Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

On 5/4/04 2:55 PM, in article , "Franz
Heymann" wrote:


"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
...

"flower faerie" wrote in message
...
Hello

I have lots of ant hills appearing all over my lawn. I prefer not
to
mow the lawn too short but want to try and get the ants to live
somewhere else like in the flower borders. Also I dont want to
put down
ant powder.

any ideas?

ff

We have found that Talcum Powder does the trick. It's not totally
chemical
free but I guess it's much less damaging than other powders
suggested here!

Talcum powder, like any solid, liquid or gas is a chemical. What on
earth is all this paranoia about "chemicals"?
As far as I know, talcum is just finely divided Mg3 (OH)2 Si4 O10.

The other powders which have been suggested here were Vim and Ajax. I
may be wrong, but I think both of them are just powdered chalk.

Franz


Hi Franz
I think the resistance to 'chemicals' is the side affects of using
certain chemicals. Chemicals that kill aphids, for example, also kill the
predatory insects such as lady bugs and the worms in the ground. It is this
kind of 'chemical' that we do not want to use because of those harmful side
affects.
I don't think that talcum powder falls into the 'bad chemical'
category. Talcum, then, is not the kind of chemical that we are trying to
avoid.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"gary davis" wrote in message
...
On 5/4/04 2:55 PM, in article , "Franz
Heymann" wrote:


"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
...

"flower faerie" wrote in message
...
Hello

I have lots of ant hills appearing all over my lawn. I prefer not
to
mow the lawn too short but want to try and get the ants to live
somewhere else like in the flower borders. Also I dont want to
put down
ant powder.

any ideas?

ff

We have found that Talcum Powder does the trick. It's not totally
chemical
free but I guess it's much less damaging than other powders
suggested here!

Talcum powder, like any solid, liquid or gas is a chemical. What on
earth is all this paranoia about "chemicals"?
As far as I know, talcum is just finely divided Mg3 (OH)2 Si4 O10.

The other powders which have been suggested here were Vim and Ajax. I
may be wrong, but I think both of them are just powdered chalk.

Franz


Hi Franz
I think the resistance to 'chemicals' is the side affects of using
certain chemicals. Chemicals that kill aphids, for example, also kill the
predatory insects such as lady bugs and the worms in the ground. It is
this
kind of 'chemical' that we do not want to use because of those harmful
side
affects.
I don't think that talcum powder falls into the 'bad chemical'
category. Talcum, then, is not the kind of chemical that we are trying to
avoid.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

God bless our North American cousins. Totally oblivious to irony.
"Chemical" is a word we should try to avoid.
--
Nick Wagg

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

The message
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:


God bless our North American cousins. Totally oblivious to irony.
"Chemical" is a word we should try to avoid.

Careful..there's sure to be chemicals in irony.

Janet

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"gary davis" wrote in message
...
On 5/4/04 2:55 PM, in article ,
"Franz
Heymann" wrote:


"Paul Anderson" wrote in message
...

"flower faerie" wrote in message
...
Hello

I have lots of ant hills appearing all over my lawn. I prefer
not
to
mow the lawn too short but want to try and get the ants to live
somewhere else like in the flower borders. Also I dont want to
put down
ant powder.

any ideas?

ff

We have found that Talcum Powder does the trick. It's not totally
chemical
free but I guess it's much less damaging than other powders
suggested here!

Talcum powder, like any solid, liquid or gas is a chemical. What
on
earth is all this paranoia about "chemicals"?
As far as I know, talcum is just finely divided Mg3 (OH)2 Si4 O10.

The other powders which have been suggested here were Vim and
Ajax. I
may be wrong, but I think both of them are just powdered chalk.

Franz


Hi Franz
I think the resistance to 'chemicals' is the side affects of
using
certain chemicals. Chemicals that kill aphids, for example, also
kill the
predatory insects such as lady bugs and the worms in the ground. It
is this
kind of 'chemical' that we do not want to use because of those
harmful side
affects.
I don't think that talcum powder falls into the 'bad chemical'
category. Talcum, then, is not the kind of chemical that we are
trying to
avoid.

