|
What is the best way to kill ants?
I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all
round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. I have tried Nippon and boiling water, but to no avail. Many thanks. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.722 / Virus Database: 478 - Release Date: 18/07/04 |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Yakman wrote:
I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. I have tried Nippon and boiling water, but to no avail. Armillatox. I use it neat at entrance holes in paving. not as an insecticide you understand but just as a way of helping the ants clean their nest. pk |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Robert wrote in message ... "Yakman" wrote in message ... : I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all : round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This : year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. : : What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. Boric acid mixed with sugar or honey at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon to one ounce. Another good bait is ground pecans or walnuts mixed with boric acid at the same rate. Ants do damage, they "raise" aphids both root and leaf. They will get into fruit. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In message , Yakman
writes I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. Stamping on them will sometimes work. Ten with one blow etc. Unless they are invading the house it is easier to live and let live. Otherwise as you have already found the poisons available to householders do little to discourage them. I have tried Nippon and boiling water, but to no avail. You are wasting your time entirely with boiling water. Some of the borax based baits sometimes work, but it is only worth doing to eliminate a colony that is invading the house or kitchen. Even if you killed all the ants in your 12' x 12' space now new colonies will re-appear in every suitable location when the queens fly later in summer. Regards, -- Martin Brown |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"redclay" wrote in message ... Robert wrote in message ... "Yakman" wrote in message ... : I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all : round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This : year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. : : What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. Boric acid mixed with sugar or honey at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon to one ounce. Another good bait is ground pecans or walnuts mixed with boric acid at the same rate. Ants do damage, they "raise" aphids both root and leaf. They will get into fruit. ******** At one of the houses I lived in the little blighters used to swarm all over the kitchen cupboards. I tried everything but no luck. They would come and go at random. Something to do with the season or the climate or an ant 'race' (culture) development?. In the jungle I have seen Marching Ants but you get to hell out of it, - but quick. Doug. ******** Doug. ******** |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In message , Douglas
writes At one of the houses I lived in the little blighters used to swarm all over the kitchen cupboards. I tried everything but no luck. They would come and go at random. Something to do with the season or the climate or an ant 'race' (culture) development?. In the jungle I have seen Marching Ants but you get to hell out of it, - but quick. Doug. We had a sudden population explosion in the house (though luckily the living-room, not the kitchen). Last week was graduation week - all week long the window was black with winged ants and worker ants pushing them and (presumably) shouting 'fly! fly!' Hated it, but there was no choice - ant killer. It's very quiet now; I hope the rest will take the hint and move back out into the garden, where the green woodpecker is teaching her baby to catch ants! -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article , Douglas
writes At one of the houses I lived in the little blighters used to swarm all over the kitchen cupboards. I tried everything but no luck. They would come and go at random. Something to do with the season or the climate or an ant 'race' (culture) development?. In the jungle I have seen Marching Ants but you get to hell out of it, - but quick. Doug. When camping - and occasionally in a house - I've found that a line of neat washing up liquid makes an effective barrier. Presumably, you need a) a hard surface to put it on; b) no other points of entry; c) to renew it fairly often. -- regards andyw |
What is the best way to kill ants?
On 22/7/04 9:10, in article , "newsb"
wrote: In article , Douglas writes At one of the houses I lived in the little blighters used to swarm all over the kitchen cupboards. I tried everything but no luck. They would come and go at random. Something to do with the season or the climate or an ant 'race' (culture) development?. In the jungle I have seen Marching Ants but you get to hell out of it, - but quick. Doug. When camping - and occasionally in a house - I've found that a line of neat washing up liquid makes an effective barrier. Presumably, you need a) a hard surface to put it on; b) no other points of entry; c) to renew it fairly often. D) to remember it's there so you don't break your neck slipping on it. ;-) In one house I owned, it was impossible to get rid of all the ants - they were in some kind of hollow in the wall of the kitchen and they returned every year. Eventually, we just drew a line of Nippon or something similar round certain exits and entrances and established some sort of territorial rights for them and for me! -- Sacha (remove the weeds after garden to email me) |
What is the best way to kill ants?
