What can I do to keep ants away?

[guest1ab]

So, I got about 22 little sproutlings going. I lost a couple since my last visit, I went back today and found a few that had withered, probably because I didn't water well enough after I added the peat moss, etc... it looked like one had been nibbled on a little but it was still standing....but let's assume I get four viable females from that. Any ideas how much dried product I could expect, given that I didn't get them in until the first week of July?

I'm really looking forward to seeing these pups take off, and it's really killing me that I can't tell all of my friends what I'm doing. ICMag is my one and only outlet, and I hope to make the most of it.

I've grown this strain before (which is how I came by the seeds -- and no regrets about germing the only female from that batch, I still got a lot of quality bud!), but I grew indoors, under some HID T-5 fluorescents, so I'm eager to see how they will perform outdoors.

At the moment they all have their first set of leaves and appear healthy.

 

[guest1ab]

I went to check on them today, we got a pretty heavy rain last night and I was afraid they might have got washed away, but no, they're still there. The site is starting to look pretty good, too, inasmuch as it looks fairly inconspicuous.

They're still pretty short, with only one set of leaves, but I imagine that's to be expected as they only popped up 3 or 4 days ago; I just hope the soil is loose enough so they can get a decent root system going. I guess I'll have to get some pics for my next update.

Oh, one more thing. They must have got splashed a little in the rain and they've got a little bit of dirt on the stems, etc... but that won't hurt them at all will it? One more reason to get some pictures up. Some dirt seems to have accumulated on the leaf veins, they appear bleached but I think it's just a small amount of residue. Definitely got to get some pics up. Next time.

 

[Payaso]

The best method I ever found for getting rid of ants, and making sure they do not return is not BORIC ACID.

It is BORAX.

Different stuff...BA is for Cockroaches...

BORAX sprinkled across ant trails, along the baseboard and in any cracks in the walls will keep the little buggers out. They crawl thru it, drag it back to the nest and poison the queen.

A faster-acting method is to mix half and half sugar with borax and a little water, leave it in a small bowl in the path and they will swarm it and take even more back to the nest...good for sugar ants only. Grease ants prefer a bit of oil mixed with their borax.

It works well on those giant carpenter ants here in Northern California, and doesn't harm the environment.

PS - BORAX works great in the laundry instead of bleach.

 

[randude101]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LY9p8Spe7Y

 

[RockyMountainHi]

but let's assume I get four viable females from that. Any ideas how much dried product I could expect, given that I didn't get them in until the first week of July?

They're still pretty short, with only one set of leaves, but I imagine that's to be expected as they only popped up 3 or 4 days ago; I just hope the soil is loose enough so they can get a decent root system going. I guess I'll have to get some pics for my next update.

Figgure 10 pounds per plant and pray.
Infact - now would be an excellent time to go buy a new truck so you will have something to haul your crop to ---- where ya haulin it to????

 

[growinthehills]

ants can only harm the plants when they are sprouting seedlings i thought? i seen a deer destroy a plant and it make a comeback like star wars

Ants are also farmers themselves. I have never had a problem with aphids but ants are notorious for farming aphids. They carry them to plants and comeback later to milk them for the "honey dew" that the aphids suck out of the plants.

I don't know if this is helpful. But i think its something to look out for. I tried to post a pic of the aphid farmers but...

 

[accessndx]

Hey Boo-Boo!

Hey Boo-Boo!

The ONLY surefire way I've found of getting rid of ants is by using subterfuge.....it takes alot of effort and time...but if you do it right....it works like a charm.

You need to get these materials and setup......then place this some significant distance away from your plants:

The ants should all be attracted to this picnic...and should leave your plants alone. Very organic...doesn't require any sprays or stuff....so it's safe for your garden 24/7! LMAO!​

 

[guest1ab]

Ants are also farmers themselves. I have never had a problem with aphids but ants are notorious for farming aphids. They carry them to plants and comeback later to milk them for the "honey dew" that the aphids suck out of the plants.

I don't know if this is helpful. But i think its something to look out for. I tried to post a pic of the aphid farmers but...

Seriously!? That's wild!

 

[guest1ab]

You need to get these materials and setup......then place this some significant distance away from your plants:

The ants should all be attracted to this picnic...and should leave your plants alone. Very organic...doesn't require any sprays or stuff....so it's safe for your garden 24/7! LMAO!​

Funny!

 

[guest1ab]

Went out to check on them today, and they're still there, so I guess that's good.

I took some pictures:

They're getting eaten up by something. Any suggestions what I should do?

I'm concerned that they aren't going to be mature in time to finish before our first frost ... but we haveve been having some long summers around here, sooo... really, if I could just get whatever is eating them up like that to quit, it would be very cool to pull a couple of Z's off.

Thanks.

