[Arid_gardener] RE: Organic Matter Attracting Ants to Garden

[Starlene Stewart]

In the past week or so we've been overcome with fire ants, in the house,
in the garden, in our milking parlor.  They swarm the least little crumb
of food anywhere.  I've also had them completely skeletonize plants in my
garden if I wasn't pro-active in getting them stopped.  We have 3.5 acres,
so they can have the run of most of it, but they are sure bad at this time
of year.  This morning my two bags of grain for our dairy goats were
filled with ants so bad that I couldn't use the grain. Yesterday they made
their way up the wall near the cupboard and into my kitchen cupboards that
are above my head.  They send scouts into the house all day long and if
they find one little speck of food they are swarming.

We have found diatomaceous earth to be very helpful in stopping them from
continuing in a path.  We also use Amdro.

HTH,
Starlene
Maricopa, Arizona (not a Master gardener)

On Sun, August 19, 2007 10:35 am, Carolyn Hills said:
> Great comments so far!
>
> I'd like to add that (unless they are really bothering your family or
> pets)
> ants are usually a GOOD THING in the garden. They are pollinators, and
> their
> excavations in the garden loosen the soil and break down organic matter.
> Ants also eat aphids and other garden pests.
>
> Since so many honeybees have mysteriously disappeared in the last year,
> ants
> have become especially important in their pollinator role.
>
> They can be annoying, but every time I see an ant crawling through a
> flower
> in my garden, I resolve to keep putting up with the occasional bite!
>
> Carolyn Hills
> Maricopa County Master Gardener Volunteer
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu
> [mailto:arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of Dee
> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 8:58 PM
> To: arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu; yafadance at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page
>
>    Compost works best in my book. I put it everywhere-as a side dressing,
> top dressing and dug in to the soil prior to planting. If it is throughly
> decomposed, it should not attract ants.
>   Good luck & don't give up on organics.
>   Deedee
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: <yafadance at yahoo.com>
>   To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
>   Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 9:47 AM
>   Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page
>
>
>   > Dianna
>   > 85022
>   > yafadance at yahoo.com
>   >
>   > I am trying to use alot of organic fertilizer, such as alfalfa pellets
> and used coffee grounds, but it seems like this is attracting alot of
> ants.
> I am about ready to give up on organic fertilizer due to the bug problem,
> but I'd prefer to not hurt the environment with my gardening practices.
> Any
> suggestions?
>   > Thanks
>   >