Could someone please help? Ants have taken over the vegetable garden. I've tried Sevin Dust and it hasn"t helped any. I don't like putting pesticides in the garden. I will welcome any advice. Thanks, Pat.

-- Pat in Fla. (BigSisinPC@cs.com), June 05, 2001

Answers

Pat, no big deal, first wet down the mound with water, wait ten minutes, then sprinkle baking soda, wait ten minutes, then pour vinegar on mound. Watch the thing implode. Make sure the ants are actually harming your garden, if they are not, leave them alone.

-- My Story and I (am@sticking.com), June 05, 2001.

Unless they are fire ants... We used diazinon in the field, but like you, I hesitate to put stuff in the garden. I have heard, but don't know, that yeast will do the job. Be sure to do it on a dry day, and good luck.

-- mary, in colorado (marylgarcia@aol.com), June 05, 2001.

I have also heard that a can of beer will do the job, the ants will drink the beer and since they cannot belch they will die. I have not tried this, just heard of it. And I am not sure if you leave it in a dish or pour it on the hole.

-- Simpler Times (ricki@emily.net), June 05, 2001.

Find the nests. Add boiling water.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), June 06, 2001.

Ants are usually a problem in a garden because they will tunnel under the garden in such a way to repel water - thus depriving garden plants of water. They will also "herd" aphids to get the sugar from them. Ants will go as far as attacking lady bugs attempting to eat the aphids.

I have tried lots of things for combatting ants. Flooding, hot water, chasing them down with a torch (they pop!).... But nothing works as well as diatamaceous earth. This stuff is like talcum powder to mamals and birds (that eat ants). But to ants it is like big glass shards that get stuck in their exo-skeleton and rip them all up.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), June 06, 2001.

Sprinkle GRITS around the garden the ants will eat them, the grits will swell in their stomachs and kill them. Best part of this is no insectiicides.

GoodLuck, Rich

-- RICH (PNTBELDYK@WIREFIRE.COM), June 06, 2001.

If you want the organic, well if you consider soda pop "organic", pour a large 2 liter bottle or two of Coca-cola over their nests, repeat if not all dead the next day, be sure to show your children the effects of the pop on the ants. And, yes, it has to be Coca-cola brand pop, don't know why though.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), June 06, 2001.