On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 09:50:42 +0100, Sacha
wrote: On 22/7/04 9:10, in article , "newsb" wrote: In article , Douglas writes At one of the houses I lived in the little blighters used to swarm all over the kitchen cupboards. I tried everything but no luck. They would come and go at random. Something to do with the season or the climate or an ant 'race' (culture) development?. In the jungle I have seen Marching Ants but you get to hell out of it, - but quick. Doug. When camping - and occasionally in a house - I've found that a line of neat washing up liquid makes an effective barrier. Presumably, you need a) a hard surface to put it on; b) no other points of entry; c) to renew it fairly often. D) to remember it's there so you don't break your neck slipping on it. ;-) In one house I owned, it was impossible to get rid of all the ants - they were in some kind of hollow in the wall of the kitchen and they returned every year. Eventually, we just drew a line of Nippon or something similar round certain exits and entrances and established some sort of territorial rights for them and for me! They use naphthalene flakes in OZ to deter ants. It seems to work according to this http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives...0073.Gb.r.html There's no shortage of rain here http://www.meteonet.nl/fotoverslag17072004.htm -- Martin |
What is the best way to kill ants?
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 22:34:54 +0100, "Robert"
wrote: Why bother, they do little harm I disagree. They undermine concrete slabs and cause them to settle unevenly, and if their nests are in the roots of a plant, that plant can die from lack of moisture in dry weather. And they cause humps in the lawn that get scalped by the mower (and it's not set that low!). -- Chris E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Why bother, they do little harm I disagree. They undermine concrete slabs and cause them to settle unevenly, and if their nests are in the roots of a plant, that plant can die from lack of moisture in dry weather. And they cause humps in the lawn that get scalped by the mower (and it's not set that low!). Yes I agree with all of that kate |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Yakman wrote:
I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. I have tried Nippon and boiling water, but to no avail. Armillatox. I use it neat at entrance holes in paving. not as an insecticide you understand but just as a way of helping the ants clean their nest. pk |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article ,
Kate Morgan wrote: Why bother, they do little harm I disagree. They undermine concrete slabs and cause them to settle unevenly, and if their nests are in the roots of a plant, that plant can die from lack of moisture in dry weather. And they cause humps in the lawn that get scalped by the mower (and it's not set that low!). Yes I agree with all of that And that's serious harm? For heaven's sake, gardening is about living with nature. If you don't want to give an inch, you are the sort of person that regards Monsanto as a "green" company. You can't eliminate ants without creating a totally artficial ecology. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
|
What is the best way to kill ants?
Yes I agree with all of that And that's serious harm? For heaven's sake, gardening is about living with nature. If you don't want to give an inch, you are the sort of person that regards Monsanto as a "green" company. You can't eliminate ants without creating a totally artficial ecology. Regards, Nick Maclaren. I did not say it was serious harm did I! I just agreed that that is what they did.You have no idea what sort of person I am if you did then you would not make such a remark. regards kate |
What is the best way to kill ants?
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 17:06:14 +0000 (UTC), "PK"
wrote: Yakman wrote: I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. I have tried Nippon and boiling water, but to no avail. Armillatox. I use it neat at entrance holes in paving. not as an insecticide you understand but just as a way of helping the ants clean their nest. pk It seems that the ants are now protected against compulsory nest cleaning with Armillotox. Our local ironmonger tells me that the sale of this has been banned for about a year. Be kind and use your stock sparingly so that your ants can enjoy clean nests for as many years as possible. Peter. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , Kate Morgan wrote: Why bother, they do little harm I disagree. They undermine concrete slabs and cause them to settle unevenly, and if their nests are in the roots of a plant, that plant can die from lack of moisture in dry weather. And they cause humps in the lawn that get scalped by the mower (and it's not set that low!). Yes I agree with all of that And that's serious harm? For heaven's sake, gardening is about living with nature. If you don't want to give an inch, you are the sort of person that regards Monsanto as a "green" company. You can't eliminate ants without creating a totally artficial ecology. Ditto aphids and the like? The truth is that you cannot garden at all without creating a totally artificial ecology. Franz |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article , "Franz Heymann" writes: | | For heaven's sake, gardening is about living with nature. If you | don't want to give an inch, you are the sort of person that regards | Monsanto as a "green" company. You can't eliminate ants without | creating a totally artficial ecology. | | Ditto aphids and the like? | The truth is that you cannot garden at all without creating a totally | artificial ecology. No, that is false, on many grounds. Firstly, ants are far more important to the ecology than aphids, and local elimination of aphids is a relatively minor disturbance to it. Even massive reduction over a large scale does not cause a major disurbance, though the methods used to do so may. Secondly, ants are FAR harder to kill than aphids, and the only practical way of eliminating them is to poison your garden so that it is lethal to many or most insects (perhaps even many or most invertebrates). Thirdly, almost all gardening does not create a TOTALLY artificial ecology, but a slightly perturbed one - a.k.a. "living with nature". Killing a few particularly annoying ants' nests is compatible with this, but wholesale slaughter of them is not. