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sammy_gw

ants and birds

For years I have been very proud of maintaining a garden using no pest control except for ant bait.

The ants are getting worse all the time.

Do any of you have an acceptable system of using baits or killers that will not harm birds? I grow roses that do not require spray, and need to protect my dogs, but wherever I stand, I seem to run into ants. They quickly climb all over me, and I have lost all tolerance I used to have for them.

I pour ant bait around the house, and at this time they are not inside the house. If they get in, I will call a pro.

Outside, I need more control

What do you do? Do any of you have adequate control?

We live in Tulsa OK and we have a creek running in back of our house.

I would appreciate any suggestions including pest control products.
Sammy

Comments (6)

  • buford
    9 years ago

    I have the same problem. I also have fire ants. For ants that get in or near the house, I use something called Terro, which is a liquid bait that attracts the ants and they bring it back to the nest. It's basically borax. You use such a small amount, it's not a threat to pests. I haven't tried it in the yard (just on the porch when we had a trail of ants) but I see they have enclosed traps that you can put in the yard (kind of like a roach motel) which wouldn't be a threat to your dog. I don't know how effective it would be or if more ants would just move right in. But I may try it. I too am tired of ants running up my arms and legs biting me when I'm in the yard. A few weeks ago, I picked up something in the yard and put it under my arm and there were ants on it and I got several bad bites and my whole underarm area swelled up. I don't think they were fire ants, but it was very painful. I almost went to the ER.

  • sammy zone 7 Tulsa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That is the reaction I am getting from them. They get under my clothing, and the bites end in a blister that really itches.

    I have tried Max Force and Amdro. We have the Terro, and I will try it. Frankly I had forgotten about it. Our dogs will gobble down anything in the yard. We have three golden retrievers, and I am pretty sure the ants are attacking them too.

    I am pretty sure that some of my bites are fire ant bites, but I cannot recognize them when I see them. They even get into my shoes or just run up my legs. I do hate ants.

    Sammy

  • seil zone 6b MI
    9 years ago

    I understand that ants hate mint. I've used mint extract to keep them out of places before and it did seem to work. I think even mint plants will keep them away. And it won't hurt the birds, bees or any other critters!

  • buford
    9 years ago

    I recently switched to 'green' pest control and lawn service. They use mint and rosemary oil to repel pests. Of course my overgrown patch of mint was dug up. But I can easily get another one! LOL.

    I used some fire ant killer a few months ago, and frankly I was nauseated by the smell of it. And I thought of my cats being out there. So I'm looking for less chemical solutions for them too. At least with fire ants in the lawn, you can see where they are.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Build cages or use milk crates etc. around you ant traps so pets can not get to them... Maybe?

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    If I strew my long rosemary cuttings around the house would it keep palmetto bugs out?

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