[Arid_gardener] RE: ant control

[Donald Garnett]

The first question that needs to be answered is: why do you need to kill
the ants?
 
Ants do have a beneficial function in gardens. They overturn and aerate the 
soil much the same way as earthworms do, which can benefit plants. Some 
ants also act as pollinators. Ants can serve as a warning that other pests are
present - for instance, ants collect honeydew from aphids and other sucking
insects that damage plants.
 
That said, some ants are a problem. Carpenter ants maintain a dead zone 
within a certain radius of their mounds by biting plants within that zone. 
And of course fire ants are definitely undesirable. 
 
We had carpenter ants gnawing a Texas mountain laurel and a hibiscus to
death. Tried pureed orange peel without effect, so we gave up and applied
Amdro granules to the mound (about $20 at Ace Hardware). This nasty 
stuff got rid of the colony with a single application, which meant we have
about $19.50 worth of Amdro unused. 
 
Pesticides can go off market if they are highly toxic and environmentally
unfriendly, or simply if the producer goes out of business, obviously. Or
they can be re-marketed under a different brand. It's the chemical that's
relevant, not the brand name.
 
The bottom line from my point of view is: if the ants are not biting and not
directly damaging your plants, it's better to leave them alone. If they're 
swarming your plants, check for aphids first. Ants are a lot harder to kill
without using very nasty chemicals.
 
     Good luck,
     Don Garnett
     Tucson> ------------------------------> > Message: 3> Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 15:03:22 -0700 (MST)> From: normlindaf at aol.com> Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page> To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>> Message-ID: <200704052203.l35M3MWW021034 at Ag.arizona.edu>> > Norm> 85248> normlindaf at aol.com> > What do you recommend for ant control in a dirt garden area? I've been using granular Triazicide with minimal results on the ant hills and areas.> Ther used to be a granular product called "Arizona's Best". I can no longer find it anywhere. I got 100% results and didn't even have to lightly sprinkle it in. Is this product still available somewhere?> Just curious why a very effective product is taken off the market.> I would like to use a ready-to-use spray or granular product.> Thanks. 
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