Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Ants – again
If there’s one creature I really wish would social distance it’s ANTS. They were bad last year and are back in abundance this year.
They’ve lifted some sedums and hollowed out some of my Karl Forester grasses.
I tried the non-toxic diatomaceous earth, a fine white powder that sticks to their bodies and dries them out. It killed some and sent the rest of them fleeing. No suitcases necessary, they just scurried down a couple feet away and started over. Industrious little buggers. I tried Terro Liquid ant bait, which contains borax, something I tell you NOT to use for creeping charlie. It killed some, again they’ve just found a new home.
Other chemicals that will kill them include bifenthrin, while sounding organic because it’s made partially of chrysanthemum, remember that arsenic is also “organic”. It’s highly toxic to bees. B-cyfluthrin is also effective and, by accounts, less toxic. Permethrin is highly toxic to fish but the jury is still out on whether it’s a carcinogen. U of M entomologist Jeffrey Hahn says to tolerate these ants nests when possible. Ugh, why can’t they just move to the curb!
This year they nested in new sod along my sidewalk, in my perennial bed and about a half a dozen other places in my lawn. Tolerance is becoming tougher! I’d rather have creeping charlie!! It doesn’t bite! Good info from Wis. Hort