Help! A lot of ANTS!!

olylifter420

Well-Known Member
hello riu, hope you all are doing great!

Hey, I overwatered with an organic tea + molasses and now I got a bunch of ants in my pot!

What can I do?
 

Nullis

Moderator
I would say first you need to prevent the ants from entering in the first place, if possible. You could use Diatomaceous Earth to hinder their entrance and kill the ants that enter the grow room. But it would be ideal to just wipe out the colony if you're worried about them getting in the house and around the plants.

You know that they are sugar ants; so you could actually bait them with sugar mixed with borax (boric acid), but not too much or else they wont go for it (they likely sell it pre-mixed as an ant bait/poison). It largely wipes out the colony because the ants bring it back to the queen.
 

olylifter420

Well-Known Member
cool, the thing is it is my outside plant so im not really worried bout the house thing, but im worried about the soil and root system.



QUOTE=Nullis;5853785]I would say first you need to prevent the ants from entering in the first place, if possible. You could use Diatomaceous Earth to hinder their entrance and kill the ants that enter the grow room. But it would be ideal to just wipe out the colony if you're worried about them getting in the house and around the plants.

You know that they are sugar ants; so you could actually bait them with sugar mixed with borax (boric acid), but not too much or else they wont go for it (they likely sell it pre-mixed as an ant bait/poison). It largely wipes out the colony because the ants bring it back to the queen.[/QUOTE]
 

tyson53

Well-Known Member
Boric acid work great like the top poster said...get it at a drug store cheaper...mix with some grape jelly in a small dish....once they eat it they will die off and hopefuly kill the colony also...they do sell ant baits also..one is called Grants bait staitions works well..same idea eat it and kill colony....these are not to expensive..5-6 dollars...just make sure no pets can get to them is all..hope all works out for you
 

Dubbz0r

Well-Known Member
I just started noticing ants in my room. They don't seem to be going near the plants or soil...YET. Each one I see gets smashed but if I keep seeing them I may have to get some traps.
 

chronic coinoisseur

Active Member
Hmm i've never heard of too many negative effects of ants, my veggie garden has plenty and as far as im concerned there just another part of the ecosystem. When they burrow through dirt by making a maze of tiny tunnels i think it would actually helps aerate and breakup the soil making it easier for plants roots to penetrate..just a thought
 

Dizzle Frost

Well-Known Member
i get some ants every summer..but they dont seem to bother the grow


i guess the plus side to it is.....you can sell ant farms to the kids in the hood after harvest LOL
 

Jack Larson

Active Member
Nullis hit the nail on the head with Diatomaceous Earth . Make a ring around the plant ,but keep it dry , if it gets wet it won't work.Its like thousands of little ravor blades and Ants are a soft belly insect.Good Luck ...J.L...
 

snew

Well-Known Member
Ants often feed on the juice of other insects such as aphids and will actually fight beneficial insects to defend this territory, so don't assume they are benign. Look closely for other insects to make sure there not why there there.
Most of the time ants really are not a problem. I have no knowledge of how boric acid effects the soil I would look into that you may need to place it in a lid but if you use sugar with it an it will attract ants, from all around.
Spinosad is a great biological that is effective with ants among other things and is less destructive to beneficial. I'm trying it in my yard on fire ants. It appears to be as effective as any on them, and nothing works to good.
 

DCgrow505

Well-Known Member
Ants are bad news and you need to take them out cause if theres ants theres going to gants right behind them and gants will eat on your roots killing your plant what i did when i had this problem was i got some really strong bug killer called hot shot and they make one just for killing ants and gants and spray it all around the out side of your house and make a border all around your pad and then get some of that ant posion traps and set them up around your room . and a nother thing i did was get some neemoil and some safe bug killer and mix them together and spray it in all the corners of your room in every crack or spays they could get in then you should see them start to die off
 

doser

Well-Known Member
The "first" thing you need to do is remove the reason you have ants in the first place or you will play hell getting rid of them whatever you do. According to Al B Fuct who is concidered to be a professor in the field, says that plants cannot uptake complex sugars which is what molasses is so you are wasting your money and bringing grief to your grow needlessly. Molasses falls into the "jungle juice voodoo magic catagorey of hype and is to be avoided. This my friend is a perfect example of the problems caused when you leave the path of science and enter the world of advertising hype. Let this be a lesson to all who read!!!!! Good luck to all
 

WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
The "first" thing you need to do is remove the reason you have ants in the first place or you will play hell getting rid of them whatever you do. According to Al B Fuct who is concidered to be a professor in the field, says that plants cannot uptake complex sugars which is what molasses is so you are wasting your money and bringing grief to your grow needlessly. Molasses falls into the "jungle juice voodoo magic catagorey of hype and is to be avoided. This my friend is a perfect example of the problems caused when you leave the path of science and enter the world of advertising hype. Let this be a lesson to all who read!!!!! Good luck to all
Seeing that your new here and I dont know your experience Ill go easy on you..:-)

The molasses isnt for the plant,specifically,its to feed the microherd in the soil to help the benefical organasims multiply and break down the nutes to something the plant can uptake,as well as add trace element such as MG and CAL.Its a major ingredient in many organic soil and tea recipes.
 

Jack Larson

Active Member
The "first" thing you need to do is remove the reason you have ants in the first place or you will play hell getting rid of them whatever you do. According to Al B Fuct who is concidered to be a professor in the field, says that plants cannot uptake complex sugars which is what molasses is so you are wasting your money and bringing grief to your grow needlessly. Molasses falls into the "jungle juice voodoo magic catagorey of hype and is to be avoided. This my friend is a perfect example of the problems caused when you leave the path of science and enter the world of advertising hype. Let this be a lesson to all who read!!!!! Good luck to all
Well I'll give you credit! Going to an Organic forum and saying that mollasses is a waste of time and that it is needless is BALLSY! Unfortunately it is also incorrect. Are you saying this or is (ABF?) Have you ever personally seen the effects of using mollasses? I suggest you do a side by side during the last 3-4 weeks of flower and then post your opinion. I could post a bunch of scientific studies that will tell you it works and why, and you could post a bunch of testimonials about how it's all bullshit. I suggest you do not believe me, do not believe AL BE! Drop the whopping 4$ and find out for yourself.
(Noob Tip of The Day) Don,t make bold statements unless you can back it up with proof! or it will be you that learns a lesson...:peace:..J.L..
 

olylifter420

Well-Known Member
the molasses aint for the plant bro, it is for the micro beasties in the soil... they have a simbiotic relationship with the plants roots and for their services(nutrient uptake, good soil life, etc...) the plant rewards them with carbs that they produced through photosynthesis... So like Jack said on his noob tip below, dont go talking if you cant back it up and hope it was a good lesson learned...



The "first" thing you need to do is remove the reason you have ants in the first place or you will play hell getting rid of them whatever you do. According to Al B Fuct who is concidered to be a professor in the field, says that plants cannot uptake complex sugars which is what molasses is so you are wasting your money and bringing grief to your grow needlessly. Molasses falls into the "jungle juice voodoo magic catagorey of hype and is to be avoided. This my friend is a perfect example of the problems caused when you leave the path of science and enter the world of advertising hype. Let this be a lesson to all who read!!!!! Good luck to all
 

snew

Well-Known Member
I would take the time to find out what you've got. Look for pictures and other observable traits. When I hear ant with wings I start thinking termites. Look on the internet. Put a few in a jar and go by a pest control place. I don't know why termites would be in your soil I know little of there behavior. But I would fine out for sure

http://www.aaaexterminatingonline.com/Raleigh-Cary-Garner-Pest-Control-Blog/bid/28404/Are-they-ants-with-wings-or-termites

This site has a great picture of a winged ant and a termite to compare.

Snewt
 
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