants
"Jeff Layman" wrote in message ... The biggest problem I have found is ants excavating pots for new nests, Ants typically look for dry places to nest, and a pot which has a cactus or succulent plant often makes an ideal home, as it doesn't tend to get watered much. Also, pots used for bulbs which are dormant in summer, and are allowed to dry out, can also be a target. If it's a small pot, it isn't difficult to remove the ant-infested soil, and replant in new, ant-free soil. But if it's a large plant in a 40+ cm pot, it isn't that easy, and you often have to deal with a mass of swarming ants, who, not surprisingly, take exception to being evicted! Well - with pot infestations , best just watering the pot either by standing it in a prewatered saucer or watering the pot from the top. They will pretty soon (overnight !) vacate the property (:-) Pete |
#3
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Ants
Jeff Layman wrote:
Usually, if not near the house, they aren't a problem. If they start looking for food or a new nesting place inside, some dissuasion is required. They can be pretty devastating if you put down grass seed. We put some down a couple of years ago, and when we looked at the hoped-for lawn next morning there were literally thousands of ants, each carrying off one grass seed on its back. It was like a scene from Antz. I guess we could have used seed that ants don't like? -- Timothy Murphy e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland |
#4
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Ants
On 01/08/2014 12:59, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I guess we could have used seed that ants don't like? Antiseed -- regards andy |
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