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Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?
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Author:  Farmerjones [ Mon Apr 28, 2014 11:38 am ]
Post subject:  Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?

This is a copy I posted to FB_ Please excuse typos/ errors:
Thanks

Need urgent help with Fire ants in Citrus pots. I have let this go for too long, but nothing we have tried has worked. The trees have been in the greenhouse all winter. There are four, two of which have the soil severely infested with fire ants. On one the ants have gone up the tree, colonized aphids and I think there is even some scale on there (Satsuma). On the Ponderosa lemon the ants are just now moving up to harvest the stigma from the flowers, they seem to love these flowers and I have seen them moving parts of the flowers underground, for food I assume. The Mexican Lime injured down to bare in the winter and has now come back, it looks good, but the ants have not moved up yet. We are Organic. I have used the bait with Semispore, I think it is called. It works for a minute, then they just move. Today I have sprayed with Castile soap, Neem and water to stop them from moving up and to kill the aphids and Scale. I know alcohol works on scale. More info on the pics. Please, if anyone knows if it is OKAY to drench these pots with Orange Oil WITHOUT harming the roots of the plants, I would love to know. Thanks![img][img] Sorry, my photos are too large. They can be seen at Farmer Jones Eco-Friendly Produce on FB. Thanks, Rita

Author:  northwesterner [ Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?

Orange oil is used as an herbicide when it is a high concentration or full strength or mixed with vinegar, so you need to be very careful about how much you use on your plants for those ants.

Why don't you get some beneficial nematodes to kill the ants? You can buy them by mail or locally - I bought a container at Marshall Grain that I put out in my garden in a more dilute form for different pests. Follow the directions on the package - for fire ants you mix a batch in a bucket and apply in a concentrated form to the affected areas.

Author:  Farmerjones [ Mon Apr 28, 2014 6:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?

We bought 3 acres worth of Nematodes and put them on the garden. These are in my pots. I don't have any more nematodes left. :cry:

Author:  northwesterner [ Mon Apr 28, 2014 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?

You can probably use the 8,000sf jar for the plants you described. I think it recommends using half then waiting a few days and doing another application.

Author:  Farmerjones [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 7:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?

Thank you, I am going to try a method suggested on FB. The suggestion is to submerge the entire pot to drown the ants, then use deterrent. These pots will go out of the greenhouse now into the yard for the summer then we will treat the greenhouse with Orange Oil. I am sure Orange Oil is used as a mound drench here in TX for fire ants.
Thank you.

Author:  northwesterner [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire ants in Citrus Tree pots--Is Orange oil drench okay?

Don't leave them submerged so long that you drown the trees as well. Yes, orange oil is part of a mound drench formula (one of many approaches to fire ants).

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