My garden and yard is overrun by ants! HELP!

[Naughty Dingo]

Hi there,

My yard and garden has turned into a giant ant colony. We mostly have these teeny little black ones that sting. It is miserable to work out there because they swarm up your feet and legs and sting. Ouch. We also have some bigger, juicier looking black ones but they are more rare.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to send them elsewhere?

It seems to be a something that is happening all over my neighborhood, for whatever reason, the season is great for the ants this year.

I would like to reduce the numbers, my little girls can't go out and do stuff in our garden because they get swarmed and that is sad for all of us.

Thank you, ND

[shelbean91]

I'm sure someone will have some great natural remedies, but I have used Grants Ant stakes. You stick them in the ground and about a week later, the ants are gone. They take bait back to thecolony and they all die. It's about $5-6 for a pack of 10 spikes. Not natural at all, but they work. I've tried other brands and they're not as good for some reason. They also work indoors or out.

[Naughty Dingo]

Thanks Mama for the advice.

I did a search and found that people have had success with instant grits. Well Mr. Dingo hit the big supermarket by his work and come home with some It is out there hopefully working it's magic right now.

I also squirted some vinegar on top of their areas but I think that was more for my satisfaction than any sort of ant eviction success

ND

[shelbean91]

We take the small victories we can get with these persistent critters, don't we?? LMK if the vinegar works.

[treereach]

It didn't for me, but I heard that Diatomaceous Earth does, I think mixed with a little sugar, and it's natural. I think you can even get food grade at the grocery store. We tried the cream-of -wheat too, and it did work a little, but not enough. We have fire ants though, so maybe they're different.

[AmyC]

Someone once gave me a recipe that included Dr. Bronners (peppermint) and tabasco sauce. But....I didn't print it out, and eventually I couldn't find it when I was looking for it. I never used it, either, so I don't know if it works. But if you're still looking, maybe you could search for an ant remedy with those ingredients.

[AmyC]

Okay, Google it and you'll find a lot. Here's a theory about ants and peppermint.....

Andy Lopez The Invisible Gardener
Andy Lopez goes to work with vinegar, a bag of flour, garlic cloves, peppermint soap, and a bottle of Tabasco sauce. He may sound like a Cajun chef, but he's actually one of the worlds most respected organic gardeners. He uses these items as pesticides. As time passes, more and more so-called safe chemicals are outlawed, he says, after society has been used as a guinea pig. That's why Lopez promotes organic alternatives through books, tapes, lectures, and radio shows, and now through his web site.
" Peppermint soap is toxic to insects and ants", he explains. " It scrambles their senses and drives them away. I put Dr. Bronners ( a natural brand ) peppermint soap in water and spray it on plants and vegetables. It is also good for many diseases, but it has to be right concentration-about one tablespoon per gallon".

http://www.invisiblegardener.com/clu...ndy_lopez.html

There's lots more at other sites, too.

[treereach]

Awesome! I'm trying that! Thanks!

[Naughty Dingo]

Thanks Amy,

I am currently singing the praises of the instant grits, my ants seem to have gone quiet for the time being. I was out here doing a little digging and didn't get swarmed. Yahoo!

ND

[Mama Poot]

Hi there! We're being overrun by ants this year too. The tiny stinging ants decided to take up residence inside an orchid pot on the kitchen window. My husband went to water the orchid and they covered his hand : We're also overrun with big black nasty carpenter ants that bite! Thankfully we had the house sprayed around the outside. We could have sprayed inside, but I have a crawling 10 month old and I'm pregnant, so I opted against that. I have, however found that placing cinnamon in corners, along the sides of the fridge, and on windowsills, has dramatically reduced the number of ants in the house. Also, go outside in your yard and try to find the nests. When you find the nest, pour some bleach or comet cleaner on it. This is a terrible year for ants- I feel for ya!