Hello Gary,
I realise what is behind the paranoia. What I don't like is the way
folk are overreacting to the use of chemicals in the garden. I grant
you that there are chemicals whose overall benefit is dubious, but it
is quite unnecessary to lump everything except manure and compost
together as "chemicals" and therefore to be avoided.

By the way, if you used "organic" means other than the highly
ineffectual ladybirds to control aphids, you are also killing off
your ladybirds. They will simply die of hunger if there are no
insects around for them.

I actually have my doubts about the efficacy of ladybirds for
controlling aphids. I have noticed that the years in which I have
large populations of ladybirds coincide with years in which I have
serious infestations of aphids. Clearly the ladybirds are having a
whale of a time. But unfortunately those are also the years in which
there is most aphid damage in my garden, so when all is said and done,
the ladybirds were fighting a losing battle. Have you ever stoped to
think how many ladybirds you would need in one garden to consume a
horde of a few million aphids before they breed?

Franz

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:

By the way, if you used "organic" means other than the highly
ineffectual ladybirds to control aphids, you are also killing off
your ladybirds. They will simply die of hunger if there are no
insects around for them.

Is there research that shows they don't simply fly away to find aphids
elsewhere?

Janet.

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in message
...
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these
words:

By the way, if you used "organic" means other than the highly
ineffectual ladybirds to control aphids, you are also killing off
your ladybirds. They will simply die of hunger if there are no
insects around for them.

Is there research that shows they don't simply fly away to find aphids
elsewhere?

Janet.


Last year I had hundreds of ladybirds living on a patch of Euphorbias. A
month later they had all flown away and the neighbouring plum tree was
swarming with aphids - so a fat load of good they were.

I've used no insecticides in the garden in the 3 years I've been here, and
the fruit trees are being eaten alive! In the past two years, all the
leaves had been sucked dry and had fallen off well before autumn. The
"natural balance" obviously doesn't occur at a point compatitble with what I
want from the garden, so I'm beginning to think that spraying may be
required to give my trees a chance!

Bob

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

I've used no insecticides in the garden in the 3 years I've been here, and
the fruit trees are being eaten alive! In the past two years, all the
leaves had been sucked dry and had fallen off well before autumn. The
"natural balance" obviously doesn't occur at a point compatitble with what
I
want from the garden, so I'm beginning to think that spraying may be
required to give my trees a chance!

Bob

I've been busily making my first batch of nettle manure as per the
instructions on the website. It claims there that this can act to deter
pests. Is this actually true? Has anyone succesfully used it like this?
My sweetpeas are already covered in aphids and I only put them out at the
weekend.

Vicky

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"Bob" wrote in message
...

"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in
message
...
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these
words:

By the way, if you used "organic" means other than the highly
ineffectual ladybirds to control aphids, you are also killing off
your ladybirds. They will simply die of hunger if there are no
insects around for them.

Is there research that shows they don't simply fly away to find aphids
elsewhere?

Janet.


Last year I had hundreds of ladybirds living on a patch of Euphorbias. A
month later they had all flown away and the neighbouring plum tree was
swarming with aphids - so a fat load of good they were.

I've used no insecticides in the garden in the 3 years I've been here, and
the fruit trees are being eaten alive! In the past two years, all the
leaves had been sucked dry and had fallen off well before autumn. The
"natural balance" obviously doesn't occur at a point compatitble with what
I
want from the garden, so I'm beginning to think that spraying may be
required to give my trees a chance!

Bob


Heresy!! repeat the holy mantra 'if I do not spray, then by magic nature's
predators will control all pests' until you are cured.

You have to wonder why they ever invented sprays in the first place, surely
prior to their existence there was no need for them?

--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

In article , Vicky
writes

I've been busily making my first batch of nettle manure as per the
instructions on the website. It claims there that this can act to deter
pests. Is this actually true? Has anyone succesfully used it like this?
My sweetpeas are already covered in aphids and I only put them out at the
weekend.

