Ant Mystery; Any Entomologists In The House?

[mawnansmiff]

"FWIW, I’ve heard people swear by diatomaceous earth. Did not work for me."

Diatomaceous earth is pretty much the same as chalk. It's the decomposed and much compressed (over several millennia) collection of trillions of diatoms which themselves are stunningly beautiful minute organisms!

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[jpmcwjr]

There's an ant poison - unfortunately cannot recall the name- that when used full strength is not optimum, as it kills the ants before they can make it back to the hill and share the goodness with their fellows. At lesser concentration, it goes much further in eradicating the problem.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

"FWIW, I’ve heard people swear by diatomaceous earth. Did not work for me."

Diatomaceous earth is pretty much the same as chalk. It's the decomposed and much compressed (over several millennia) collection of trillions of diatoms which themselves are stunningly beautiful minute organisms!

Regards,

Jay.?

Well, kind of. They both come from long-dead sea critters, but chalk is calcium carbonate, which is in mollusk shells and foraminifera tests. Diatomaceous earth is mostly silicates from diatoms. The internet lore is that the tiny sharp glassy silicate particles will get embedded in insects’ exoskeletons and kill them. Like I said, it seemed like hogwash to me, as the fire ants seemed unfazed by it.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Well, kind of. They both come from long-dead sea critters, but chalk is calcium carbonate, which is in mollusk shells and foraminifera tests. Diatomaceous earth is mostly silicates from diatoms. The internet lore is that the tiny sharp glassy silicate particles will get embedded in insects’ exoskeletons and kill them. Like I said, it seemed like hogwash to me, as the fire ants seemed unfazed by it.

It's asbestosis for ants.

 

[davek]

I have had carpenter ants. They're pretty common, actually.

I had an exterminator come and he put out bait. He said the only way to fight them was to put out the bait and send the poison back to the nests. Good news is, they are fairly easy to control if you stay on top of things. I put out bait assiduously for a while, then they suddenly were nowhere to be found. I've had them come back a little and taken care of things again.

They are apparent the spring if they have a new nest somewhere.

The Terro ant bait is most common, and works well. However, it is very easy to make your own. Look up the recipe online, but I think it's a couple tablespoons of borax, a cup of sugar, a half cup water, and cook down to a thin syrup. Borax is the active ingredient in Terro.

If I see ants, I make up a batch, put it out in little trays all over and then go out looking for anthills.Cracks in a blacktop driveway are common spots. Making your own, you can just pour the little concoction right into the anthill.

Die queen!

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Diatomaceous earth is mostly silicates from diatoms."

You are quite correct Bladesmith, however I was simplifying matters in saying it was composed of long dead critters much the same way as chalk is.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[briarbuck]

Old school...

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Old school...

You’re SOL if it’s overcast! ?

 

[mawnansmiff]

Briarbuck, I once did that with some vine weevils taking over my young strawberry plants in the greenhouse. I nearly burned the whole lot down as I had inadvertently caught some uber dry compost.

Just happened to be passing by an hour later only to find a whole load of compost smouldering away ?

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[carlomarx]

Everything I know about ants I learned from the movie "Them!". And I believe they drag their dead away just like the VC.