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "Franz Heymann" writes: | | For heaven's sake, gardening is about living with nature. If you | don't want to give an inch, you are the sort of person that regards | Monsanto as a "green" company. You can't eliminate ants without | creating a totally artficial ecology. | | Ditto aphids and the like? | The truth is that you cannot garden at all without creating a totally | artificial ecology. No, that is false, on many grounds. Firstly, ants are far more important to the ecology than aphids, and local elimination of aphids is a relatively minor disturbance to it. Even massive reduction over a large scale does not cause a major disurbance, though the methods used to do so may. That is not in any sense contrary to my general statement that gardening inevitably creates an artificial ecology. (I should have been more explicit by using the adjective "local" and I exaggerated by using the word "total".) Secondly, ants are FAR harder to kill than aphids, and the only practical way of eliminating them is to poison your garden so that it is lethal to many or most insects (perhaps even many or most invertebrates). That is not my experience in a previous garden which I had, which had far too large a population for my liking. Thirdly, almost all gardening does not create a TOTALLY artificial ecology, but a slightly perturbed one - a.k.a. "living with nature". I disagree. If you are right, we should not have introduced rampant foreign weeds like Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and Rhododendron ponticum into our gardens. Killing a few particularly annoying ants' nests is compatible with this, but wholesale slaughter of them is not. I did not recommend, nor would I contemplate "wholesale slaughter" of ants. On the other hand, I would be quite prepared to eradicate those whose use of my garden was in contradiction to my expectations. Franz |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Kate Morgan wrote: Why bother, they do little harm I disagree. They undermine concrete slabs and cause them to settle unevenly, and if their nests are in the roots of a plant, that plant can die from lack of moisture in dry weather. And they cause humps in the lawn that get scalped by the mower (and it's not set that low!). Yes I agree with all of that And that's serious harm? For heaven's sake, gardening is about living with nature. If you don't want to give an inch, you are the sort of person that regards Monsanto as a "green" company. You can't eliminate ants without creating a totally artficial ecology. Regards, Nick Maclaren. Yes I agree with all of that |
What is the best way to kill ants?
I did not say it was serious harm did I! I just agreed that that is what they did.You have no idea what sort of person I am if you did then you would not make such a remark. people can only make a decision as to "what sort of person" you are based upon what you post in the context of the thread you are posting. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article , "Franz Heymann" writes: | | Thirdly, almost all gardening does not create a TOTALLY artificial | ecology, but a slightly perturbed one - a.k.a. "living with nature". | | I disagree. If you are right, we should not have introduced rampant | foreign weeds like Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and | Rhododendron ponticum into our gardens. That's right. With hindsight, we shouldn't have done. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
I did not say it was serious harm did I! I just agreed that that is what they did.You have no idea what sort of person I am if you did then you would not make such a remark. people can only make a decision as to "what sort of person" you are based upon what you post in the context of the thread you are posting. I have been posting on this n.g since 1997 approx so it will be more than obvious what sort of person I am if any one is in any doubt, all I did was to agree with Chris re. the damage that ants can do. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"Yakman" wrote in message ... I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. I have tried Nippon and boiling water, but to no avail. Many thanks. Here are another couple of viable options: (1) force them to read all the various ramblings of this thread - deadly but very slow and incredibly inhumane ;-) (2) local application of Ant Stop - manufactured by Scotts of Godalming. This is sold as a long term ant deterrent for indoor use (up to 3 months deterrence). Nasty stuff - contains microgranules of an anticholinesterase organophosphate compound which are supposed to be carried away by ants and then kill them by contact and ingestion. Direct spraying also kills. Usual warnings about fish and bees and food. So far I have used local applications outside to cracks in the patio where ants are building nests, and it seems very effective when sprayed around the holes where they go in and out. I have not yet used it around my roses, each of which has an ants nest building a tower up around the stem above the graft. I am reluctant to use it near growing things. However this is the year of the ant (as well as the year of the bindweed) so my 'laissez faire' attitude has given way to high tech. clinical strikes. In summary, although it is mainly aimed at 'in the home' it does say 'in and around the home' and has proved surprisingly effective. HTH Dave R |
What is the best way to kill ants?
|
What is the best way to kill ants?
