|
   
|
|||
 You
Might
Also Like    
  |
Published on
Friday, May 24,
2024
By Victoria Torley
After
almost 12 years gardening in Costa
Rica you would
think I would know how to rid the area of
those (insert favorite cuss word here)
leaf-cutter ants. I don’t. At
least not completely and not
all at once. They
are sneaky little devils with huge nests and
lots of workers. But I have
developed some tactics to keep them at bay,
so here are some tips and suggestions. Pick
your method of destruction! I am
partial to Myrex and Omitox, chemical
compounds that kill the fungus that the ants
grow in their “gardens”. They have a
lot of gardens. For those of
you partial to a more “natural” method, I
suggest Bimbo White Bread. Yes,
bread. But don’t be fooled
into thinking this is “natural” because it is
the chemical fungicide in the bread that
does the job of killing the fungal gardens. Both methods
work and both have
the same requirements. The product
has to be on an active trail and kept dry. You knew
there was a catch, right? Dry in our
climate? Here’s how: Several large empty soda bottles, washed and dried. Make a cut leaving a canopy to keep the material dry and cover the ants as they enter and exit.
Fill the
bottles with what you hope will be the ants’ favorite “snack.” Set the bottle
on an active trail with the opening pointing
toward the nest. Tilt the
bottom up slightly
to prevent water from entering and allow
some of the “snack” to slip into
the opening. Place the
bottle in a shady area. If you have
to place the bottle in the sun, cover it
with dried grass and leaves or the bottle
will sweat and ruin the “snack.” You should
also make sure the
bottle will not roll if it is windy. Your main
objective here is to keep the contents of the
bottle dry and
the bottle in one place. The ants will
not take Omitox or Myrex if it is wet. Pieces of Bimbo
bread may also be placed in a
bottle. How much “snack” should you use? That depends
on the size of the nest. A large
nest can take a kilo or more in multiple
containers over at least a week. Just keep at it
until you find no more foraging ants coming
from the next. Now it is a
wait-and-see game. I have had
ants that were partial to Omitox but ignored
Myrex and vise-versa. All the ants
seem to like the bread but it takes
longer for it to do its
work. Just get out
there daily to make sure the traps are dry
and keep them refilled and you
should find that you can get control of the
marauders.
Rosemary’s essential
oils, specifically cineole, camphor, and
borneol, release a scent that ants find
disagreeable. Planting rosemary
in strategic locations around your garden or
near entry points to your home is a reliable
and effective way to create a barrier that
ants are less likely to cross.
--------------- Find more amazing stories about gardening in Costa Rica on the Costa Rica Garden website. Regarding questions on this article, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached by emailing victoriatorley1@gmail.com.
Vacation Rentals  Real Estate For Sale
  
 |
||
|