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Re: Ant Question

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Debbie wrote:
> When I lifted the edge of one of the pieces of cardboard (hoping to see
> worms.... silly me) there were huge masses of fireants.  This is my
> question - how the heck do I get rid of these suckers??

Oh my God, this is my worst gardening nightmare come true. The usual
course of action is to buy some nice fireant poison and powder the
mound. However, since this is a garden plot, that would subsequently
poison the garden. No good. This leaves a few options:

1) Abandon that plot (very safe--there is no shame in a tactical
retreat)

2) Take a shovel and churn the snot out of their nest. If it's torn up
enough, they might relocate (I have seen this happen--however this is a
bit dangerous--while shoveling they can attack you, quickly, in droves)

3) Dump a not-so-poisonous concoction on the nest. For example, I have
heard that strong dish-soap dissolves their little bodies. I imagine a
vat of muriatic or hydrochloric acid would achieve similar results. Then
come along with a LOT of water or neutralizing agent to restore the
chemical balance in the area.

4) Wait till cold weather. They will tend to go underground and stay
there during the cold months. Then you may be able to dig up there nest
and nail a bunch of them without fear of immediate reprisal.

5) Call an exterminator who knows what he's doing and ask him for a
non-poisonous solution.

6)---anybody? any other ideas???

-Jonathan Maier
 (somewhere in South Carolina)
 jmaier@mindspring.com
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The aesthetics of natural science and mathematics is at one with the 
 aesthetics of music and painting--both inhere in the discovery of a
 partially concealed pattern."

                      -Herbert A. Simon _The Sciences of the Artificial_


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