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Post by tbird on Jul 4, 2015 8:23:39 GMT -5
so - I notice one of my kales doing poorly a few days ago. We haven't had rain in about 4 days or so, and I was wondering if my plants got "spoiled" and didn't develop the usual root systems because they always had rain every day or 2-3 at most.
Today, another kale is doing poorly and I see holes coming up the mulch and stooping to investigate, ants coming up from it. Just yesterday - there was a different ant colony setting up in another veggie bed and between my sidewalk way next to the veggie bed. These were different size ants - so not related.
both areas have cool tolerant crops so I gave them some ice water! I couldn't think of anything else as a deterrent, because I don't like to hurt things....but then they will move over to the warm season veggies and I won't know what to do then....not even sure if the ice water works, but I know they like things warm and dry.....
Why so many? What to do?
Why in my veggie beds? >:^(
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Post by restless on Jul 4, 2015 8:33:08 GMT -5
My whole property is infested with all kinds of ants. Including my veggie beds. I can't pick up a handful of earth anywhere without there being a handful of ants in it. I have never noticed them doing damage to my plants, however. They farm aphids on my plants, which I find fascinating. But the ladybug army shows up and puts an end to that. So I don't give it a second thought after, "neat." The biting ants have done damage to me on occasion. But I never noticed any ill effect to my plants.
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Post by tbird on Jul 4, 2015 9:06:03 GMT -5
anthills generally don't have any plants growing on them, and this seems to be right under my kale, who are suffering.
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Post by kimmsrđź•Š on Jul 5, 2015 6:10:42 GMT -5
Gardeners have been trying to eliminate ants for as long as I can remember and no one has succeeded yet. As soon as you do eliminate one nest more ants will move into the vacancy. Ants are part of Ma Natures recycling machine, helping clean up this planet as we mess it up so they are beneficial. However, they can be problems at times and sometimes a large nest can expose a plants roots to too much air. Often, in that instance, soaking the soil will cause the wee buggers to move, but that needs to be a deep soak not just a surface wetting.
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Post by restless on Jul 5, 2015 6:19:18 GMT -5
I have many entrances and exits to underground ant homes at the bases of many of my plants. The are small, however. I don't even try to fight them. They are everywhere on the property here.
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Post by tbird on Jul 5, 2015 9:38:15 GMT -5
they are everywhere here too - and frequently in the kitchen!
I don't mind usually unless they are hurting a favored plant.
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Post by restless on Jul 5, 2015 13:02:08 GMT -5
Oh yeah. It is am endless war with ants in the house here.
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Post by johng44 on Jul 5, 2015 14:25:48 GMT -5
Sprinkle baby powder on the mounds and around the plant..even on the plants. Repels the ants. also using dried grits on and around the mounds. Ants eat and carry back to the nest and queen. Bloat up and die. Both old time remedies and have to be re-applied after rain but works.
Powdered coffee grounds also help when sprinkled on the plant as the ant host/carry aphids to the plant and the aphid pierces the leaves for the nectar and the ants gets their share. |
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Post by johng44 on Jul 5, 2015 14:35:52 GMT -5
tbird you might try watering blasting the kale in the am and then again early afternoon to knock of worms that eat the leaves. Very effective. Can't use in conjunction with powder unless you can keep the powder dry i.e. can't soak the bed.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 5, 2015 18:23:13 GMT -5
I have noticed a lot more ants than usual in the garden this year. The artichoke plants are covered with them but I do not notice any damage.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 5, 2015 22:36:42 GMT -5
tbird Are you sure it's the ants that are the reason for your kale suffering? At this time of year, it might be the heat.
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Post by kimmsrđź•Š on Jul 6, 2015 5:55:14 GMT -5
"dried grits on and around the mounds. Ants eat and carry back to the nest and queen. Bloat up and die. Both old time remedies and have to be re-applied after rain but works." A total myth that keeps appearing from time to time. Ants do not eat solid foods like grits, or corn meal, so that stuff will not get into their digestive system, mix with any liquid there, swell up, and explode.
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Post by johng44 on Jul 6, 2015 10:44:01 GMT -5
Ahhh myth debunked. Thanx Kimmsr ants just change entrance etc. like the chalk line myth. Save your grits!LOL! ;)
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Post by kimmsrđź•Š on Jul 7, 2015 6:43:35 GMT -5
While ants, like many other wee critters, are a normal part of nature and so do belong, kind of, in the garden they do not belong in any kitchen. However, ants are curious and will come in and look around to see if there is a food or moisture source available. To keep ants out of the house several steps need to be taken starting with determining where they are getting in. Then redirect the ants from where they are to where they are coming in with lemon juice or peppermint oil (the real stuff not made up stuff) until they no longer come in at that point. Next seal that entry point and redirect the wee buggers away from that entry by putting baits out away from that place.
One could mix Boric Acid with molasses or sugar water and poison the ants but unless the above is done other ants will simply find their way in the house as well. |
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 7, 2015 8:56:04 GMT -5
Yes, find out where they are entering the house. When we sold my Dad's house several years ago the inspector found ants in the kitchen. They were coming in around the window frame inside the kitchen but outside you could see a line of ants marching up the wall to the outside of the window frame.
Killing them inside the house will never work permanently. You must find out where they are coming in and eliminate that entry point.
Ants make a scent trail for other ants to follow so disrupting that scent trail by washing it off or applying an essential oil will really work.
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