How to Get Rid of Ant Colonies
QUESTION: I have an ant problem red ants in my rose garden and black ants around my citrus and peach trees. I’ve tried various products, plus boiling water and digging up their tunnels, but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?
ANSWER: For over 15 years we had an active nest of big red ants right in our front yard, and nothing seemed to slow them down. Sprays only worked for a day or two, then the ants were right back. But we finally had remarkable success with the dry Diazinon granules. It took some persistence, but this is what worked:
We sprinkled the granules around the entry hole and lightly watered the area. Many ants died within a few days, but others made a new entry a foot or two away. So we sprinkled Diazinon granules around that hole and moistened it. More ants died; and a week or two later, they opened another hole. We applied more of the granules there and watched for new openings. Every time they made a new hole we applied the Diazinon granules.
The whole process took about three months on this large, ancient colony, but it did the job--with less than a full canister of Diazinon; and so far we haven’t had ants since. By the way, the granules are about the size of large sand grains, and they don’t seem to attract attention from pets or children; still, I’d be extra watchful for a few days after application in areas where there are pets or children.
Raising Earthworms for Vegetable Garden
Q: Please devote a column on how to start and the benefits of raising earthworms for the vegetable garden. I would appreciate any information.
A: I’m afraid you sent me to the library with this one. I have no personal experience with the raising of earthworms. Two publications caught my attention, because they were both thorough and easy to read and understand: (1) “Let an Earthworm be Your Garbage Man,” A Report by Home, Farm & Garden Research Associates, Burlington, Vermont; and (2) “Harnessing the Earthworm,” by Thomas J. Barrett, Ontario, California, 1976.
The books affirm that earthworms promote optimal soil conditions, and they describe the process of starting and raising earthworms in great detail, both on a small scale and on a larger scale. They tell how to develop the proper culture medium, what food to provide, and where to collect worms to start.
Although it sounds fairly simple, the procedures outlined are perhaps too involved for me to give here. I hope you will obtain the books, and have a lot of fun with this endeavor.
