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Bluedaizy
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May 06, 2009 04:48PM
I have fire ants down here...any suggestions?
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This may be an old wives tale but I have heard spraying Pledge around will repel them. One year I had a problem with them coming into my kitchen by way of the patio door and I sprayed Pledge around the door frame and sill and I did get rid of them. I don't know if this will work as well in an outside environment. You might want to contact the County Extension Agent in your area and see if you have something that is attracting them or if there is something you can do to your soil to discourage them. I always have a few of the small brown ones making hills in the seams in the concrete in my driveway, but so far I don't have a prob with my porch or patio. Good luck--I can imagine how irritating this must be.
Ick! I've got the heebies now, lol! Kelly Jo, I agree about contacting someone to take a look and access the situation - to have that many & of different types doesn't sound normal. Usually they're only a huge problem in early Spring & Fall (well, the tiny brown ones at least). Have you tried doing a G search for organic ways to get rid of them? This may be of help also and could give you a clue as to why you have so many. (Something's attracting them).
With respect to fire ants, I'd suggest doing a G search for that as well and be extremely careful, watch where you step because those nasty little buggers are quick! (As I'm sure you already know!) The only 'remedy' I've heard (and I could be wrong) is an old time one of setting their nests on fire but how one would go about doing so is beyond me, lol!
Glad things are going well here!
Thanks for the tips! We had ants in the kitchen last year -- little red ones, some big ugly carpenter ones too. I tried the power, insecticide, and chalked the bottom of the door frame going to the back yard. I think that the winter sub-freezing temps finally took them all out. Hopefully they will not be back for a repeat performance!
Two other ways. I put all my garden chair and table legs in little lids of water. Ants can't swim :-) The other thing is that they won't cross a chalk line. When I remember I draw a chalk line all around windows, plant pots and where I put the cat food. Then, because the surface is rough, I draw another line just outside it. It works until it rains. I don't use any insecticides (although on advice from here I am going to try sluggo to get rid of the snails when I find it) as there's just too much rainforest for my petty efforts to defeat. I just keep things away if I can.
We must have super ants in Wisconsin, LOL! I put a chalk line on our concrete door frame last summer. I watched, open-mouthed, as those little stinkers just walked right over it!
I know that cucumber slices repel crickets, maybe it would work for ants too? My mom always used cucumber slices around out patio doors when I was little to keep out the crickets. (Which is why I've never been able to eat cucumbers, LOL!!!) I've used them around ours too to do the same.
Beth wrote: "We must have super ants in Wisconsin, LOL! I put a chalk line on our concrete door frame last summer. I watched, open-mouthed, as those little stinkers just walked right over it!"That's why you need two. There are always small gaps because of rough ground, so two usually catches them. I have them in my kitchen quite often. Ant baits usually work but I don't even want them coming indoors.
The best thing I have found for keeping ants out of the house is to spray Pledge around the door frames and windows. They are usually not a big problem around here, but occassionally over the years I've had to do this and it has worked for me.
I'm going to try that. Pledge is a lot easier than making up a batch of washing up liquid and peppers.
Petra X wrote: "I'm going to try that. Pledge is a lot easier than making up a batch of washing up liquid and peppers."LOL!
Easier, and you house will smell lemony fresh!
Just read this reader suggestion in a magazine for fire ants. Put out a low dish of water, sprinkle cornmeal around it. The ants will eat the corn meal, apparently they love it. Then they drink the water, the meal swells, and they bloat and die. Supposedly works.
Bit like saucers of beer for slugs. They fall in, drink it, get drunk and bloated and die. Pleasant death though.