Robert wrote in message ... "Yakman" wrote in message ... : I have a small 12' x 12' garden, mostly paving slabs, with a border all : round. I have had a problem with many ants over the past few years. This : year though there seems to be more than ever, coming from 5 or six sources. : : What is the best way to kill the ants or reduce there number. Boric acid mixed with sugar or honey at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon to one ounce. Another good bait is ground pecans or walnuts mixed with boric acid at the same rate. Ants do damage, they "raise" aphids both root and leaf. They will get into fruit. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Quote:
|
What is the best way to kill ants?
Nick Maclaren wrote in message
... In article , "Franz Heymann" writes: | The truth is that you cannot garden at all without creating a totally | artificial ecology. No, that is false, on many grounds. almost all gardening does not create a TOTALLY artificial ecology, but a slightly perturbed one - a.k.a. "living with nature". Well said, Nick. A major aspect of gardens, apart from vegetable plots, is to bring nature close to our door. The more natural looking the garden, the more it gets admired. Check out the number of visitors to the major show gardens, though some people seem to prefer formal types. If you don't like this idea of what a garden does, pave the whole lot and join another newsgroup :-( Cheers, John |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article ,
John Morgan wrote: Check out the number of visitors to the major show gardens, though some people seem to prefer formal types. If you don't like this idea of what a garden does, pave the whole lot and join another newsgroup :-( Such as alt.pave.the.earth - well worth a visit, to expand your mind, if nothing else. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article ,
John Morgan wrote: Check out the number of visitors to the major show gardens, though some people seem to prefer formal types. If you don't like this idea of what a garden does, pave the whole lot and join another newsgroup :-( Such as alt.pave.the.earth - well worth a visit, to expand your mind, if nothing else. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"John Morgan" wrote in message ... Nick Maclaren wrote in message ... In article , "Franz Heymann" writes: | The truth is that you cannot garden at all without creating a totally | artificial ecology. No, that is false, on many grounds. almost all gardening does not create a TOTALLY artificial ecology, but a slightly perturbed one - a.k.a. "living with nature". Well said, Nick. A major aspect of gardens, apart from vegetable plots, is to bring nature close to our door. The more natural looking the garden, the more it gets admired. That is loose talk. {:-(( Where in *nature* would you expect to find plants from Africa, The Americas, Asia and Europe juxtaposed in the same patch of ground? Where in nature would you expect to find campanulas or geraniums thriving in the absence of an unselected environment of weedy plants? [snip] Franz |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"John Morgan" wrote in message ... Nick Maclaren wrote in message ... In article , "Franz Heymann" writes: | The truth is that you cannot garden at all without creating a totally | artificial ecology. No, that is false, on many grounds. almost all gardening does not create a TOTALLY artificial ecology, but a slightly perturbed one - a.k.a. "living with nature". Well said, Nick. A major aspect of gardens, apart from vegetable plots, is to bring nature close to our door. The more natural looking the garden, the more it gets admired. That is loose talk. {:-(( Where in *nature* would you expect to find plants from Africa, The Americas, Asia and Europe juxtaposed in the same patch of ground? Where in nature would you expect to find campanulas or geraniums thriving in the absence of an unselected environment of weedy plants? [snip] Franz |
What is the best way to kill ants?
