How can I get rid of ants in a veg plot. I would rather not use chemicals.?
Question:Also, my poly tunnel is full of small black flies. They have appeared overnight. How can I get rid of them and is there anything to stop them coming back again.
aNDY
Answers:
Black Pepper, Find the entrance to their tunnel and put lot´s of black pepper in and around the entrance. The ant´s will then carry this into the egg-laying queen´s nest. She will then move the rest of the ant´s out. Some people suggest boiling hot water, but this has very little affect , as the water never reaches far enough in to kill the egg- laying queen
Ants go for sugar so lay a diversion path for them. The flies are just hatched so ventilate the tunnels
I don't know about the flies, but sprinkle corn meal all ever your garden. The ants will eat it and it will expand in their stomach and actually explode them.
do a few lines of honey, they'll get stuck in it
You can use chili powder as well. I have also heard that coffee grounds spread throughout the garden will discourage the ants.
I found this recipe that could work:
8-10 cloves garlic
7 or so Tabasco Peppers
A couple spoons of Murphy's Oil Soap
A couple spoons Canola Oil
Habanero sauce
a couple spoons dishsoap
"Throw it all in your mixer or Cuisinart or whatever."
Mix the ingredients with just a little water, then mix with 1 quart hot water (which was noted further down in the thread). Let it steep. Strain the veggie bits out with cheesecloth to make sure your spritzer bottle doesn't get gunked up.
I hope this helps.
-Mateosquared
http://www.mateosquared.com/landscape...
There's a product called Taro ant killer. Now granted, it is a chemical but listen.
Taro is a thick gel that ants find irresistible. You can put it on a thin piece of paper on a day it's not going to rain.. put it very very close to their ant trail to attract them. They will eat the stuff and take it back to the queen. It will kill them without getting into your vegetables because it will stay contained on the cardboard.
If you have cats that roam, you may want to get creative so they can't get to it. It is a poison. Take a dixie cup and snip holes in the top rim so when you put it over the Taro, the ants will get in but a cat can't directly access it. Put a rock on top too.
As for the flies, Lowe's/Walmart/Home Depot carry organic lines of pesticides. I've had a problem with gnats and have used their fungicide effectively. There's also an insect spray. The bottles are teal green and I think made by Garden Safe.
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