Nicola O Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I have a lovely, productive apple tree in a large plastic tub and this year ants have decided that it would be a lovely place to live. They must be building a complex subway system in there as they are chucking up a lot of soil on to the surface. I'm worried that they will eventually undermine the roots completely and that the tree will fall over in the pot, or just keel over and die. Does anyone know of something that you can disolve in water and water in to get rid of them, any help gratefully received. They are really annoying GGGGGRRRRRRRRR Nicola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlegs Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Used ant traps to get rid of my ant problem in the greenhouse, these are baited so the ant takes the poison back to their nest, don't use powder or anything that will get into the soil, especially around edible plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Ants don't like rosemary or cucumber, so lay a few pieces of each in the pot and they will hopefully move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I repotted my bay tree at the weekend, and when I eased the rootball out of the pot I was dismayed to see that ants had nested in it. I shouted 'chook, chook' which is the signal for treats, and four greedy hens waddled down the garden as fast as they could. Within ten minutes there wasn't a single grub left and hardly any ants, but no damage to the roots or plant, which I was holding up so they could get to them. It's very funny to watch, every so often one will shake her beak as if she's eaten something a bit spicy! The other thing you could do would be to soak it in water very thoroughly, it shouldn't hurt the tree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola O Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 I repotted my bay tree at the weekend, and when I eased the rootball out of the pot I was dismayed to see that ants had nested in it. I shouted 'chook, chook' which is the signal for treats, and four greedy hens waddled down the garden as fast as they could. Within ten minutes there wasn't a single grub left and hardly any ants, but no damage to the roots or plant, which I was holding up so they could get to them. It's very funny to watch, every so often one will shake her beak as if she's eaten something a bit spicy! What a good idea, I'll have to give it a go . The other thing you could do would be to soak it in water very thoroughly, it shouldn't hurt the tree? I have tried that and have been watering like mad for the last couple of months, keeping the soil really wet thinking it would make it unpleasant for the ants and they would 'move out' but they just won't leave. I stopped now as I don't want to rot the roots and kill the tree. Nicola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I've got a problem with ants in my pots in the polytunnel - the first time this has happened in 8 years; I found soaking the pots with water didn't help but standing them overnight in a bucket of water seemed to do the trick, although I share your concern over drowning the plants I decided this was better than ants disturbing all the soil round the roots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyhenSG Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Have you got any Diatom? See this link for details of how to use in the garden - http://goo.gl/1JpUv Not tried it in the garden personally - only on the girls and in the eglu. I just came across this info when I was looking up its uses for treatment of dog fleas for a neighbour's dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Yes, I use Diatom on ants too. Did anyone else read the title of this thread as 'Ants in pants'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 And when you've finished plant spearmint or catmint round the plant and the ants won't come back. If you plant spearmint it's a good excuse to go buy a bottle of Pimms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 And when you've finished plant spearmint or catmint round the plant and the ants won't come back. If you plant spearmint it's a good excuse to go buy a bottle of Pimms OSH, do I detect a theme?! I didnt know diatom would kill ants - we are plagued with them between our very rocky and quite frankly ropey patio slabs, so when I run out of ant powder I will try diatom. and the phrase 'ant powder' always makes me sing Adam Ant stylee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Every year we have had ants sneaking in through a little hole in the kitchen. Diatom did the trick - not had any this year - perhaps the diatom got down the hole and they know not to bother here any more. Oh yes indeedy to the Pimms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