In article , Douglas
writes At one of the houses I lived in the little blighters used to swarm all over the kitchen cupboards. I tried everything but no luck. They would come and go at random. Something to do with the season or the climate or an ant 'race' (culture) development?. In the jungle I have seen Marching Ants but you get to hell out of it, - but quick. Doug. When camping - and occasionally in a house - I've found that a line of neat washing up liquid makes an effective barrier. Presumably, you need a) a hard surface to put it on; b) no other points of entry; c) to renew it fairly often. -- regards andyw |
I'm Sorry
In article , Yakman
writes I only wanted to find a way to rid my small garden of thousands of ants, but i seemed to have started a war in this newsgroup. Very Sorry I wouldn't worry. There's always a war going on somewhere in this newsgroup ;-) -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Franz Heymann wrote in message ... "John Morgan" wrote in message ... . The more natural looking the garden, the more it gets admired. That is loose talk. {:-(( Where in *nature* would you expect to find plants from Africa, The Americas, Asia and Europe juxtaposed in the same patch of ground? Where in nature would you expect to find campanulas or geraniums thriving in the absence of an unselected environment of weedy plants? My use of the word natural is colloquial, with it's meaning somewhat divorced from its root. Here one is supposed to understand that nature has existences at more than one level in our consciousness and the overall appearance of a garden, as with raw nature, transcends the individual items creating it. Gardens that capture this essence and even improve it would be regarded as having a natural beauty whatever the component plants are. I believe this means they should look as though they just happened and no man's hand is apparent. As the Japanese have shown, the number of components can be much lower than would make up many vistas in nature, yet their gardens, aesthetically-speaking, often still seem 'natural'. Gravel and a chain link fence is too minimalist for my taste, but I see many gardens that consist of just that. But I never see many passers-by standing to gawp at such a spectacle, though ;-)) |
What is the best way to kill ants?
Franz Heymann wrote in message ... "John Morgan" wrote in message ... . The more natural looking the garden, the more it gets admired. That is loose talk. {:-(( Where in *nature* would you expect to find plants from Africa, The Americas, Asia and Europe juxtaposed in the same patch of ground? Where in nature would you expect to find campanulas or geraniums thriving in the absence of an unselected environment of weedy plants? My use of the word natural is colloquial, with it's meaning somewhat divorced from its root. Here one is supposed to understand that nature has existences at more than one level in our consciousness and the overall appearance of a garden, as with raw nature, transcends the individual items creating it. Gardens that capture this essence and even improve it would be regarded as having a natural beauty whatever the component plants are. I believe this means they should look as though they just happened and no man's hand is apparent. As the Japanese have shown, the number of components can be much lower than would make up many vistas in nature, yet their gardens, aesthetically-speaking, often still seem 'natural'. Gravel and a chain link fence is too minimalist for my taste, but I see many gardens that consist of just that. But I never see many passers-by standing to gawp at such a spectacle, though ;-)) |
What is the best way to kill ants?
"John Morgan" wrote in message ... Franz Heymann wrote in message ... "John Morgan" wrote in message ... . The more natural looking the garden, the more it gets admired. That is loose talk. {:-(( Where in *nature* would you expect to find plants from Africa, The Americas, Asia and Europe juxtaposed in the same patch of ground? Where in nature would you expect to find campanulas or geraniums thriving in the absence of an unselected environment of weedy plants? My use of the word natural is colloquial, with it's meaning somewhat divorced from its root. Here one is supposed to understand that nature has existences at more than one level in our consciousness and the overall appearance of a garden, as with raw nature, transcends the individual items creating it. Gardens that capture this essence and even improve it would be regarded as having a natural beauty whatever the component plants are. I believe this means they should look as though they just happened and no man's hand is apparent. As the Japanese have shown, the number of components can be much lower than would make up many vistas in nature, yet their gardens, aesthetically-speaking, often still seem 'natural'. Gravel and a chain link fence is too minimalist for my taste, but I see many gardens that consist of just that. But I never see many passers-by standing to gawp at such a spectacle, though ;-)) What you have described has little to do with "natural", and a lot with "gardenesque". The latter term meaning whatever it is that is currently in fashion in the gardening scene. Franz |
I'm Sorry
Tooooooooooooooooo! Hogg LOL
-- Thanks Keith,England,UK. "Chris Hogg" wrote in message ... On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:11:32 +0100, "kenty ;-\)" wrote: The problem with this newsgroup is there are two many opinionated people who are of no help to anyone you don't get any bite back with rec.gardens.orchids although most users are from the USA. Which two are those then? LOL -- Chris E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net |
I'm Sorry
-- Thanks Keith,England,UK. "kenty ;-)" wrote in message ... Tooooooooooooooooo! Hogg LOL -- Thanks Keith,England,UK. "Chris Hogg" wrote in message ... On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:11:32 +0100, "kenty ;-)" wrote: The problem with this newsgroup is there are two many opinionated people who are of no help to anyone you don't get any bite back with rec.gardens.orchids although most users are from the USA. Which two are those then? LOL -- Chris E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:09 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter