Tiny ants are eating my flowers HELP

[mac78]

I planted impatients in my brick planter box on my front porch. When we planted them, I noticed lots of tiny ants in the dirt. I put ant killing granules in the dirt and mixed it in. (The same granules you can spread on your lawn to kill ants). I planted the flowers, and everyday I go out and there is another that has been ate off at the stem where it meets the dirt. We dug up some dirt, and there are thousands of them still. I went and bought the ant stakes and put in, the ones that say kills the queen and colony. Went out this morning, and now have about 4 plants left out of 16, they just keep eating them off.

Any suggestions to get rid of the ants. It is the little ones, not the black ones.

[ChapterTwo]

Sorry about your plants, Marie.

I know I had posted before about GRANTS KILLS ANTS. It's the only thing that has ever worked for me, and I've tried Raid and Combat and all the commercial products. It seems that GRANTS has been purchased by another company, so some of the boxes say AMDRO'S KILLS ANTS. Either way, the graphics on the box are the same, whether it says GRANT'S or AMDRO'S. I've gotten them in WalMart.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.grantsproducts.com/jpgs/pht_grants_ants_group.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.grantsproducts.com/ant_control.html&usg=__8z-rxYtHjTn2TKl3u5kK1Ltvc3g=&h=170&w=215&sz=43&hl=en&start=1&itbs=1&tbnid=YyA0lsd1OTSo9M:&tbnh=84&tbnw=106&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgrants%2Bkills%2Bants%26hl%3Den%26gbv %3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

Even though the site says Home Depot has it, I've never found it there...and I have looked! Good Luck, Marie...

[mac78]

Thank you. I sent him this morning for Terro, so I have 2 different things out there now. I will look for yours next time I am at the store.

[mac78]

I just planted my planter box for the 3rd time. Only this time I bought planters and put the flowers in them and just sat them in the planter box. I have been treating the dirt with granules to kill ants and other lawn bugs. I put in the little bait things that are supposed to kill the colony. I replanted the flowers about 5 days ago, and day by day, they just break off. I have no idea why. I have been treating the dirt, and honestly I dug the crap out of it, and I don't see anymore ants in the dirt, but that is the only thing I can come up with as to why the impatients are breaking off. If this doesn't work, I am going to put artificial ones in it.

I bought the flowers at Walmart, and have wondered if it might be something with their flowers, but doubt it. I just don't understand what is going on.

[ChapterTwo]

Marie - despite all the advice I gave you, above, about Grant's....I am having a terrible time with ants, this year. I have a bunch of the bait thingies everywhere, and they are not working - there are ants, galore!

I also tried a brand called Terro, which also did nothing. :mad:

It's good your ants are gone but I'm sorry you're having so much trouble - I am fresh out of advice...:confused:

[shabbychick]

Marie, have you tried taking what is left of a couple of the damaged plants to a local garden center? They may be able to tell you what the problem is and how to solve it. I wouldn't spend anymore money on ant killer until I knew for sure it was the ants that were doing the damage. I've got zillions of ants around here, but I've never seen them chew on any of my plants. Sadly, even though they're supposed to like to eat the aphids who do eat the plants, they don't show much interest in them. I'm about to sprinkle some Ant-B-Gone around the perimeter of my place to at least try to keep them out of the house and garage. If it weren't so toxic I'd cover my whole driveway with it, but then it'd kill things I don't want to kill.

[memmey]

Does it look like something is getting into the boxes and breaking your plants. I ask this because a armadillo is digging little divets in my front yard. I think I am gonna spread some hair from the salon on the grass and see if that runs it off to some one else's yard and NOT MINE. That little bugger is making ugly spots in my otherwise pretty green grass :mad:.

[ChapterTwo]

shabbychick - Have you had good luck with Ant-B-Gone indoors? I am at the end of my rope. I feel like I'm eating only stuff out of my fridge cuz I don't want to open the pantry cupboards...ugh...:(

[shabbychick]

I've never used it indoors, only outdoors around the perimeter of the condo. I had pretty good luck with it, but it is kind of unsightly having the ring of white powder around the house. I have to be careful not to track it in. I'm afraid if the cat gets it on her paws she'll lick it off and poison herself. When the ants get inside, I just whack 'em with a shoe. Usually it's a solitary ant here and there. If I get a steady stream of them, I'm calling the exterminator.

[memmey]

Two pull every thing out of the pantry and wipe the shelves with bleach water or the ole brown lysol water. I had this problem one year and down here the insects will take over. The combat ant trays worked. I cleaned all the residue I thought I might have(that is where the bleach or lysol somes in) and then I bought 2 boxes of the trays . A few days later they were gone. Once YEARS ago in my brand new house I had the tiny sugar ants in my dresser drawers and I was told they will eat the residue of laundry soap on your clothes!!! Crazy huh? I rewashed my things and put the combat trays out and they never came back, well and I don't use as much soap in the wash now.

[ChapterTwo]

Thanks for the advice, Memmey. I had cleaned out the shelves with vinegar/water spray, and put the Grant's and a Terro bait thingy in there, with no luck. So I will try your game plan. I'll keep you posted. :rolleyes:

[mac78]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I couldn't find the Grants ant stuff in our wonderful town. I used Combat outdoors and Terro.

The planter box is on the front porch. While I did dig down into the dirt over a foot, I didn't see anymore anys where I saw them before. But, they are now coming out the bottom of the planter box out of the bricks onto the sidewalk.

The plants.....right where the dirt stops on the stem is where they are breaking off. While I have not seen an ant on the flower themselves, that is the only thing I can come up with. I am sure there was nothing getting in there breaking them off, as far as a critter or cat. I also have a vine planted in there, and whatever is going on does not affect it. It seems to be fine.

I will try to find a place to take one and show someone. Good idea.

[ChapterTwo]

The ants have absolutely stepped up their game. I have been SO repulsed by the darned things...they're everywhere - even in stupid non-food areas like the bathroom, or a cabinet drawer. YUCK!

My friend heard of a remedy from a co-worker and I tried it yesterday morning. This morning there are many fewer ants making their trek along the side of the brick steps, into my house, and I think I only saw two in the house today. I wanted to share the recipe:

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons of Borax (20 Mule Team or whatever)
Cotton Balls

Boil the water, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Let the water cool down to about room temperature and then add the Borax, and stir that 'til dissolved too.

Soak cotton balls in the mixture and put them wherever you have seen ants.

I had to tape the cotton balls to the side of my brick steps; I didn't think they would stay, but they did. This morning there are fewer ants. I took an eyedropper and put more solution (which I stored in a Zip-loc bag!) on the cotton balls. I have my fingers crossed, but it seems to be working. I am only using it outside the house and inside the drawer. I do NOT think Borax is safe around kids and pets, but you can research...

[chyna]

I've heard that cornmeal will kill them too. I'm not convinced that they are the ones eating the plants, one of my flower pots is chock full of those nasty things and they haven't eaten anything. matter of fact, those flowers are doing better than the rest. The ants must be aerating the dirt. :p