It worked on the fireants!!

Cheryl Ann · Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Dallas,TEXAS

The Garrett Juice and Orange oil water mix WORKED!! I was actually amazed.
Yes, I'll be honest, I was skeptical at first, as I'm still new to the organic way, but wow.. we went outside yesterday and looked and not one ant.

What happened is, we finally found the source of the fireants, after almost a year of looking. It was in this brick flowerbed that is attached to the front of the house, and it is probably four feet tall. We'd kept seeing them on the porch, and on the side of the house, but it didn't dawn on us it could be there. Several years ago when we moved here, we put white rocks as a covering on that flower bed to keep cats from using it as the community litter box (it's in the front of the house, by the door, and they made it smell when you walked in). Rocks weren't the best solution, granted, but this was before I discovered dirtdoctor.
Anyway, I'm posting this this morning in case someone else has a similar issue and hasn't thought to move rocks around and look in their flowerbox.. so I hope this helps someone.
Also, I forgot.. I had to mix up about 7 gallons. Probably was overkill, but I didn't care. There were so many of them, and I wanted to make sure they were all dead, as they were starting to come INSIDE the house, which really freaked me out.
Anyway, hope this helps at least one person, and if anyone has a moment, please read my mites post on this section and let me know if you have any advice for me on that?
Thanks in advance, y'all are a great bunch!
Cheryl Barnes

Tricky Grama · Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:48 am Post subject: fire ants

So glad you had success! I actually was successful last year on about 1/2 ac using compost tea made from my own compost pile, no manure in it & some orange oil. AND I forgot to add the little bit of soap & molasses!
Lost count of the # of bites I have right now due to using some of my compost to re-pot some plants. My compost pile has fire ants in it-they are getting a dose of molasses today.
Patty

mojinch · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 1 Location: Abilene,TEXAS

I thought dry molasses was supposed to kill fire ants! I left my opened bag out on patio and it rained on it. Today, there is a mound of fire ants living in it. :(

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1088 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

I would love to have a picture, could you do that?
Tony M

khwoz · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Weatherford,TX

Dry (or liquid) molasses does not kill anything that I know of. When applied to the soil, it stimulates microbes & improves the soil health which ants do not like. Used in a compost pile it will heat the pile up which will run ants off. Wet molasses is a feast for sugar loving ants!

merri · Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 63 Location: fort worth,TEXAS

I can't wait to try this!

However, we just moved out to a 7 acre site (old pasture), and there are fireants everywhere! I do plan to spread the dry molasses for soil stimulation - but i am terrified that this will atract even MORE! we have hundreds of mounds!!! and four kids!!!

any advice on treating such a large area??
thanks, merri

Tricky Grama · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:09 am Post subject:

Do you have a lawn tractor or riding lawn mower? The area I treated was only about 1/2 ac so I just walked it w/sprayer. (compost tea/molasses/orange oil)

We have fire ant mounds out in an open area about 6 ac but will probably drive the golf cart to each mound & treat.

Patty

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 2011 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

Fireants are not sugar ants. They eat only protein. One theory as to why drenching their mound with sugar water gets rid of them is that the sugar stimulates a bacterial growth on their stored food supply. In other words, their food turns nasty. They know that so they leave immediately when they sense sugar.

Dry molasses is about 15x too expensive for me. If you can find a farm and ranch co-op, they usually sell molasses by the pound. You can fill up a gallon jug (bring your own) for a dollar.

Sharp · Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Vally View,TEXAS

I have been using dry molasses for years when we get the mounds, we put a couple of large hand fulls on top of the mound and they are gone!!

I have no idea how/why it works, but it does work.

Say what you will, but I've seen the results.

northwesterner · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 153 Location: Fort Worth,TEXAS

Dschall,

How much molasses do you add to how much water, and of that, how much do you drench on and around the ant mounds? Do you add anything else to it? I think my dogs will be attracted to the dry stuff so I'd rather not put it out in their yard.

Northwesterner