Apachewoman Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 My beautiful garden is being attacked continuously by plant eating ants. Both day and night feasting going on!! Where applicable I am using powder round the ant beds/holes with excellent results BUT have a large area where ants have set up a very deeply constructed 'city' and powder nor pellets are effective. Please any recommendations for application of liquid poison or an exterminator who can successfully treat this very large infestation. BEFORE my garden disappears! Thanks so very much😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tingting Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 If you have to resort to an exterminator, Rene of Fumiga is fantastic. Have you talked to the folks at the garden center near the Oxo? (that little shop, sorry I can't think of the name...) They're also very helpful and knowledgeable. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artsnob Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 I get pellets from Laura at garden center near 7-11. They work great they take into nest ants whammo no more ants 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgates Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 The pellets are Patron Ultra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetteforron Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 I buy near the cruzcero in Jocotepec called Trompa. Also works great. Apply in the evening when no rain is expected. Looks like little tiny sticks. I see the ants carrying them to the hole to feed the queen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artsnob Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 I use Trompa too it really works... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo1 Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 2 hours ago, vetteforron said: I buy near the cruzcero in Jocotepec called Trompa. Also works great. Apply in the evening when no rain is expected. Looks like little tiny sticks. I see the ants carrying them to the hole to feed the queen. They don't feed the queen. They feed the fungus which they, in turn, eat. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogirl Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 Unfortunately my ants don't like Trompa. I find that the liquid my gardener gives me works better. Not sure of the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 My gardner makes a mixture of insecticide and water and inserts it via a hose in the nests.. It works for a while.. but it is a forever battle...You can control them but cannot get rid off them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alli Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 Apachewoman, I used a pot of boiling water on the cutter ants in my garden and that seemed to work. I waited until late in the afternoon when they were back in their hole. I poured the boiling water in the hole and the next morning there was a pile of dead ants -- it must've been a deep hole because the whole pot of water went in there. That was about two weeks ago and I haven't seen any cutter ants since. Buenas suerte! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 I had an invasion of cutter ants three years ago. Nocturnal cutter ants. Maybe they work in 12 hour shifts? Anyway, I got rid of them using diatomaceous earth and, magically, all the plants budded out again with new leaves. So, I'm wondering if anything really works or it's just a cycle that they go through every three years? I'm not doing anything this time and I'll let you know in three years. Maybe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 I have fought leaf cutter ants for years and I suspect it is a cycle. I used most of the various treatments. I wasn't crazy about Trompa as I noticed my dogs eat it. I have found (so far) that powdered laundry detergent poured down their hole followed by water works as well as anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted February 12, 2020 Report Share Posted February 12, 2020 Othro Home Defense ...sprayed on the column of ants as they march to and from your plants. Of course this means going outside after dark. I take great joy in killing hundreds of them every time I spray. However, they will always regroup and return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newjersey expat Posted February 13, 2020 Report Share Posted February 13, 2020 The cutter ants were attacking my orange tree. It was recommended to cover the base with foil and grease it with car oil. . That worked great until I saw the leaves again being eaten. It appeared a branch of the tree was so low it touched the ground....yup they found it and up the tree. They also destroyed 5 of my 6 rosebushes. . We were told to find poop dropping from other nests as they won't go near another nest. That worked but rain diluted it and we didn't pay attention until too late. We tried the powder, pellets even house aerosol ant killer. Stuck it into the hole . Worked little while but I guess the survivors rebuilt. The best one for us was the foil and grease. We just need to pay more attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis clark Posted February 13, 2020 Report Share Posted February 13, 2020 16 hours ago, Floradude said: Othro Home Defense ...sprayed on the column of ants as they march to and from your plants. Of course this means going outside after dark. I take great joy in killing hundreds of them every time I spray. However, they will always regroup and return. I have not been able to find home defense in the past six months. None at Home Depot. any sightings lately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted February 13, 2020 Report Share Posted February 13, 2020 5 hours ago, Newjersey expat said: The cutter ants were attacking my orange tree. It was recommended to cover the base with foil and grease it with car oil. . That worked great until I saw the leaves again being eaten. It appeared a branch of the tree was so low it touched the ground....yup they found it and up the tree. They also destroyed 5 of my 6 rosebushes. . We were told to find poop dropping from other nests as they won't go near another nest. That worked but rain diluted it and we didn't pay attention until too late. We tried the powder, pellets even house aerosol ant killer. Stuck it into the hole . Worked little while but I guess the survivors rebuilt. The best one for us was the foil and grease. We just need to pay more attention. I used Tree Tanglefoot for the same purpose. It was organic and very effective. I put masking or duck tape around the main stem and then smeared the Tree Tanglefoot on the tape. It was good for one to several months depending on how long the stickiness of the Tanglefoot lasted (dust or dirt from water splashing ground dirt onto it would reduce the stickiness). It stopped all crawling insects. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted February 13, 2020 Report Share Posted February 13, 2020 21 hours ago, Floradude said: Othro Home Defense ...sprayed on the column of ants as they march to and from your plants. Of course this means going outside after dark. I take great joy in killing hundreds of them every time I spray. However, they will always regroup and return. Superlake and Jara ferreteria sold an Ortho aerosol product called Ant Killer that was great for killing the ant columns. I spent many dark evenings killing them. Occasionally there were day columns of ants that weren't cutting leaves but that appeared to be carrying eggs to move their nest. It worked on day or night ants very effectively but it was a poison. I haven't seen that product for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapalence Posted February 13, 2020 Report Share Posted February 13, 2020 6 hours ago, dennis clark said: I have not been able to find home defense in the past six months. None at Home Depot. any sightings lately? Buy a sprayer and a packet of Cynoff. So much cheaper and if very effective. I use it regularly and no roaches, no alacranes and no pill bugs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted February 13, 2020 Report Share Posted February 13, 2020 Sorry, I am well stocked and also the ants have not bothered me this winter. Come spring I will be looking for Ortho Home Defense in the usual places...Costco, Home Depot and locally at Walmart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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