I do not know if you will think the same, but the year 2020 brought with it not only the plague of the Crown, but plagues of various kinds, such as those that affect our crops. And it is that while the year 2019 had a very favorable and benevolent climate with gentle and constant rains, which greatly favored my plantings, the year 2020 began a cycle of pests that I was unaware of and that had never been on my backyard, such is the case of ants.
Usually in my backyard there were common and wild ants, the kind that walk in a hurry, without realizing their surroundings, that are very scary and never bite. I remember, only once did the bachacos arrive, those huge red ants that destroy every plant they get in their path, and I applied a repellent to them that was very effective, and they never came back. Now, for 4 years a guava tree grew spontaneously, and the ants, as if by magic, began to arrive ants in greater quantity and diversity; and it is that this plant works as a kind of beacon for them, it attracts them. But what I discovered earlier this week worried me, because they are fire ants, that is, they sting and make huge ant hills and can cause much more damage to my backyard.
The entrance to each anthill (I counted 10) is approximately one centimeter wide, nothing to do with the discreet anthill of the common and wild ants of always, this is different, by the way today I saw, (but I did not take the photo), a chimney-type anthill, that is, with a vertical tubular elevation at its entrance, as if to protect it from the rains.
Two months ago I bought some biological controllers for pests, which are based on certain fungi that are harmless to bees (remember that I have many species of bees on my site), and then I decided to apply this powder to these intruders, in order to see if I eradicate them from my backyard. I will be telling you, here I show you how I applied this product to them.
Here I finish my publication today, I hope it has been pleasant for everyone, and remember that it is always necessary to respect all the beings that inhabit Mother Earth, but sometimes you have to put a limit on them, as I will have to do with this invasion of ants. Greetings.
Image sources
However, I would be very grateful if you know of any natural remedy that can help keep this pest away from my backyard.
These photos are my own and were taken with a Xiomi REDMI 8 A phone.
The dividers used are courtesy of @ eve66 who shares beautiful designs that embellish the layout of our post.
The cover design included in this publication has been prepared by me with the CANVA application.
In case it is required to use the content or images of this post and of my other publications, I would appreciate if you could refer to my authorship (Fabiola Martínez) and cite the corresponding link. Thanks.
We have a big problem with fire ants aka candelilla here in Panama. After some reading and experimentation, I found a super easy way to deal with them. Boiling water kills them, and coffee repels them. So, here is my process:
The boiling water does also kill any plants that are hit with it, but does no permanent damage, and leaves no chemical residue.
Hello @isysd, welcome to my backyard, it is nice to have your visit. These ideas you're giving me are great and obviously make a lot of sense. It seems to me an excellent alternative to eliminate these ant hills, which are usually in the open field, not so close to the plants. A big greeting.
That makes me think that the ants are attracted to a certain environment. Probably where it is dry and disturbed. I did this treatment to kill off the nests near to the house, but the only long term solution is to eliminate their environment. I did this by letting the wild grass and flowers take over those areas of the yard. I'm not sure if it is the moisture they trap, or the other animals they house, but the ants don't have success colonizing these more healthy ecosystems. Good luck!
I think there is an imbalance in the backyard next to mine. The person who lived there died this year as a result of Covid, and that land has become a jungle, I suppose it has been the starting point for the attraction and dissemination of ants. I am testing with coffee, the day before yesterday I made the first application. Thanks for reading and commenting. Greetings.
Ciao @sirenahippie - thanks for the very interesting post! I've had to deal with big movements of ants who love to come and shelter in my home, for years, and I use bicarbonate of soda every time: a thin line of it across doorways and along the routes that they're using. It might not be entirely neighbourly of me, and I know it is toxic to them, but it is not practical to have thousands of ants busying about my home and kitchen... I make sure to warn them first, and ask them to leave voluntarily and to use another house (there are plenty around which are already abandoned and so they wouldn't be bothering anyone there!)... Good luck dissuading them.
Hello @clareartista I'm sorry to be so late for such a great comment. I'll try to do that too, it can be a good alternative and I know it won't be toxic to the terrain. Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Greetings.
Hi fabiola what a pest and yet a busy bunch they are.
I heard from my mum that when she finds a nest or a hole and sees some and they are near her precious flowers in her garden she makes a bundle and lays that over the hole
Lavender, mint, rosemary, marjory sage and basil , you could try it ! They will move btw not die
Hello @brittandjosie, how pleasant your visit in my backyard. Yes, it is a very annoying pest, and I cannot use chemicals because of the bees. I could try rosemary, mint is hard to come by, lavender is non-existent where I live, and basil I have, but I have seen ants camp at the foot of it. I'll try that suggestion. A big greeting.
Also olive or other nature oil will help but that’s a bit harsh
Hope it helps. Good luck
Good suggestion, I'll try soybean or corn oil. Olive oil in Venezuela is extremely expensive. Regards @brittandjosie
You can always try the cheap baby oil too
This is good idea!