I have a serious ant problem in my garden with a large number of nests. The
ants are causing a lot of damage. I also have a large number of woodlice
doing the same. I have read a number of times that HCH or gamma-HCH is the
stuff to use, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Can anyone help?

Jo

In article , "Jo" writes:
| I have a serious ant problem in my garden with a large number of nests. The
| ants are causing a lot of damage. I also have a large number of woodlice
| doing the same. I have read a number of times that HCH or gamma-HCH is the
| stuff to use, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Can anyone help?

I doubt it. Ants rarely cause much damage, and woodlice cause less.
HCH and gamma-HCH were banned because they caused much more harm
than the 'pests' they were used to kill. Why do you claim that the
ants and woodlice are causing a lot of damage?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes
HCH and gamma-HCH were banned because they caused much more harm than
the 'pests' they were used to kill.

Why were they banned?

Clearing out sheds recently I found several packs of Gamma-HCH - which
I've used in the past to dust to stop ants entering the living-room from
the beds at the front of the house.

What would be a safe means of disposal if I really shouldn't be using
it?

--
dave @ stejonda

Bring culture back to NTL.
http://www.performance-channel.com/
Ring 0800 052 2000

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:209782


In article , "dave @ stejonda" writes:
| In message , Nick Maclaren
| writes
| HCH and gamma-HCH were banned because they caused much more harm than
| the 'pests' they were used to kill.
|
| Why were they banned?

Persistent, accumulate in fat, carcinogenic, teratogenic etc. Much
like DDT, but less so.

| Clearing out sheds recently I found several packs of Gamma-HCH - which
| I've used in the past to dust to stop ants entering the living-room from
| the beds at the front of the house.
|
| What would be a safe means of disposal if I really shouldn't be using
| it?

Give them to Blair to find in Iraq? Seriously, I don't know. Given
Whitehall's typical behaviour, you probably have a legal obligation
to pay a very expensive company to dump them for you.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article , "dave @ stejonda"
writes:
| In message , Nick Maclaren
| writes
| HCH and gamma-HCH were banned because they caused much more harm than
| the 'pests' they were used to kill.
|
| Why were they banned?

Persistent, accumulate in fat, carcinogenic, teratogenic etc. Much
like DDT, but less so.

Okie - ta.

| Clearing out sheds recently I found several packs of Gamma-HCH - which
| I've used in the past to dust to stop ants entering the living-room from
| the beds at the front of the house.
|
| What would be a safe means of disposal if I really shouldn't be using
| it?

Give them to Blair to find in Iraq? Seriously, I don't know. Given
Whitehall's typical behaviour, you probably have a legal obligation
to pay a very expensive company to dump them for you.

cmsg cancel !

--
dave @ stejonda

Bring culture back to NTL.
http://www.performance-channel.com/
Ring 0800 052 2000

Thanks for that Nick, I was unaware that HCH was one of the nasties.
Have a read of my previous post 'Clematis lost all their flowers' - just
above the HCH post. The reason I believe ants are causing the damage is
because I have seen a large number of ants crawling over the flowers (what
flowers are left!) and there is a large nest at the base of the plant.
My rockery is swarming with ants & woodlice & again there are small holes in
all the petals of all the flowers.

Jo

In article ,
Jo wrote:
Thanks for that Nick, I was unaware that HCH was one of the nasties.
Have a read of my previous post 'Clematis lost all their flowers' - just
above the HCH post. The reason I believe ants are causing the damage is
because I have seen a large number of ants crawling over the flowers (what
flowers are left!) and there is a large nest at the base of the plant.
My rockery is swarming with ants & woodlice & again there are small holes in
all the petals of all the flowers.

VERY unlikely. That is that they are the cause, not what you observe.
They may be following the insects that are doing the damage, or they
may even be preying on them. So killing the ants will either do no
good, or do positive harm.

It is just possible that the woodlice are causing the holes in the
base of the flowers, but it is still unlikely. They normally eat dead
material only.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Jo" wrote in
news
Have a read of my previous post 'Clematis lost all their flowers' -
just above the HCH post. The reason I believe ants are causing the
damage is because I have seen a large number of ants crawling over the
flowers (what flowers are left!) and there is a large nest at the base
of the plant.

If there is an ants nest right at the bottom of your clematis, it's almost
certainly too dry. Clematis like generous amounts to drink, specially when
the weather is like this, whereas ants like to live in nice dry soil.

If you water the clematis and feed it regularly, it will be more healthy,
and it will be too wet for the ants, who will move on to dryer places.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

In article . 10,
Victoria Clare wrote:
"Jo" wrote in
news
Have a read of my previous post 'Clematis lost all their flowers' -
just above the HCH post. The reason I believe ants are causing the
damage is because I have seen a large number of ants crawling over the
flowers (what flowers are left!) and there is a large nest at the base
of the plant.

If there is an ants nest right at the bottom of your clematis, it's almost
certainly too dry. Clematis like generous amounts to drink, specially when
the weather is like this, whereas ants like to live in nice dry soil.

If you water the clematis and feed it regularly, it will be more healthy,
and it will be too wet for the ants, who will move on to dryer places.

A good point, and very likely the cause of problems. But not all
clematis mind dry locations - PROVIDED they can get their roots down
to the water!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I have been very generous with my watering, but maybe that's not even been
enough. It's a good point. What else could be eating my flowers? Whatever
it is has a particular taste for Montana and Nelly Moser flowers (they are
all gone now!)- and also for violas and other blooms on my rockery.
Jo
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article . 10,
Victoria Clare wrote:
"Jo" wrote in
news
Have a read of my previous post 'Clematis lost all their flowers' -
just above the HCH post. The reason I believe ants are causing the
damage is because I have seen a large number of ants crawling over the
flowers (what flowers are left!) and there is a large nest at the base
of the plant.

If there is an ants nest right at the bottom of your clematis, it's
almost
certainly too dry. Clematis like generous amounts to drink, specially
when
the weather is like this, whereas ants like to live in nice dry soil.

If you water the clematis and feed it regularly, it will be more healthy,
and it will be too wet for the ants, who will move on to dryer places.

A good point, and very likely the cause of problems. But not all
clematis mind dry locations - PROVIDED they can get their roots down
to the water!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.