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December 2010 Moms
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I have a gardening/insect question

[Deleted User][Deleted User] member
in December 2010 Moms

We have ants.  They're sugar ants - those tiny black ones.  We manage to keep them out of the house usually.  Well, this year we planted some rhubarb in the yard.  It was doing really well, and we were quite excited!  When I went to pick some though, there were ants.  Not just on it, but it looked like they had burrowed their way into the plant.  Needless to say, we aren't eating it.  I mean, EWWWW!

What in the heck do I do?  I would like to plant a garden next year, but not if it's just going to be a gigantic ant farm.  GROSS!  The only thing that keeps them out of the house is a chemical, sadly.  I'm OK with that, but I don't want to do that to the whole yard.  P plays there.  Animals walk there. 

HELP!  & Thanks!

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Re: I have a gardening/insect question

  • --halo----halo-- member

    We had sugar ants in the house this year, and it was so gross. :P  We found a company that uses 'green' pest control methods.  They basically use flowers, fossilized sea shells and salt.  We had 3 separate invasion spots in our house and it took a couple of treatments but they are all gone!  I loved it because they said the stuff they use is so safe that even if Jack ate it he would be fine.  

    The company was Alpha Ecological and they are in Washington, too.  We were very happy with their customer service.  They came out and did one application and when they ants came back they did another for free. 

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    image--halo--:

    We had sugar ants in the house this year, and it was so gross. :P  We found a company that uses 'green' pest control methods.  They basically use flowers, fossilized sea shells and salt.  We had 3 separate invasion spots in our house and it took a couple of treatments but they are all gone!  I loved it because they said the stuff they use is so safe that even if Jack ate it he would be fine.  

    The company was Alpha Ecological and they are in Washington, too.  We were very happy with their customer service.  They came out and did one application and when they ants came back they did another for free. 

    Our cul de sac is basically on an ant hill, so it is a major battle.  I will look into that company though because I would really like to kill them in a friendly way.  hahaha. 
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  • pitterpatter129pitterpatter129 member

    I've heard cinnamon repels them...not sure if it actually works though.  I had a friend coat her window sills in cinnamon and claimed it kept them out.

     

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  • TripMommaTripMomma member
    imagesofamonkey:
    image--halo--:

    We had sugar ants in the house this year, and it was so gross. :P  We found a company that uses 'green' pest control methods.  They basically use flowers, fossilized sea shells and salt.  We had 3 separate invasion spots in our house and it took a couple of treatments but they are all gone!  I loved it because they said the stuff they use is so safe that even if Jack ate it he would be fine.  

    The company was Alpha Ecological and they are in Washington, too.  We were very happy with their customer service.  They came out and did one application and when they ants came back they did another for free. 

    Our cul de sac is basically on an ant hill, so it is a major battle.  I will look into that company though because I would really like to kill them in a friendly way.  hahaha. 

    LOL!

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  • dee12807dee12807 member
    I don't know of it works for ants, but we use cyanne (sp?) pepper to keep critters out of our plants and bird feeders. We buy a huge container cheap at Costco and sprinkle it about once a week. It works great and a big container lasts us a full season (spring through fall). GL!
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    imagedee12807:
    I don't know of it works for ants, but we use cyanne (sp?) pepper to keep critters out of our plants and bird feeders. We buy a huge container cheap at Costco and sprinkle it about once a week. It works great and a big container lasts us a full season (spring through fall). GL!
    Interesting story about that:  I had heard that cayenne kept cats out of your garden, so years ago I bought a big costco size jug of it & sprinkled it in my newly planted bulb garden.  It didn't keep our cat out, but he did acquire a taste for hot sauce.  Anytime we left salsa/hot sauce on the table, he'd hop up & eat some!  hahaha!
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  • dee12807dee12807 member
    imagesofamonkey:
    imagedee12807:
    I don't know of it works for ants, but we use cyanne (sp?) pepper to keep critters out of our plants and bird feeders. We buy a huge container cheap at Costco and sprinkle it about once a week. It works great and a big container lasts us a full season (spring through fall). GL!
    Interesting story about that:  I had heard that cayenne kept cats out of your garden, so years ago I bought a big costco size jug of it & sprinkled it in my newly planted bulb garden.  It didn't keep our cat out, but he did acquire a taste for hot sauce.  Anytime we left salsa/hot sauce on the table, he'd hop up & eat some!  hahaha!
    OMG that's sooo funny!
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  • LuckyladyJLuckyladyJ

    Try white vinegar and coffe grounds.You just have to pour the vingar directly on theant mound.You can also use the coffe grounds as a fertilizer too,but its really good at keeping insects away.

    I would just pour vinegar all over garden making sure to get the mound.Then I will just place coffee ground all over the garden making sure to cover the anthill etc.

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