AusBonsai

Hi guys just wondering if there is a way to get rid of ants ..... I have tried using some of the powders(ant dust) but the problem still persists...now that the weather is becoming hot now is when the problem seems to blow out....
What have you guys and girls used in the past for this problem..... Does anyone have some home remedies????

Any help would be great.......

soak the pot in water till all the ants run out of the soil and then spray them

use pyrethrum spray it will kill them on contact, cant beat it!!

Hartos wrote:soak the pot in water till all the ants run out of the soil and then spray them

Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the tub of water you're soaking your pot in. This will help the water penetrate the soil more thoroughly, and should cause the ants to drown.

Good luck.

Fly.

Hi Krittas,

I think the advice you have already got is pretty good.

When I have had an ant infestation it has normally been because there are scale on the particular tree or neighbouring trees. May be worth a closer double check. Scale are pesky things and set back a couple of my trees over the years.

I have also had an ant nest in a void that I left below a tree once at the time of repotting.
Regards
Steve

I keep touting a product I use on everything, standard trees and shrubs, azaleas, natives - and it works a treat without any problem for the plant. I like it because I sprinkle a bit over the soil and water it in and within hours the ants are gone. I have found with soaking that ants climb up the tree and there is a long battle to get rid of them. Plus the fact, I don't want to chase them from the tree to other parts of the garden.

So, yet again, FIX ANT. Main constitutent Chlorpyrifos. Available in a yellow and white tube container from Bunnings for about $7-8.

If there are ants scurrying up and down the bark I sprinkle some in the upper areas of the tree. No mess, no fuss, cheap as chips and fully effective.

MelaQuin wrote:I keep touting a product I use on everything, standard trees and shrubs, azaleas, natives - and it works a treat without any problem for the plant. I like it because I sprinkle a bit over the soil and water it in and within hours the ants are gone. I have found with soaking that ants climb up the tree and there is a long battle to get rid of them. Plus the fact, I don't want to chase them from the tree to other parts of the garden.

So, yet again, FIX ANT. Main constitutent Chlorpyrifos. Available in a yellow and white tube container from Bunnings for about $7-8.

If there are ants scurrying up and down the bark I sprinkle some in the upper areas of the tree. No mess, no fuss, cheap as chips and fully effective.

im off to bunnings tomorrow to see if they have got any of these......i have tried dish washing liquid but they come back just as soon as they appeared....i guess they do have 3 sets of legs to help them...lol

looking for something that will help on a longer basis so will see if i can get this "ANT FIX" or Pyrethrum.....
i do think i am getting abit of a scale problem because of the ants....what can be used to help this besides getting rid of the ants....cheers guys for the help so far......HELP

I use ant rid, the liquid stuff, just put some in a bottle cap and sit it on the top of the soil. If one ant takes some back to the nest, they all are dead.

And definately check for scale.

Aphids on a tree are often 'farmed' by ants for the sticky exudation which the ants love. It is necessary to remove the aphids, scale and in fact anything which exudes honeydew, without which, the ants move out. The so called ant poisons will almost certainly remove any beneficial insect life as well such as those that prey on aphids. Leaving the tree open to re-infestation.
This may not be a problem but is worth taking into consideration.

I guess I am lucky because I back onto bushland. I always have spiders and other cool little insects moving into my growing area. But I understand that no everyone is this lucky.

there is also a product put on the market bt "Raid" called liquid ant killer. readily availlable from Mitre 10. It's a liquid that you put in the trail or path of the Ants.
Works good.

BoNZai

Mix crushed garlic and chilli in water and spray them. I use Nagar Jolokia (the world's hottest chilli) and this works like a treat and oh, environmentally friendly too LoL

kvan64 wrote:Mix crushed garlic and chilli in water and spray them. I use Nagar Jolokia (the world's hottest chilli) and this works like a treat and oh, environmentally friendly too LoL

very interesting....it maybe worth a try as im getting despirate now coz they go then are back 2 weeks later.....im almost ready to get shares in some of these ant dust companies.....hehehehehe