Fire Ants in My Veggie Patch

Discussion in 'Gardening' started by Oake, Apr 15, 2010.

  1. Oake

    Oake Member

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    I have a little garden area in front of my house. It has some stupid decorative grass and some ornamental bushes it in. I decided to use the unused space to plant some veggies. The only thing is a colony of fire ants seems to have moved in. I am sure they won't hurt the plants but they will hurt me when I need to weed or pick the things I grow. I don't want to use chemicals to kill them since I want my food natural. Is there anything natural that I can use to make them move on and find a new home?
     
  2. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    ground pepper..
     
  3. Oake

    Oake Member

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    Really? Black pepper or hot cayenne?
     
  4. Lafincoyote

    Lafincoyote Member

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    Good luck, as you will probably move before they do.
     
  5. scratcho

    scratcho Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    I had some ants coming out of a light socket and I put a barrier of cayenne pepper in a semi-circle and they disappeared soon thereafter. Don't know if it works on fire ants or if it works outside,but might be worth a try. Boiling water would definately work,but maybe you don't want to kill them?
     
  6. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    Cucumber juice is also an ant deterrent, a freind of mine told me this, and i didnt believe him, but it did work. But this was indoor little ant..
     
  7. Michael Phelps

    Michael Phelps Am I being detained?

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    I thought this was a facebook thread at first.
    Oh, yeah. Ground cinnamon.
     
  8. bubbler211

    bubbler211 Member

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    the easy answer is to get your water hose stick the end of it in the top of the mound,then run like hell now just turn on your hose and the fire ants will find a different pice of land to camp on he he good luck!
     
  9. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    fire ants can swim and are very organized, with highly advanced communications skills. heck they're probably dl-ing ant porn on your interwebz...
     
  10. bubbler211

    bubbler211 Member

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    you are so right! last time it flooded around here the only bugs that were getting around were fire ants. i would sit on my front porch burning one as the rafts of fire ants moved down stream and hell yes those little bastards really can swim!:rolleyes:
     
  11. Sugarmagnolia_

    Sugarmagnolia_ member

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    No shit they can swim?!?!?!

    Anyways try cayenne pepper or cinnamon, that may work.
     
  12. CelticMuse

    CelticMuse Member

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    cream of wheat. they take it back into the colony.it expands when they eat it causing them to blow up
     
  13. GardenGuy

    GardenGuy Senior Member

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    Use boiling water for a non-chemical solution.
    First, dig up any nearby plants and replant them after you have given the soil time to cool off.
    Oh, one more thing, please don't scald yourself!
     
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