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Michigan

YUCK! I'm not sure how many of you out there battle these nasty fire ants, but they are prolific here in Texas! I went to check my new compost pile today and found that it was swarming with these little buggers. I had thrown in some melon rinds, carrot peels, egg shells, ect... and this is what they were after. Do any of you southern growers have suggestions for keeping them out of my compost pile?

Thanks!
Jessica

10/1/2005 7:23:42 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I heard somewhere Molasses takes care of fire ants.

10/1/2005 10:16:32 PM

Michigan

Thanks Shannon, we'll see if that takes care of it

10/3/2005 9:24:59 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Your best bet is make sure the pile is mixed properly, with the right carbon to nitrogen ratio, and the proper moisture level. If the pile is properly balanced, it will get so hot the ants will either leave or die.

10/3/2005 12:53:49 PM

Mount Holly, Arkansas

Fire ants are horrible here too. I use Tempo, also labeled as Bayer Advanced Fire Ant Killer. Apply it properly and you won't ever use another brand.

10/3/2005 9:07:30 PM

Montoursville, PA

Drench any problem mounds with a mix of any product made of orange oil, compost tea and molasses.

To make a concentrate, use one part compost tea, one part molasses and one part orange oil or d-limonene.

Use four to six ounces of the above per gallon of water. Treatment follow up with beneficial nematodes.

When your patch is leaning heavily into organic principles the fire ants will more than likely go elsewhere.

Fire ants hate molasses. Synthetic and chemical baits and contact poisons are unnecessary and reportedly don't work anyway. If the toxins did work, why then do we still have so many, of the critters around?

10/4/2005 12:18:48 PM