 

[beer batter]

DE/tangle foot

DE/tangle foot

i use consern diatomaceous earth one the plant stalks about a foot off the ground soo they stop crawling up the plant then a product called talge foot on any poles i have for support. ive allways had problems with ants when plants flower and last year i started useing this comb ination with full success -some ant found a leaf to climb onto but it solved the problem. both the talgle foot and diatomaceous earth need to be in rings but the DE should be off the groundenough to not be warshed away (it really hets stick in textured surface of the stalk and the ants stop right their) the ring of tangle foot should be applied at the base of any support poles soo you dont bump into it and get all sticky lol then when ants pile up in the tangle foot just wipe it off and re-apply. i am catious about how i use DE around buds cause im a patient and provider soo its only applied in a small ring at the stalk where it wont be washed away w/dayly irrigation, i also use a dust mask when ever working w/powdery substances to save my lungs.

i even used alot of traps and mixed borax soap w/sugar and a few drop of water to carry the sent -that works but you gotta take it in every night soo the dew wont ruin the sugar, ants take it back and poison the collony hopefully. its what we use around the house

i would keep useing alfalfa and kelp for sure -thoes are important staples in my soil mixes and ammendment program, dont poisen them neer the plants where it can settle into the root zone. nip it in the butt and cut off the ants 'highway' up into the crop.

 

[beer batter]

my thoguhts are that anything applied to the ground (i use chunky bark for mulch) would just settle into the dirt or be wattered in and not do anything, i tried to tie little blundles of lavander to the stalks in the begining. cyan peper applied to but it didnt last long, i was worried caus i know how ants are connected to other bugs like aphids to ultimatly get sap from the plants then they get stuck and die in my sticky buds. i have this book 101 tips for a pest free property and its talked about tangle foot, its gota be applied on a "wrap" soo it cant go directly into the stlak and any "wrap" needs to provide for the expanding stalk soo i only apply it to supports and use DE on the stalks -wich hold into the texturad surface really well, just a thick ring per stlak or branch leading from the ground. id just maintain that ant 'berrier' even more so in the rainy season.

 

[beer batter]

Besides overwhelming small sprouts, ( for whatever reason ), colonies of ants have been known to get into the stalks of large plants. This usually shows up where there's been a break in the stalk, a crack, or a missing/broken branch. They can weaken the stalk to the point it breaks that way.

i had ants all up in a few broken brnaches when i can to their rescue, a spray bottle w/plane watter flushed them out and probly helped the crack heal. the happend twice this spring, ants probly found the sape leaking from the open wound. mostly i have problems with bugs in my buds and other bugs maby due to the ants, but not anymore. i like how their carnivours as much as they are 'framers' so its a delecate balance but iv found how to keep them off the plants and out of the buds, if their in the soil DE can be mixed w/water and used as a soil drench but you'd prolly kiss of your worms too. -i cant stress enough to use caustion and not contaminate the buds w/DE, its our medicen and i work hard to keep it safe and organic. this stuff is hell on lung tissue

 

[hanuman]

When you grow outside, you should work with nature, not against it. Ants aren't going to harm your grow, just let them live.

h

 

[beer batter]

i agree, but they get do get stuck in the buds and die soo at the least i limit their activity to below the rings on the stalk and support poles. i like that they eat other bugs and you cant get them all i just cant stand haveing them crawl up and down my plants like crazy, they could get out of hand or be harboring other bugs. this could also stop any other bugs from getting up the stalk but i think snails are immune to DE.

if im impacting the environment as little as i can and getting the ants off my palnts for good then its no bigie, its organic and is safe when used w/dust mask -a small ring acts as a phisical barrier they wont want to cross.

imo part of organic gardening is focusing on creating as little impact to the environmant as is nessisary, the plants need to be fed and desease -infestion prevented or eraticated its just a matter of responsable pest/desease managment. (the tangle foot goop can only be removed w/rubing alchohol to me knoledg, soo use it with caution aswell)

 

[Kushed]

I never really considered them a threat?! Should I start killing these bastards?

 

[guest1ab]

my thoguhts are that anything applied to the ground (i use chunky bark for mulch) would just settle into the dirt or be wattered in and not do anything, i tried to tie little blundles of lavander to the stalks in the begining. cyan peper applied to but it didnt last long, i was worried caus i know how ants are connected to other bugs like aphids to ultimatly get sap from the plants then they get stuck and die in my sticky buds. i have this book 101 tips for a pest free property and its talked about tangle foot, its gota be applied on a "wrap" soo it cant go directly into the stlak and any "wrap" needs to provide for the expanding stalk soo i only apply it to supports and use DE on the stalks -wich hold into the texturad surface really well, just a thick ring per stlak or branch leading from the ground. id just maintain that ant 'berrier' even more so in the rainy season.

is the tangle wood some kind of sticky stuff??
thank you for reminding me that I don't want to poison any ants in my grow area. good advice.

what do you use to apply the DE, some kind of paintbrush?

 

[geopolitical]

Some ants will also move aphids onto your plant and "milk" them for honeydew. You can literally have a plant be completely clean and come back 2 days to a farm. The ants will literally pick up the aphids and carry them to the new plant. Nasty stuff.

"tanglefoot" is a sticky barrier that works very well, it also has the advantage of being discrete. I've used the sugar/boric before and it works well.

 

[808kahumai]

Oranges liquified in the blender and poured around the area works wonders! It kills the queen and smells great!

 

[Lazyman]

Ants love aphids, and will carry them INTO your garden so the aphids can feast on your plants and the ants can live off their honeydew. bad mojo! I second the borax/sugar solution, works very very well and is damn near free.