Ants
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! -- Roger T 700 ft up in Mid-Wales |
Ants
In article ,
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! Generally, good, especially the ones that bite most painfully :-) Common ants are mostly scavengers and play a major part in the natural recycling process, not least by taking organic matter underground. A few species, such as Lasius niger, have a VERY SLIGHT effect of encouraging aphids, but there is no evidence that killing them reduces aphid infestations in a domestic context. Some ants are predators, and so will help keep plant parasites under control. Those are the ones that bite .... Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Ants
On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:21:21 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 21:27:53 +0100, 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! Ants can be a damn nuisance. In a lawn, they raise humps that get scalped by the mower. They undermine paving slabs, which then become uneven and a trip-hazard, and they can make their nests in plant roots, causing the plants to die. I notice the last when I try and establish hedge plants along the tops of Cornish walls/hedges. Plants won't thrive and usually die if there's a nest under the roots. But ants are everywhere, and I don't usually worry about them except where they become a nuisance as I've described. Most of the time they don't bother me, but if they start coming indoors I use those 'Antstop' box thingies along their route. They are supposed to take their contents home to mummy and pop their clogs. I put them under a stone/tile/slate to keep the rain out and they last all summer. -- Jim S |
Ants
On 01/08/2014 00:11, Jim S wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:21:21 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 21:27:53 +0100, 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! Ants can be a damn nuisance. In a lawn, they raise humps that get scalped by the mower. They undermine paving slabs, which then become uneven and a trip-hazard, and they can make their nests in plant roots, causing the plants to die. I notice the last when I try and establish hedge plants along the tops of Cornish walls/hedges. Plants won't thrive and usually die if there's a nest under the roots. But ants are everywhere, and I don't usually worry about them except where they become a nuisance as I've described. Most of the time they don't bother me, but if they start coming indoors I use those 'Antstop' box thingies along their route. They are supposed to take their contents home to mummy and pop their clogs. I put them under a stone/tile/slate to keep the rain out and they last all summer. I have trouble with then in my potato patch. I suspect it can cause distortion of the potatoes? Jim |
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 |
Ants
In article ,
Jim Chisholm wrote: On 01/08/2014 00:11, Jim S wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:21:21 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 21:27:53 +0100, 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! Ants can be a damn nuisance. In a lawn, they raise humps that get scalped by the mower. They undermine paving slabs, which then become uneven and a trip-hazard, and they can make their nests in plant roots, causing the plants to die. I notice the last when I try and establish hedge plants along the tops of Cornish walls/hedges. Plants won't thrive and usually die if there's a nest under the roots. But ants are everywhere, and I don't usually worry about them except where they become a nuisance as I've described. Most of the time they don't bother me, but if they start coming indoors I use those 'Antstop' box thingies along their route. They are supposed to take their contents home to mummy and pop their clogs. I put them under a stone/tile/slate to keep the rain out and they last all summer. I have trouble with then in my potato patch. I suspect it can cause distortion of the potatoes? So can stones, tree roots or even worms. No, they don't harm potatoes, except by the soil disturbance where they actually build their nest. Worry about something real. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Ants
On 01/08/2014 00:11, Jim S wrote:
Most of the time they don't bother me, but if they start coming indoors I use those 'Antstop' box thingies along their route. They are supposed to take their contents home to mummy and pop their clogs. I put them under a stone/tile/slate to keep the rain out and they last all summer. Not a permanent solution as if it rains it gets lost - but if you 'draw' a line of washing up liquid around their entrance point, they won't come in. I've used this in a small arc in front of a doorway more than once - but mainly we used it in the dim and distant days of camping, to stop them coming in the tent. -- regards andy |
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 |
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? Generally they are good for the garden and only ever worth zapping if they become a real nuisance by raiding your kitchen or something. We had some once find their way to candied peel in a glass jar with an imperfect seal on it - by the time we noticed there was a continuous line of ants exploiting this new food source! There is usually a colony every 10m^2 or so. It is only annoying when you disturb a nest and don't notice quickly enough and so get bitten. Repotting cacti they can be something of a hazard especially if you don't notice quickly enough and don't want to drop a specimen plant! I realise that poor ignorant man that I am, I don't know! If you disturb an ants nest then back off quickly. It is even worse if you put a spade through a wasps nest when the best advice is run for it and get indoors ASAP leaving the spade where it is! Again they are really only worth zapping if they are in the wrong place - in this case where a fence post needed replacing. So they had to go. Regards, Martin Brown |
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 |
Ants
On 01/08/2014 08:05, Jim Chisholm wrote:
On 01/08/2014 00:11, Jim S wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:21:21 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 21:27:53 +0100, 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! Ants can be a damn nuisance. In a lawn, they raise humps that get scalped by the mower. They undermine paving slabs, which then become uneven and a trip-hazard, and they can make their nests in plant roots, causing the plants to die. I notice the last when I try and establish hedge plants along the tops of Cornish walls/hedges. Plants won't thrive and usually die if there's a nest under the roots. But ants are everywhere, and I don't usually worry about them except where they become a nuisance as I've described. Most of the time they don't bother me, but if they start coming indoors I use those 'Antstop' box thingies along their route. They are supposed to take their contents home to mummy and pop their clogs. I put them under a stone/tile/slate to keep the rain out and they last all summer. I have trouble with then in my potato patch. I suspect it can cause distortion of the potatoes? Jim I'm surprised you even have a 'potato patch'. Potatoes need to be part of a crop rotation scheme to avoid build-up of disease. Further, potatoes like lots of water as they develop - ants do not. Water your potatoes well and the ants should disappear. -- Spider. On high ground in SE London gardening on heavy clay |
Ants
"Spider" wrote in message ...
