I’ve got ants just absolutely wreaking havoc in my greenhouse and will not fuck off 4 of my 25 plants and at my witts end with em trying to keep it organic pest control methods
The plants they are hitting the hardest are also my two largest of chocolopez and ohelo berry, chocolopez has been completely topped by em and they are eating the fan leaves off and chewing up the main stalk, lil red ants.
They are also going after wolf pack x cobra lips and a blue zkittlez
Things I’ve tried
Cinnamon dusting plants and soil
Dish soap foaming the entire floor of the greenhouse
Dishsoaping and blasting the anthills and plants/soil
Dr earth final stop blasting 3 bottles in the entire grow area
Cayenne pepper dusting the plants
Boiling water on greenhouse floor
Every day I blast em off my plants with the shower sprayer on my hose and try something new and I just cannot get these lil bastards to fuck off. Anything I missed without resorting to poisons or completely destroying my soil cultures, fuckers gotta go
You can try DE dusted around the pot and in the surface but it loses effectiveness when it gets wet. Ant traps or poison outside the greenhouse should be fine as well.
I’ve done a thick “line” of cinnamon all around the floor where it meets where it meets the base of the walls.
I read ants don’t like to walk across it. A sprinkle won’t be enough. You gotta pour a pencil wide line at the base of doors, etc.
Never do this inside your home though. My wife still finds cinnamon dust in our bathroom 15 years later! That shit never fully vacuumes up
For sugar ants I buy this liquid called terro. I think it’s just a borax mix of something. I have no idea if it is or not. I sit the drips on some cardboard inside the house.
They come like hurds of cattle to it. And then are gone within 2-3 days.
@budwhisperer u have no idea. I threw a sam’s club size bottle at em till I was sneezing uncontrollably and eyes were burning and they are just walking around in it like we’re good
I know borax and powdered sugar will kill em but to my knowledge borax is toxic as a poison and don’t wanna worry about them walking on my plants with it on em or having it get down into my soil to get to the queen to wipe her out but there’s gotta be a better poisonless way, or non toxic moreso
Probably to late but would planting some sucker plants like Peonies to attract the ant to that plant instead of the baby’s?
It’s not a fix, I know. But a distraction?
^ @LzBoy you read my mind.
Maybe give them something ants like better than the plants, as a lure or trap away from the plants?
I think the type of ant makes a difference. Bowl of sugar water away from the greenhouse? Tasty flowers? Candy? Fuck idk. I say the Web in general may have more answers.
I did try a plate of powdered sugar but the wind was not my friend that day and ended up soap foaming the floor that day consequently. I’ve just been at my witts end with em cuz they don’t respond to any of my organic tricks. Better research borax more or how to take out a queen making more
Here are some organic items that kill/control ants…
Diatomaceous earth (silicon dioxide)
Ground black or red pepper
Peppermint
Tea tree oil
Lemon eucalyptus oil
Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
White vinegar.
🤦🤷 better luck next year!