I have more trouble with aphids indoors than out! I presume it's because
of bluetits and so on outside. Fuchsias outside are fine, indoors they
really suffer.

Gardening without pesticides is a long slow process - the amount of
damage I get is now a lot less than 5 years ago, but it's not something
where you can expect instant results.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

The message
from "Bob" contains these words:


Last year I had hundreds of ladybirds living on a patch of Euphorbias. A
month later they had all flown away and the neighbouring plum tree was
swarming with aphids - so a fat load of good they were.

I've used no insecticides in the garden in the 3 years I've been here, and
the fruit trees are being eaten alive! In the past two years, all the
leaves had been sucked dry and had fallen off well before autumn. The
"natural balance" obviously doesn't occur at a point compatitble with what I
want from the garden, so I'm beginning to think that spraying may be
required to give my trees a chance!

Birds eat a LOT more aphids than ladybirds, I recommend that you
encourage more birds to attend to your fruit trees, by hanging peanut
and seed feeders in the trees to show them where the free food is.

Using this method I've seen birds clear huge seasonal aphid-hatches on
fir and viburnum, ib the space of a day or two.

Janet.

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:


You have to wonder why they ever invented sprays in the first place, surely
prior to their existence there was no need for them?

Perhaps for the same reason they invented hulahoops and plastic covers
for outdoor furniture; to persuade gullible people to part with their
money for no real benefit.

Janet

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

On Thu, 6 May 2004 22:32:47 +0100, Janet Baraclough..
wrote:

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:


You have to wonder why they ever invented sprays in the first place, surely
prior to their existence there was no need for them?

Perhaps for the same reason they invented hulahoops and plastic covers
for outdoor furniture; to persuade gullible people to part with their
money for no real benefit.

True, but I think you miss Tumbleweeds point that if pests disappear
by themselves when left alone, why was there ever any need to invent
pesticides?

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in
message ...
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains
these words:

By the way, if you used "organic" means other than the highly
ineffectual ladybirds to control aphids, you are also killing off
your ladybirds. They will simply die of hunger if there are no
insects around for them.

Is there research that shows they don't simply fly away to find
aphids
elsewhere?

Where "organic means other than the highly ineffectual ladybirds may
also be in use ..........." and so on ad inf.

Franz

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"Bob" wrote in message
...

"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in
message
...
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains
these
words:

By the way, if you used "organic" means other than the highly
ineffectual ladybirds to control aphids, you are also killing
off
your ladybirds. They will simply die of hunger if there are no
insects around for them.

Is there research that shows they don't simply fly away to find
aphids
elsewhere?

Janet.


Last year I had hundreds of ladybirds living on a patch of
Euphorbias. A
month later they had all flown away and the neighbouring plum tree
was
swarming with aphids - so a fat load of good they were.

I've used no insecticides in the garden in the 3 years I've been
here, and
the fruit trees are being eaten alive! In the past two years, all
the
leaves had been sucked dry and had fallen off well before autumn.
The
"natural balance" obviously doesn't occur at a point compatitble
with what I
want from the garden, so I'm beginning to think that spraying may be
required to give my trees a chance!

Of course you should. These "natural" ways of controlling the local
balance of nature are mostly hyped up codswallop.

Franz

Chemicals?? Was ants everywhere
 

"Vicky" wrote in message
...

I've used no insecticides in the garden in the 3 years I've been
here, and
the fruit trees are being eaten alive! In the past two years, all
the
leaves had been sucked dry and had fallen off well before autumn.
The
"natural balance" obviously doesn't occur at a point compatitble
with what
I
want from the garden, so I'm beginning to think that spraying may
be
required to give my trees a chance!

Bob

I've been busily making my first batch of nettle manure as per the
instructions on the website. It claims there that this can act to
deter
pests. Is this actually true? Has anyone succesfully used it like
this?
My sweetpeas are already covered in aphids and I only put them out
at the
weekend.

Spray before it is too late.

Franz