On 01/08/2014 08:05, Jim Chisholm wrote: On 01/08/2014 00:11, Jim S wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:21:21 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 21:27:53 +0100, 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! Ants can be a damn nuisance. In a lawn, they raise humps that get scalped by the mower. They undermine paving slabs, which then become uneven and a trip-hazard, and they can make their nests in plant roots, causing the plants to die. I notice the last when I try and establish hedge plants along the tops of Cornish walls/hedges. Plants won't thrive and usually die if there's a nest under the roots. But ants are everywhere, and I don't usually worry about them except where they become a nuisance as I've described. Most of the time they don't bother me, but if they start coming indoors I use those 'Antstop' box thingies along their route. They are supposed to take their contents home to mummy and pop their clogs. I put them under a stone/tile/slate to keep the rain out and they last all summer. I have trouble with then in my potato patch. I suspect it can cause distortion of the potatoes? Jim I'm surprised you even have a 'potato patch'. Potatoes need to be part of a crop rotation scheme to avoid build-up of disease. Further, potatoes like lots of water as they develop - ants do not. Water your potatoes well and the ants should disappear. -- Spider. On high ground in SE London gardening on heavy clay ================================================== == That to me is a sign of a too dry compost heaps. As soon I see Ants in my compost heaps I water them. Mike .................................................. For those ex Royal Navy. http://angelradioisleofwight.moonfru...ive/4574468641 7.30 – 8.00 pm Wednesday 6th August 2014 ‘From the Crowe’s Nest’ |
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! This may give you something to think about CHOCOLATE COVERED GIANT ANTS Hand toasted Giant Queen Leafcutter Ants coated in the finest Belgian Chocolate. Every spring when the rains come in Colombia the Guane Indians collect the new Queens when they are emerging from their underground nests, only one Queen Ant is needed in a colony so the new Queens have to leave. The Indians have been collecting these ants every spring when they fly from their nests to toast in a clay pot over an open fire for centuries, and they are considered a rare delicacy. The ants are also nutritious and tasty and are said to be good for boosting your immune system, because they are rich in formic acid. They can also give you a mini energy boost. |
Ants
On Fri, 01 Aug 2014 16:04:56 +0100, David Hill
wrote: This may give you something to think about CHOCOLATE COVERED GIANT ANTS If anyone wants to try them there are many places in the UK that sell them. A few birthdays ago I got a present of chocolate ants. The taste was nothing special. Steve -- Neural Network Software http://www.npsnn.com EasyNN-plus More than just a neural network http://www.easynn.com SwingNN Prediction software http://www.swingnn.com JustNN Just a neural network http://www.justnn.com |
Ants
In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says... This may give you something to think about CHOCOLATE COVERED GIANT ANTS Hand toasted Giant Queen Leafcutter Ants coated in the finest Belgian Chocolate. Every spring when the rains come in Colombia the Guane Indians collect the new Queens when they are emerging from their underground nests, only one Queen Ant is needed in a colony so the new Queens have to leave. The Indians have been collecting these ants every spring when they fly from their nests to toast in a clay pot over an open fire for centuries, and they are considered a rare delicacy. The ants are also nutritious and tasty and are said to be good for boosting your immune system, because they are rich in formic acid. They can also give you a mini energy boost. We ate ants in Australia, years ago. It was an outback dinner featuring "local foods" and included a salad dressing of sugar ants. They were rather lemony and sharp, quite pleasant; and since we were eating outside by candlelight after dark , eye-appeal was not an issue. (The ants were not as yes-please-more delicious as the smoked crocodile). Janet |
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 |
Ants
On 01/08/2014 16:04, David Hill wrote:
This may give you something to think about CHOCOLATE COVERED GIANT ANTS Hand toasted Giant Queen Leafcutter Ants coated in the finest Belgian Chocolate. A few years ago, my daughter went on an adventure holiday for three weeks in the US. One of the treats she reported was eating live, very large fire ants. Apparently - and I don't understand why - they tasted like the sweets that used to be called Opal fruits. -- regards andy |
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