Ants

[SlugLobber]

Do they cause harm to plants? There seem to be a lot of them around my broad bean plants. Whilst I was away last week, some of the plants wilted. House-sitter watered them every two days and the soil is moist. I re-potted some of them (which do seem a little better).

Do ants actually destroy crops? If so, is there an organic/pet friendly way of culling the little buggers?

[rustylady]

Where are your broad beans (in pots, or in open ground?) Ants don't actually eat plants, but they can undermine the roots by tunnelling, causing them to dry out and die, and ants round broad beans would suggest that they may be "farming" bean aphids (blackfly) on your beans. The ants don't do any harm but the blackfly do.

[sallym]

Strange you should say that, but I saw loads around my broadbeans today.Not a sign of blackfly though. Will watch this thread with interest.

[SlugLobber]

They're in the PVC greenhouse (which is now open to the elements). Some are still in the propogation tray (x 4) and 2 I have repotted into large plant pots. Not quite sure how to plant them out, yet. Might try them in hanging baskets, with tomatoes. They were on offer at the garden centre, so worth a try!

Have been spraying them with organic pest control and I'm sure blackfly was included in that. Might have to start saving the washing up water. That had great success in controlling pests last time!

[davefromthechipie]

bloody pests!! im infested with them too ..mix some washing up liquid ( about 8 drops for a small water sprayer ),they die very fast aswell as the aphids . Just noticed this morning my thyme was covered in them "trying not to think about last nights dinner i used my thyme in " 2 sprays later and about 90% dead within 30min ants in under a min . Tryed last week one of them nonorganic ant traps but that was usless... not one ant went close to it :P

[palborn]

I'm also having problems with ants on my broad beans. I sprayed them with diluted washing up liquid as well and it does seemto keep them at bay.

Last year I lost all my sweetcorn plants because of ants milking aphids .

I'm determined to get my own back this year

[areia]

somone mentioned in a thread about corn flour or paste buggered if i can find it, somthing bout they cant digest it so they die, will watch this thread as i am plauged with the blighters as well

[areia]

CORNMEAL ah ha found it, now i have to find out where to get it

[palborn]

What do you do with it areia? Just dust it over the plants or do you have to mix it with liquid first?

[areia]

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
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Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.

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Last edited by lainey lou : 03-04-2008 at 02:47 PM.

this is what i read this is meal not flour bare in mind, as i said i dont know were to get it from though

[Pumpkin Becki]

Our lottie seems to have been built on one enormous ant hill. Our ants are yellow. They seem to love our raised beds with its nice friable soil - they moved in very quickly from the nasty clay below!!

Having said that, last year we had a superb harvest, the ants seem to have made no effect on the health of the plants at all. We sprayed the broad and runner beans with a weak solution of teatree to keep the blackfly numbers down, which was very successful.

[deezyb]

CORNMEAL ah ha found it, now i have to find out where to get it

I bought Cornmeal last week Areia - also known as Polenta. Tesco do it for about 50p at bag! I bought mine for cooking with but since I've got an army of ants in my garden, guess what I'll be doing this pm!?!?

[areia]

thanks deezyb will pop out and get some to try on the blighters