Ants And Plants

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bankcee

bankcee

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I have Ant all under my smart pots.. and when I water they come storming out of the pots and every which way.

growing in organic soil.. I'm afraid they're defending aphids. or gonna cause any other harm.. how can I get rid of them? should I even bother trying to fight them?

Ants and plants
Ants and plants 2
 
CelticEBE

CelticEBE

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Ant's FARM root aphids. They will carry the aphids to your plants, and eat the aphid excrement after they chow on your roots.

So, you need to not only treat your plants for the root aphids that the ants have been bringing in, but you also need to prevent the ants from coming back.

I'm an indoors guy, and I've had pretty good success at setting traps of powdered sugar and borax, but that might not work so well outdoors. I'm sure there are some solutions to this out there. Hit em with some OG Biowar tea to get rid of the aphids.
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

Living dead girl
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Terro baits. They're borax and sugar, already made up for you.

And to expand on what Celtic just said--my experience with RAs started with me noticing that ants were going in and out of my pots (this was an outdoor situation, hempy tubs using perlite). I didn't bother with them, because I didn't see any aphids. BIG MISTAKE! They were, as he says, farming RAs and I didn't realize I had a problem until I saw flyers and still didn't understand the problem until the plants crashed.

Hit the ants with Terro baits and start thinking about how you will deal with RAs should they be why the ants are there.
 
bankcee

bankcee

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Seamaiden said:
Terro baits. They're borax and sugar, already made up for you.

And to expand on what Celtic just said--my experience with RAs started with me noticing that ants were going in and out of my pots (this was an outdoor situation, hempy tubs using perlite). I didn't bother with them, because I didn't see any aphids. BIG MISTAKE! They were, as he says, farming RAs and I didn't realize I had a problem until I saw flyers and still didn't understand the problem until the plants crashed.

Hit the ants with Terro baits and start thinking about how you will deal with RAs should they be why the ants are there.
Click to expand...

Always much help. I appreciate you sea!
 
mainebound

mainebound

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Will putting diatomaceous earth around the plants or in my case the perimeter of the green house out doors,it has a plastic floor but the ants can come in through the chicken wire around the bottom etc. I am using 10gl smart pots and have tennagers getting larger ,clones I put out doors . No bug or ants yet. Treated for fungas nates with mosquito bits and diatomaceous earthbdressing. But I do use molasses. Lol
 
mainebound

mainebound

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So I have determined that using ant killer,non organic,outside edge around the greenhouses, NOT IN THEM,EVER.This kills all ants trying ti get in through my chicken wire thst runs around the bottom of the raised hoop house (20lg×7w×12ht)that starts above a layer of plastic that covers the floor and comes up a foot above the ground outside below the chicken wire opening. I then utilize a organic granulated bait that kills them and their colony when carry it back.Also diatomaceous earth liberally spread on the floor of the green house around the plant saucers(in 10 gal fabric pots) also as a top dressing on the plants,plus I have an active ladybug colony I staryrd.
 
mainebound

mainebound

28
3
Have had no issues with ants since the plants are now flowering and very healthy, the ladybugs are getting n8c3 and settled in I still have another couple hundred to add tomorrow night. But as for ants and the aphid issue that comes via them, the combination of the outside and the organic inside applications(I have I should add put out both twice over a month ,which is under the 3 times they say you can use either)the diatomaceous earth is also great for the greenhouse floor and outside around the greenhouses also. Peace grow green ,grow goodness...
 
Ignignokt

Ignignokt

350
93
Borax is the way to go. I use it in my laundry - so I usually have a box or three around. I stopped using any sort of spray or pesticide on my property over a decade ago. At first, there were troubles - this or that species would seem to be on the rise in numbers as nature tried to regain balance. I monitor for infestations, but have seen none for several years now. For the last few years - I've put out only borax when I see ants. That seems to always do the job. The rest of the undesirables are managed by a roving gang of chickens that visit daily from next door. I do get more spiders than some might find desirable - but I'd rather have that over pesticides and herbicides. I use tarps to kill weeds - heavy black tarps get pretty warm on direct sun days. Two weeks and the weeds are dead, seeds initially try to sprout and fail during that period. The soil is sterilized to some degree.

Ya don't have to poison - if you have a strategy and patience. Remember every time you spray out of urgent need - that decision and the consequences, persist invisibly for longer than you may know.
 
mainebound

mainebound

28
3
The indoor stuff is a bacteria, and the out door is basically soda ash which is borax. IF surrounding hills are giant sandy ant mounds as is my situation, one must take action.
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

Living dead girl
23,596
638
Mmmm... I'm pretty sure borax is its own thing, different than soda ash. Either way, it's what I use for my ant issues, it's the active ingredient in Terro baits too. But I've also found that not all ants take Terro baits.
 
mainebound

mainebound

28
3
Seamaiden said:
Mmmm... I'm pretty sure borax is its own thing, different than soda ash. Either way, it's what I use for my ant issues, it's the active ingredient in Terro baits too. But I've also found that not all ants take Terro baits.
Click to expand...
You are correct borax is made from boric acid
 
mainebound

mainebound

28
3
Soda ash is the Sodium salt of carbonic acid. I miss read the container it does have a boric acid component in it though so there ya go. We are doing the same thing,except for the outer one made from pyrthieans,same stuff as in dog and cat collars .Oh and my liberal use of diatomaceous earth on the floor and outside edges.
 
Fishmaster42

Fishmaster42

217
63
Spinosad is very gentle and works great on most bugs. you have more than just ants I can see something else but cant tell what it is. Fish
 
mainebound

mainebound

28
3
Ignignokt said:
Borax is the way to go. I use it in my laundry - so I usually have a box or three around. I stopped using any sort of spray or pesticide on my property over a decade ago. At first, there were troubles - this or that species would seem to be on the rise in numbers as nature tried to regain balance. I monitor for infestations, but have seen none for several years now. For the last few years - I've put out only borax when I see ants. That seems to always do the job. The rest of the undesirables are managed by a roving gang of chickens that visit daily from next door. I do get more spiders than some might find desirable - but I'd rather have that over pesticides and herbicides. I use tarps to kill weeds - heavy black tarps get pretty warm on direct sun days. Two weeks and the weeds are dead, seeds initially try to sprout and fail during that period. The soil is sterilized to some degree.

Ya don't have to poison - if you have a strategy and patience. Remember every time you spray out of urgent need - that decision and the consequences, persist invisibly for longer than you may know.
Click to expand...
Yes I agree,thsee also are temporary structures,when I build the real ones these issues will be taken care of,differently. Indoors I use nothing but dieatomaceious earth and yellow cards. Thing about putting ladybugs in there too. But there is no need,really. I have such tremendous airflow and exchange ,and I keep the 10x 10 tent spotless.
 
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