jeff
Registered: 07/21/08
Posts: 30
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Reply with quote | #1 |
I often get questions about controlling leaf cutter ants. In one night they have the ability to completely destroy a crop. On a recent visit to a farmer's field in Bolivia I saw a wonderfully efficient and inexpensive solution.
For each tree:
Take one plastic bottle big enough to fit around the tree stem (and big enough to provide for the tree's growth). Cut off the top and bottom of the bottle and slip the bottle over the tree stem. Push the bottle about 3 cm into the ground. The ants will not climb over the plastic bottle to get to the leaves.
Please post a comment on this, or other solutions, for controlling leaf cutter ants.
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jeff
Registered: 07/21/08
Posts: 30
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Reply with quote | #2 |
1.Ants are part of the garden. They help decompose organic material. They can
also bite, sting and devour a wood frame house. If you have a couple ant
colonies and they are doing no harm, leave them be. Think of them as nature's
cleaning maids. However, if ants take control of the garden and raid your
kitchen, or fire ants decide to take up residence, there are a few organic
options for eradicating them.
2.Boric acid is a relatively safe, naturally occurring compound that can be used
for insect repellent. It is poisonous if ingested in large quantities. The
median lethal dose is between 5-20 grams/kilogram, putting it just a bit higher
than table salt. Unless someone eats borax out of the box with a spoon, it is
unlikely they will be poisoned. That said, it is always a good idea to keep any
chemicals—natural or synthetic—locked away from the reach of children.
3.Peppermint is a common ingredient of natural insect repellent sprays for the
house. You can make peppermint extracts or purchase them at the hardware store.
The ants do not like the smell of mint. It is important to NOT add sugar to the
mint, as the sugar will counter the effects of the mint spray.
4.Despite its alien-sounding name, Diatomaceous Earth is actually fossilized
remains of diatoms—tiny sea creatures—that are ground up into a powder. The
particles have sharp edges that cut up the bodies of the ants. Diatomaceous
Earth is not toxic, but because of the sharp edges, it can cause harm if
inhaled.
Place in the ant's path to disrupt them, and in and around your garden and
flowerbeds where problem areas occur to tell ants that this is a dangerous
place to be. Diatomaceous Earth cuts into the shell of any soft-bellied insect,
such as ants, slugs, and cockroaches, dehydrating and killing them. However, it
will also affect beneficial insects, so don't use it everywhere.
5.A cruel but effective method, slowly pour about three gallons of boiling water
directly on the colony. Do this in mid-morning when the ants are active, and
repeat every day. You are not drowning them (as ants can survive in water), but
literally burning them. The key is to scald and kill the queen. Warning, this
will also kill or damage any vegetation directly affected.
regards,
P.G.SETHURAM,SSS Moringa Exports,
Tamilnadu,India |
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jeff
Registered: 07/21/08
Posts: 30
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Reply with quote | #3 |
From Honduras:
Boric acid works amazingly well with coackroaches I wiped out a population of big Australian roackes, in my college with Boric acid.
For smaller biting ants coffee grounds on the nest or chewed up fresh Gliricidia leaves also causes them to abandon thier colony. I have had much better luck with these two methods than with hot water.
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maaak
Registered: 11/19/08
Posts: 1
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Reply with quote | #4 |
We have been using a method my mom showed us ..........use an old glass bottle with a screw on lid, puncture some holes in the lid big enough for an ant.
Place a mixture of mealie meal (corn flour) ,sugar and borax (boracic acid) in the bottle , about two dessert spoons of each.
Place the bottles next to the trees, protected from the elements, roving dogs and stray children this should help with your ants !
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