Hi Judi,
I have never heard of the "home insecticide method" for ants that you mentioned, either, but I'm thinking it would probably be the route I should take this time since we have cats.....then look further into something to use as a good insecticide on my plants later (Merit perhaps, as got ants advised). The "home insecticide treatment" sounds like the same concept of throwing rice at weddings. I understand that the birds eat it and it expants in their stomachs and although this is something I would want to avoid, I'm with you that it would be quite rewarding to see these little ant varmits explode. (Rice at weddings is obviously something that people did know not about back in the middle ages when we were married.) This is the 1st year I've been growing in a gh, and I know that these little ants aren't going to be the only pests I'm confronted with.....far from it from what I understand. I'm sure I'm going to have to learn how to battle lots of unwanted company but first of all, I must teach these little varmits that the gh does not belong to them and my chids are not their snacks.....so thanks for your help.
Vicki
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judi
I had good luck with House Guardian Insect Spray from Gardens Alive. Once I found where they were coming in I sprayed around the foundation outside and in the baseboard inside. Active ingredients are .30% Pyrethrins and 1.00% canola oil; it seemed to work for me. I needed to be careful as I had 3 kittens at the time. Before that I always used powdered Boron (spelling?)--not the cleaner but the stuff that used to be in eye wash, but I haven't been able to buy that for years now. The liquid baits also work if you don't have pets or kids to worry about. I haven't tried this but I read that you could mix 1/4 cup household sugar, 1/4 cup molasses, and 1 tablespoon yiest and slather it on cardboard pieces and place them in the ant paths. Supposedly it takes about a week, but the ants die after eating the mix due to the yiest expanding in their stomachs--basically blowing them up. Don't know if it's true, but if it is, it could be quite rewarding to see the little critters explode! Maybe it's like watching slugs explode after putting salt on them. I've seen that happen--learned it from my son--the things you learn from your children  |