Black (soldier?) ants around the house

Mike&Steph · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 23 Location: Stephenville,TEXAS

I've done a search on this problem and haven't seen it anywhere, so I hope this isn't a repeat topic...

When we water our beds near our house's foundation it puts big black ants on the move, I think they may have set up shop under the foundation. Are they soldier ants? I didn't find an entry in any of HG's books. I don't know if they are wood eating type and they don't bite, they just seem to be a nuisance. Should I be concerned and what's the best recommendation for repelling them?

Thanks!

goo0h · Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 127 Location: Denton,TEXAS

Perhaps this might help:

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7171

Mike&Steph · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 23 Location: Stephenville,TEXAS

These guys aren't carpenter ants. They're bigger & solid black.

goo0h · Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 127 Location: Denton,TEXAS

They say their liquid bait is effective against a variety of ants and roaches, but admittedly they don't seem to be extremely specific....

Mike&Steph · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 23 Location: Stephenville,TEXAS

Thanks. I've tried an orange oil solution on them and that seems to help when I can see 'em.

dirtworks · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 4 Location: New Haven,VERMONT

Just read the posts about carpenter ants and termites and responded to one of the participants in the forum and thought that maybe everyone would like to hear what I had to say. Of course, my ego tells me that all the time but this time, it could be true!

:D
ello,
I'm John Meshna, owner of DIRT WORKS and New England Natural.com.
I read about your problem with ants and wanted to help you out if I could.

Carpenter ants and termites have become a problem in many parts of the United States where they were never much more than a nuisance before. Two factors, at least, are responsible for this.

First, global warming has made it possible for termites to live further north than was once possible for them to do.

Two, the over use of bark mulch and cluster developments has given them a cozy place to live and breed that they never had before.

Although, buying a hybrid car and creating fewer green house gasses will help out, it probably won't help enough before your home crumbles into a pile of dust in the basement, so, here are a couple of things you can do right now that will help a lot.

Stop using bark mulch around your house if you're doing that. It makes a nice place to live and breed if you're a bug. Possible alternatives are, using stone mulch. The price can vary a lot depending upon where you live. See if there's a gravel pit near you and go there to see what size and color stone they have. Most of them will sell you enough to do a small are for real cheap or free. They're used to selling tonnage so, for folks who just need a few 32 gallon trash cans of their product, they can afford to give it away or just charge a few bucks to cover their time showing you where the piles are.
You can use landscape fabric under the mulch, with cut outs to let the plants come up through the fabric and stone mulch. This makes a permanent mulch that will need little maintenance. You'll need to clean out the leaves and debris once and a while but, once it's down, you won't have to replenish it every year like you have to do with bark mulch. It's actually a lot cheaper, especially when you consider the cost of repairing the damage to your house that the ants and termites will do.

If the idea of stone mulch and using fabric doesn't appeal to you, try crowding your plantings with a robust assortment of appropriate plants. Use some ground covers in between the plants to cover the ground and prevent weed growth. Here's an example from one of my gardens here at the DIRT WORKS Farm. See the pictures attached to this e-mail.

Another thing you can do immediately to control the bugs is, buy some diatomaceous earth. I sell it here: http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html. The instructions have a part specific to control of ants and like minded critters. You'll want the D-20. The instructions are free if you want to read up on the product before you make a purchase.

Another thing you can do, if you have to do any repairs to your house is, put the DE into the wall cavities or any place the creatures might enter your house and/or set up shop. We've been selling a lot of DE down in the areas devastated by hurricane Katrina. They're putting the fossil shell flower in all the wall cavities, attics and cracks in the foundation to control pets of every kind and to prevent mold. It's great stuff and perfectly safe.
I haven't figured out how to add pictures to these posts yet so, you all have to use your imagination on this one!

I hope this helps you out. PEACE, John
John Meshna (owner)
DIRT WORKS
6 Dog Team Road
New Haven, Vt 05472-4000
Ph: 1.802.453.5373
Fax: 1.802.329.2107

http://www.dirtworks.net
http://www.newenglandnatural.com
http://wwwdirtworks.blogspot.com/

Hopefully making the world a better place in which we all can live.

Bettye Elwell · Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Carrollton,TEXAS

Mike&Steph wrote: I've done a search on this problem and haven't seen it anywhere, so I hope this isn't a repeat topic...

When we water our beds near our house's foundation it puts big black ants on the move, I think they may have set up shop under the foundation. Are they soldier ants? I didn't find an entry in any of HG's books. I don't know if they are wood eating type and they don't bite, they just seem to be a nuisance. Should I be concerned and what's the best recommendation for repelling them?

Thanks!

Bettye Elwell · Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Carrollton,TEXAS

Mike & Steph, I would like an answer also to your question regarding these ants. Thanks.

Bettye @ b.elwell2@verizon.net

Kathe Kitchens · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 829 Location: Dallas,TX

OKAY WAIT A MINUTE FOLKS! HOW DID EVERY ONE OF YOU FORGET THAT ANTS ARE NOT ALWAYS OUR ENEMY? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO KILL THEM JUST FOR BEING IN YOUR YARD? :roll:

First of all the guy said these aren't carpenter ants. Second of all there are all kinds of ants that do all kinds of good things and should be left the heck alone.

IF you can determine that the ants aren't taking away parts of your house and IF you can figure out what kind they are and they're not harmful to you, your pets or your landscape, AND I'M BETTING THIS IS THE CASE,
then leaving them alone to do their job and help you is what you need to do. Besides, if they ARE taking away parts of anything it's because you have underlying problems. Ants are not the cause of these situations, they are a symptom...nature's cleanup crew.

Last, but definitely not least, the more kinds of ants you have in your hard, hedge, garden, etc. the fewer fire ants you will have. They don't like to compete and it's easy pickin's elsewhere. So when you kill off or chase away the "good" ants, you're setting yourself up for a "bad" ant invasion. Yikes!

Save the Ants! 8) :lol:
Kathe

Mike&Steph · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 23 Location: Stephenville,TEXAS

Kathe,

I didn't say I wanted to kill 'em just repel them from my house. I don't mind them being in my yard, I don't care. They are a nuicance around my house and have been finding ways to get inside.

Kathe Kitchens · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 829 Location: Dallas,TX

Mike & Steph,
Yeah, I got that. I wasn't necessarily replying directly to you but more to the people who gave you plenty of ways to kill them without seeming to take into consideration the possibilty that leaving them alone was okay too. Sorry if you were feelng picked on. It wasn't you. I just wanted to make sure somebody brought that to the discussion.

Peace & greens,
Kathe :D