We are slowly but surely being invaded by what I think are the south american ants. Big mounds, aggressive little suckers that will eat you up. I have tried a bunch of techniques I have seen suggested elsewhere, but I think they are posted by people who have never had to battle these things. We are currently working on our organic farm certification, so I am limited to what I can do. The ones that are a good distance away I have used commercial poisons with some success, eventhough I think they just relocate and start a new mound. Lately they have been moving closer to our gardens, so when we discover them, we dig the mound up quickly, throw them into the tractor bucket, speed off into the woods, dump them, and spray some killer on them. Now they are really close to our beds, and I dont know if that method will work if they get up under our raised beds. I dont like using any kind of poison, but these things are an alien species, and are running rampant. Any suggestions? Anyone got an anteater for sale or rent????
Have you got any close-up photos of these ants? If you have photos or at least a description (size, color, color patterns) I might be able to figure out what kind of ant you have. There are many native species of red ants (actually many are red and black) that also build big mounds. They can be very vicious if disturbed (I once fell on a nest when I was about 7 years old. OUCH!). Anyway, don't kill them yet until you know for sure. By 'South American' do you mean fire ants? They are clever and know when the colony is under attack and will relocate. They are also very small compared to our native red/black mound building ants. One good general poison for ants is boric acid. Mix a small amount in a sugar solution and place this near an active colony. The poison is realtively safe but don't overdo it. The ants will bring this boric acid-sugar solution back and feed it to the queen ant who will die thus ending reproduction and eventually the colony. With mound building ants this may require several attempts as they are often extended colonies with several reproducing queens.
I agree with Jack Pine here..we got some ants in our garden.. not now..usually during summer months.. we got these winged ants once.. we used a small box in where 2 holes have to be punched.. there is some substance in there..that attract ants... they crawl through it..carry it to the nest..but they all die.. product is German called Baygon.. probably not available in the U.S.A.. good luck with these nasty fuckers.. Tiger
Thanks Jack Pine for the feedback! I'll try and get a pic for you to look at. Someone told us they were southamerican fire ants. They are very small in size. What we always called fire ants, were big red and black things and actually part of the wasp family. We have other ants which are red and have wide mounds, these are something more recent in development, like in the last 10 years or so, and will build mounds 1 ft tall or taller if not stopped. Is boric acid the same as borax??
Something like Baygon might be sold in the US. Also, there are boric acid-sugar mixes for sale too. I like ants except when they are hollowing my roof rafters. the winged ants were probably males and females setting off to form new colonies. Did you notice any birds eating these? We have a bird called 'flicker' that comes by during the late summer to eat these winged ants. If there's a huge number of the winged ants then nighthawks also show up.
Hi hippyjeepgirl, if they are small then maybe they are the South American fire ant (a true ant). The other ant you mentioned is a wasp that is also known as "velvet ant". But they're not ants all. I think they are a species of solitary wasp. Anyway, they can really sting. I don't have any velvet ants where I live. Some of the mound building ants have red heads and black abdomens or the other way around. Boric acid is the main ingredient in borax but you can buy small bottles of boric acid powder. I don't think borax will work as well.
Jack Pine.. No..these winged ants..were breeding.. inside a pipe in my central heating room.. quite nasty buggers..they made a whole nest in there.. one can fumigate them..but always some stay around.. that little box stuff helped..my wife poured boiling water in some cracks and holes..could help as well?? we got rid of them...but last year..firebrigade had to come.. to our house..to destroy a wasp nest..in my outside wall.. they sprayed some very toxic white powder.. in holes in the wall..they carry that stuff to the queen.. and the whole nest is gone..they got all killed by next day.. quite a sight it was..these firebrigade people..wear masks.. and protective clothes..they looked like dudes from Mars Tiger
old tiger, those sound like termites. Don't know why the fire brigade would need to dress up in hazmat suits just to spray a wasp nest. Must be some really toxic white powder.
Jack Pine.. No..no termites..and..these wasps..can sting nasty.. if you bother them...and they were in their 100's.. fire brigade over here...always wear protective clothing.. for exterminating wasp or bees nests..
I'll bet those are the "German wasps" everyone in Wisconsin are so afraid of (they just got here a few years ago). I think I'd wear protective clothing too.
ugh.... I used to like ants as a kid, in fact I had ant farms in jars etc ... But after living in the south a few yrs ago, I got to see just how nasty those fire ants were, Im allergic to the bites ... and now I find I hate ants (most of them, anyway) .. You can make a tea trea oil/water , or, vinegar/water solution and its great for keeping in a spray bottle for a quick spray-on if the ants start making their way indoors... or you can dump it on their mounds... good luck
Free to fly.. Right..ants..you know..they are such clever insects.. you have workers..soldiers..a queen.. they work organized,you know.. they can be difficult to deal with as well.. over here in Belgium..there's a belief.. that if you put a cupper coin.. or a cupper piece of pipe.. the ants will encircle it..and avoid it.. try it out,free2fly Tiger
