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Re: Ant Question

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

Someone told me to pour boiling water over the ground where you think the nest
is located.  The object is to kill the queen with the hot water.  I tried it
once in my flower garden (when I was preparing the soil - nothing planted yet),
and it worked for me.  I don't know what it will do to any plants planted
nearby, though.

Michelle - S. Central PA

Jonathan Maier wrote:

> 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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