We’ve got ants…not in the pants. In the garden and yard. Let me be specific here- these are no wimpy little black ants- these are nasty mean red biting fire ants. It is “winter” here in the FL panhandle, so the colonies have died back some, and the bites cause only a simmer in the blood when they bite now- not the rapid boil that will come with the warmer weather. I’m looking for a way to get rid of these ants, but I need something that 1- is safe for the kids, chickens, dogs, and cats and 2- is safe for the environment. We have a well, so I’m not anxious to contaminate the groundwater with poisons…plus, we prefer to use natural methods when possible. Ideas are welcome!
In the past, we have tried -unsuccessfully- : boiling water, digging the piles up, “flooding” with the hose, and a borax/sugar mixture. Last year, after the kids and I were bitten to pieces, I resorted to poison bait. All the agonizing I did over using the harsh posion only to find out….it didn’t help much.
These buggers are bad- I don’t mind them out in the field or in the woods too much, but in the garden and yard where the kids play…they gotta go! I’m thinking DE…supposedly it “dries” out the exoskeleton of bugs. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
You can’t win this battle on your own. But you, your neighbours and your community can make a huge difference to the problem if you co-operate. Even without broad area co-operation you can still control your RIFA impact and reduce risk to the kids, wildlife and stock, but only by using the appropriate techniques and products according to the principle known as the Texas Two-Step method. To find out more (and about non-chemical and other community steps that can help) start here: http://www.extension.org