How to get rid of ants in a vegetable raised bed?

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e9999

e9999

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so I built this great raised bed with wonderful soil that I grow some veggies and spices in. So wonderful in fact that it's been adopted by at least a couple of colonies of ants. Last year it wasn't too bad except a few ants that were herding some aphids on my zukes. Then again, I had too many zukes (don't we always) so I didn't mind too much. But this year it's many more and the season hasn't even started yet. This bed must be the Acapulco of ants for some reason.

Anyway, don't want to use poison in the raised bed for obvious reasons. And I don't think that stuff like boric acid may be that great with my food either. So what's a raised bed guy to do?

Thoughts?
 
Try this trap

try this trap. Get a cardboard box then punch holes on it. Enough for the ants to fit in. Then get some peanut butter and mix it with a decent amount of boric acid (Be careful of the boric acid =D ) then put the mixture in your cardboard box. Strategically place the box where you think ants are having their stroll. The ants will pick up the sweet scent of peanut butter and they go checking it out. They like the strong scent and start to munch it. The other ants picked up the scout ant's juices and they follow the trail. Starts to eat the mixture. They die instantly. Once the number of ants in the box is plenty enough, just simply dispose it easily. You can also make 4 of these and surround your vegetable raise bed. Killing the ants is easy enough if you get the hang of it :)

Or if they're walking over a wire, get an Ant Chalk. This works wonders really based on my experience. Ants exist because there are scattered food all over the place. A habit of throwing the garbage out frequently is ample enough to give those ants a reason you don't want rubbing your elbows with them. :bounce2:

You can also pour a decent amount of hot water on the soil if you do not want boric acid killing your ants.
 
I'm thrilled to see you apparently signed up in MUD just to tell me this (and to advertise your site?). Thanks.

FWIW, I am under the impression that the boric acid will not kill them instantly and if that's the case I'd rather not have them drag a bunch of boric acid back into my vegetable soil. Not that I know anything much about boric acid, though.
 
FJ60Seth said:
I thought boric acid scratched the exoskeleton and caused infecrion.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD
Click to expand...


don't know about that, but it certainly has other lethal properties. In fact even usable for mold.
 
e9999 said:
I'm thrilled to see you apparently signed up in MUD just to tell me this (and to advertise your site?). Thanks.

FWIW, I am under the impression that the boric acid will not kill them instantly and if that's the case I'd rather not have them drag a bunch of boric acid back into my vegetable soil. Not that I know anything much about boric acid, though.
Click to expand...

I just wanted to help :3

Here are some youtube videos i've searched:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-oyczs15e8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44UNkbY65hs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUCYqV8Q-YM

or this

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...231.1267.6j5j1.12.0...0.0...1ac.1.uJu0NtADAHQ

Hope this helps :3
 
The best natural way to get rid of ants, is to use instant grits. Just sprinkle them on any mounds or trails you see and usually by the next day, they are gone. Grits expand when they acquire damp, so when the ants eat them they beautiful much explode or orange oil and coffee grounds are also effective.
 
No DE at my local OSH.
Doubt they are selling much grits in Socal unfortunately. Virtually unknown around these parts. Too bad , like the idea of a bunch of little explosions. Die, suckers, Die! But will check. Or online?
 
e9999 said:
No DE at my local OSH.
Doubt they are selling much grits in Socal unfortunately. Virtually unknown around these parts. Too bad , like the idea of a bunch of little explosions. Die, suckers, Die! But will check. Or online?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you get DE at a pool supply?
 
does that mean you have to buy it in 50 pound bags? Also some of the above seemed to suggest that it has to be food grade?
 
ah! looks like Home Depot has several kinds, including food grade - per their web site.
According to the reviews, this stuff ranks up there with angels and miracles....
 
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