[Community_garden] Organic solutions for ants

[DAN-TAMMY BOWDEN]

I have used California Bay leaves with success on regular house ants, so I assume that it would also work on carpenter ants.  I have used the dried leaves to create a burning "smudge" to smoke them out, and I have also soaked the leaves in vegetable oil for several months and then used the oil to drive them away.  You might try a combined approach: burn a smudge and fan the smoke over the infested area (repeat daily until they're gone), and dab bay-infused oil around their nesting area.  You can also try scattering crushed, dried leaves over the infested area.  California bay is much more potent than European bay, and is available online.

We have also baited ants with cornmeal: they eat it but can't digest it, so they die.

Best of luck!

Dan

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  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: GivenTrees at aol.com 
  To: community_garden at list.communitygarden.org 
  Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 8:08 PM
  Subject: [Community_garden] Organic solutions for ants


  Hi all, 
  I'm looking for suggestions for organic solutions for a  nasty infestation of 
  carpenter ants.  We've tried mints and tansy, several  other smelling herbs, 
  nothing is deterring these buggers! Short of tearing down  this old railroad 
  tie retaining wall, four foot high by about forty feet  long...any suggestions? 
   If these ants stay around long enough, they won't  have a retaining wall any 
  way, I realize this, and no, there are no food crops  planted any where near 
  by.  
  Oh, BTW we're in Colorado at approximately 8,000  feet.
  Thanks
  Tina



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