Ants around pond

[D.]

I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
Mostly in the mound of earth around the waterfall pool
and under the coping stones.
Went to sink a plant today and uncovered a LOT of ants... again.
Problem is what to do about it.
I've been digging them up and pouring boiling water on them,
as I am afraid to use poison around the pond.
The only thing I can think of is possibly Diatomaceous earth.
Anyone else have this problem?
What if anything can be done about it?
They're wearing me out.

[D.]

jammer wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:58:03 -0400, "D." >
> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>>Mostly in the mound of earth around the waterfall pool
>>and under the coping stones.
>>Went to sink a plant today and uncovered a LOT of ants... again.
>>Problem is what to do about it.
>>I've been digging them up and pouring boiling water on them,
>>as I am afraid to use poison around the pond.
>>The only thing I can think of is possibly Diatomaceous earth.
>>Anyone else have this problem?
>>What if anything can be done about it?
>>They're wearing me out.
>
>
> In a bucket of water add a cheap can of orange juice concentrate. Stir
> to disolve and mix. Add 1/4 cup dawn or some such liquid dish washing
> soap, and barely stir. Pour all over and around where the ants are.
>
> Good luck.


Thanks!
Five Gal. bucket of water?
Does this kill them, deter them or both?

[D.]

I know O.J. attracts them, does the soap then kill them?
And will this concoction kill plants?



jammer wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:58:03 -0400, "D." >
> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>>Mostly in the mound of earth around the waterfall pool
>>and under the coping stones.
>>Went to sink a plant today and uncovered a LOT of ants... again.
>>Problem is what to do about it.
>>I've been digging them up and pouring boiling water on them,
>>as I am afraid to use poison around the pond.
>>The only thing I can think of is possibly Diatomaceous earth.
>>Anyone else have this problem?
>>What if anything can be done about it?
>>They're wearing me out.
>
>
> In a bucket of water add a cheap can of orange juice concentrate. Stir
> to disolve and mix. Add 1/4 cup dawn or some such liquid dish washing
> soap, and barely stir. Pour all over and around where the ants are.
>
> Good luck.

[jammer]

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 22:44:17 -0400, "D." >
wrote:

>
>
>jammer wrote:
>> On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 21:58:03 -0400, "D." >
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>>>Mostly in the mound of earth around the waterfall pool
>>>and under the coping stones.
>>>Went to sink a plant today and uncovered a LOT of ants... again.
>>>Problem is what to do about it.
>>>I've been digging them up and pouring boiling water on them,
>>>as I am afraid to use poison around the pond.
>>>The only thing I can think of is possibly Diatomaceous earth.
>>>Anyone else have this problem?
>>>What if anything can be done about it?
>>>They're wearing me out.
>>
>>
>> In a bucket of water add a cheap can of orange juice concentrate. Stir
>> to disolve and mix. Add 1/4 cup dawn or some such liquid dish washing
>> soap, and barely stir. Pour all over and around where the ants are.
>>
>> Good luck.
>
>
>Thanks!
>Five Gal. bucket of water?
>Does this kill them, deter them or both?

I use a 5 gallon bucket. The citrus eats the oily layer of protection
off and the soap penetrates and kills them.

[jammer]

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 23:01:58 -0400, "D." >
wrote:

>I know O.J. attracts them, does the soap then kill them?
>And will this concoction kill plants?

It doesn't attract them, the soap kills them and i have never had a
plant suffer.
>
>
>

[BenignVanilla]

"D." > wrote in message
...
> I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
> Mostly in the mound of earth around the waterfall pool
> and under the coping stones.
> Went to sink a plant today and uncovered a LOT of ants... again.
> Problem is what to do about it.
> I've been digging them up and pouring boiling water on them,
> as I am afraid to use poison around the pond.
> The only thing I can think of is possibly Diatomaceous earth.
> Anyone else have this problem?
> What if anything can be done about it?
> They're wearing me out.

You created a fantastic place for wildlife to thrive...let 'em thrive!


BV.

[LeeAnne]

Are the ants actually damaging the area around the pond? Just wondering why
you want them to move out.

LeeAnne

"D." > wrote in message
...
> I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>

[Chester Deja]

jammer > wrote in message >...
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 23:01:58 -0400, "D." >
> wrote:
>
> >I know O.J. attracts them, does the soap then kill them?
> >And will this concoction kill plants?
>
> It doesn't attract them, the soap kills them and i have never had a
> plant suffer.
> >


I have used soapy water in a spray bottle for years to kill insects
on/off plants - from aphids to wasps (espicially!!!!)/bees, box elder
bugs to ants to whatever insect. Just spray it on them (or their
opening) and within 2 minutes they are dead and the plants don't seem
to suffer at all. I believe the soap suffocates the insect by
blocking up their abdominal airways. Not sure though.

Good to know about this mix. I have thousands of pesty ant hills
around my pond. It is a former farm field that has run unchecked for
many years. Time to fill buckets and start the purging.

Rick

[D.]

The Pond would be one huge ant hill if I let them have their way.
It's a small pond and I had them under almost every coping rock
and they were just getting warmed up.
I guess I could fill in the pond with sand and sit next to the
ant hill sipping mint juleps.
We get them coming into into the house a LOT also so I don't
find them amusing, they are pests.

And to think I had an ant farm as a child... yuck.

D.


LeeAnne wrote:
> Are the ants actually damaging the area around the pond? Just wondering why
> you want them to move out.
>
> LeeAnne
>
> "D." > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>>
>
>
>

[jammer]

If the hills are big, and you have the space to do so, take a trowel
full of ants from hill A and put on hill B, Then take a trowel full of
ants from hill B and put on hill A. I hear they will fight to the
death. I would rather do the oj, water, and soap, but someday i may
have to check this fighting theory out.


On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 16:05:19 -0400, "D." >
wrote:

>The Pond would be one huge ant hill if I let them have their way.
>It's a small pond and I had them under almost every coping rock
>and they were just getting warmed up.
>I guess I could fill in the pond with sand and sit next to the
>ant hill sipping mint juleps.
>We get them coming into into the house a LOT also so I don't
>find them amusing, they are pests.
>
>And to think I had an ant farm as a child... yuck.
>
>D.
>
>
>LeeAnne wrote:
>> Are the ants actually damaging the area around the pond? Just wondering why
>> you want them to move out.
>>
>> LeeAnne
>>
>> "D." > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>>>
>>
>>
>>

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

I use ant stakes, pesticide is contained, they carry it back to the group
and the whole tribe dies. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

I use ant stakes, pesticide is contained, they carry it back to the group
and the whole tribe dies. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[JohnMcGrew]

In article >, "D." >
writes:

>I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.

Hey, at least you didn't get the surprise I got last week. I lifted a rock and
found termites!

John

[Critical Popperian]

> I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.

We just found a yellow jacket nest build under our liner. We saw them
flying in and out that's how we found it!

Now how do I get rid of them (right near pond)???

[jammer]

On 5 Aug 2003 20:45:37 -0700, (Critical Popperian)
wrote:

>> I'm getting ants in the dirt around my pond.
>
>We just found a yellow jacket nest build under our liner. We saw them
>flying in and out that's how we found it!
>
>Now how do I get rid of them (right near pond)???

I dont have an answer, but i wanted to say that i have at least one
wasp/mud dobber maybe, that comes and gets water and flies at least
two houses down. I have watched him and he flies very high! We have a
respectful relationship. I don't dip or turn the hose on when he's
sucking up water, and he doesn't sting me when i am.

A nest would be a different story.
Good luck.