Ants, what to do?

[littlebit]

I'm having issues with those dang little "piss" ants in my flower bed. Should  I keep them, get rid of them , how do i get rid of them without harming my flowers? help!

[Pappy]

I had this in my facebook a few days ago. I have never tried it.  Not sure if the baking soda will harm your plants though.

 

INGREDIENTS
1 empty water bottle
(Cut it down to about 2" tall)
5 Tbsp of baking soda
5 Tbsp of powdered sugar
3 Tbsp of water

 

The very best way of eliminating ants is truly simple:

Take a small amount of powdered sugar (also called icing sugar) and mix it with an equal amount of baking soda (formally called sodium bicarbonate) and water.

Powdered sugar is essential. You cannot use the larger grains of sugar for this..

Mix the two powders together and then place small amounts against the walls or other areas where you would not normally walk but where you would normally see the ants.

The ants will be attracted to the sugar and will eat some of it and collect more to take home to feed others, so all of them will get their share.

The sugar and baking soda powders are similar in size and, once mixed together, the ants cannot separate the two items, so, as they eat the sugar, they will also ingest the baking soda, which they would otherwise never touch. This is the reason for using powdered sugar.

Once the ants eat the baking soda it will react with the formic acid in their stomachs and cause gas. The bodies of ants are unlike humans and they cannot eliminate gas so it will build up inside and eliminate them.

[Bon]

Some flowers need ants in order to bloom.  I use Terro ant traps in & out of the house. Just put them where animals can't get to them.

[fadedgenes]

I was thinking that too.  I believe that Peonies are one flower that depends on ants for blooming. 

 

If you have a dry area, or even put in a dried plastic bottle on it's side, put some corn meal.  It works the same as the powdered sugar mix mentioned above but is perfectly safe for pets and kids. 

[Petee]

Ants and peonies (plus other flowers) have a symbiotic relationship.  Either can live without the other but they do better in cooperation with each other. 

 

In exchange for a bit of nectar that the peonies produce, the ants take away any teeny predators that might chew on the petals.  I fyou spray the peonies to remove the ants then you may have more damage from chewing insects and sucking aphids.

 

Personally my problem is not cutting away the foliage in the fall, then I have Black Spot in the summer.  You'd think I would have learned not to be lazy at this point.  Not!

[Petee]

You can check Tractor Supply or any other nursery department for the little ant cups.  Possibly Terro or some other brand.  The ants take it to their nest and it kills everything that eats it.  Best solution.

[Zilch1]

Spectracide Home Defense in the gallon pump container sold at a local big box store. Use it on the outside foundation and inside the basement and your ants should be gone without harming the outdoors. Good Luck.

[littlebit]

I had them last year and I think I put some sevin dust in the dirt and mixed it up, they just relocated. Don't know what I'll try, However i think i'll dig deeper into the baking soda!