Ants
Ants are Nature’s little scavengers. They dismantle all manner of seeds, insects and dead animals, taking them back to their nests as food. Without ants we would have much bigger weed and insect problems in our gardens. Ants are wonderful…. until they are not.
When you cannot peg out a load of washing in bare feet without having to do the ‘ant dance’, and when the dog’s twitching in it’s sleep not because he is dreaming, when the bees have to run the gauntlet when entering or leaving their hive, or when you discover them indoors, having somehow gotten into the jar of jam (even though its lid is screwed on). When these things (and more) start happening, ants stop being so wonderful and become pests which prevent you from enjoying your garden.
It is important to remember that most ant species around Rushworth do not create any great problems. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. If you move a rock that has an ant nest under it of course the ants will be unhappy and attack you. The legendary bull ants with their excruciating bites generally are not found in gardens. Bed ants (also called meat ants) are much more of a problem. They are quite aggressive and range over long distances from their large nests. They also establish satellite colonies which rapidly grow into nests. There is a species of small black ant that go searching for water, often finding its way inside. There is another smaller black ant that loves to come inside where it helps itself to anything sweet.
Where possible it is more effective to take preventative measures. For example, I have my bee hive up off the ground with ant-caps under it. My worm farm is also impossible for ants to get to. Do not put meaty food scraps into compost. A barrier spray across doorways and across ant trails also works for a while before it needs to be repeated.
Eradicating an ant nest can be very difficult because you need to kill the queen, usually deep within the nest. If you do not kill the queen, the colony will quickly recover. My mother would walk around the farmyard with a kettle pouring hot water down all the ant holes she could find. It was not very effective. As much as I dislike it, poisoning the ants is much more effective.
For small ants that are coming indoors Ant Rid works well. I put a small amount on a scrap of aluminium foil (so it easily accessed by the ants) and put it near where the ants are inside. They quickly discover it and lap it up. They go back to the nest where they feed it to ant larvae before dying. The poisoned ants are also eaten. The queen will also be fed the poison and die.
You can also follow marauding ants back to their nest. Once located it can be sprinkled with ant dust or granules. The ant dust works best on small holes and granules work better on large holes. Check the holes every few weeks and retreat as necessary. You may win the battle but you will not win the war. Eradicate an ant nest and it is only a matter of time before a new colony of ants will resettle the vacant niche.
White ants (termites) are a big problem around Rushworth. They are best left to an exterminator to deal with. They will quickly attack struggling shrubs and trees. Don’t leave softwoods on the ground or use them in landscaping unless they are treated with CCA (the wood will have a green tinge).
Some ants in the garden will protect aphids and scale insects with which they have a symbiotic relationship. Treat with white oil and after the aphids or scale dies, the ants will move on.
Keeping ants in your garden under control with a pet echidna is a great idea but it’s illegal.
The Zen Gardener
