Are black ants the enemy?

[Inchworm]

Or should I accept their presence in containers?

They seem to reeealy love my dirt :P

:rofl:

[madeline_con]

1. They'll eat your veggies, probably.

I'd get ladybugs or use insecticidal soap on the little buggers.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. citrus is toxic to ants...

I've had good luck with sprinkling grated lemon and orange peels around the plants. They seem to really hate those orange based cleaners too (for inside the house).

As a last resort you can use boric acid...
mix 1/2 boric acid and 1/2 sugar together add water and mix well. Then place some cotton balls in this solution and soak. Take some old jars with lids, such as old mayo jars or etc, put big holes in the lid and place on jars tightly. This lets the ants crawl in but keeps noisy cats and children out. It only takes about 2 or 3 cotton balls per jar.

edit: to add recipe

[madeline_con]

3. Tell that to the herd in my potted lemon tree.

:spray:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. huh

Maybe it only works on certain kinds? It's worked for me with black ants and sugar ants. Maybe they need to be exposed to the oils. :shrug:

[madeline_con]

5. Could be the oils do the trick. I'll try it. eom

[Sedona]

6. I have them eating my new raspberry vine!

Spray with lemon juice?

[catgirl]

9. Cayenne pepper kills ants

Just put it in a wide ring around your plants. It should do the trick.

[Historic NY]

7. I used the stuff you put next to the house around my trees...

in 24 hrs the ants, eggs etc were kaput. They made their home under my recycled rubber mulch mats. It looks almost like fertilizer. Now if I can just get rid of the snake that inhabits my herb garden.

[Kolesar]

8. Would that be "diotomaceous earth"? ... eom