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+--- Thread: Fire Ants in my Compost (/showthread.php?tid=10386)
Fire Ants in my Compost - Kelena - 06-11-2012
I cut my thumb today and found a buffo in the yard last night, just when I was thinking the patio was buffo-pruffo. Trouble comes in 3's though. So I have one of those big black Darth Vader helmet-looking compost bins and I have been pretty religious about putting my scraps in there. Today I went out to dump some offal and I saw little red fire ants all over the top of the lid. I persuaded them to get off the top of the lid with a blast from the hose. But when I opened the bin, there they were: thousands of them, enjoying what I had thrown into the compost.
I do treat my yard using AMDRO. Throw AMDRO in the compost bin? Or just put AMDRO around the compost bin, hoping they will find the dry, poisonous bait more appetizing than the delicious organic stuff I throw in the bin?
My compost pile hasn't actually produced any compost yet, and I would not be putting it on anything edible, except maybe bananas.
Has anyone else had the problem of compost bins attracting undesirable elements?
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - Iju - 06-11-2012
Mine has cockroaches.
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - csgray - 06-11-2012
I would do what ever you can to kill the colony in the compost, then dispose of it. If you have a chest freezer I would bag it up and freeze it, second choice might be to drown it or burn it.
If you want to keep using your composter I would create an ant proof barrier around the legs. We keep the fireants out of our dog food bin by wrapping it with masking tape then painting the tape with a wonderful product called Tanglefoot. It is available in garden stores and is super sticky, the ants can't pass a 4 inch strip of it.
However, keep in mind that the LFA are a tree dwelling ant, out place gets rained on by LFAs from an Albizia lot 2 lots over. Do not let them get a toehold one your place or you and your beloved pet will regret it.
Carol
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - Kelena - 06-11-2012
Mahalo, Carol,
The composter sits on the ground. It has no legs. It is round at the base and there is a little lip around the edge. The ground is uneven there.
I don't see a colony per se....just a thousands of them swarming over the compost. It is nothing I can pick up in my hand. I won't even touch the compost.
I have been very successful at battling back the LFA's....until recently, we had a guy in the neighborhood who was treating the area pretty much at cost...and so the neighborhood had a comprehensive approach.
But they love the compost. They love it so much there are too many to be in it at the same time, and so they lounge on the roof of the compost.
The trick is how to kill them. I am thinking I will just put AMDRO in my compost, put any resulting compost around something non-fruiting, like a flower, and then just start over, putting AMDRO all around the base of the compost on a regular basis.
And yes, I do want them gone. I examine my pet every time she lays down
Agricultural inspectors and invasive species controls. We need them now.
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - DoryGray - 06-13-2012
I wonder if the Tanglefoot treatment would work for keeping slugs off garden areas?
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - hikatz - 06-13-2012
Article in Big Island Weekly 2 weeks ago about a new pesticide to treat fire ants.
(http://bigislandweekly.com/lifestyle/say-your-prayers-little-fire-ants.html)
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - csgray - 06-14-2012
One big difference between LFAs and other ants is that most ants like it hot and dry, and LFAs like it cool and damp, so a composter sitting on the ground might be really attractive. The new treatment looks good but it takes months to see an effect, which might make some people not try it. The Big Island needs a comprehensive plan for dealing with LFAs, coquis are an inconvenience but LFAs are a hazard to people and animals which could impact our AG industries in a big way. The county and state need to step up and figure this out, instead of ignoring the problem until it hits a tourist Island.
Carol
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - Kelena - 06-17-2012
Yep. Shoulda got one of those that sit up off the ground and you can turn. Note to those in LFA areas: On the ground compost bins attract LFA's and a lot of poison is required to deter them. They will continue to be attracted to it, I am sure.
The County needs to hire ag inspectors -- scores of them, and it also needs to put some money into invasive species control. The snake will come eventually, if they don't do that. When that happens, I'm leaving.
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - whalesong - 06-17-2012
Use of instant grits or similar products has been a home remedy for attempted red imported fire ant control throughout the Southeastern United States. The practice has become fairly common and those using the technique have reported good results so frequently that the practice has become recommended by certain organic gardeners and practitioners (H. Garret. 1993. Texas Organic Gardening Book. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, Texas. (p. 140) 245 pp.). This laboratory study was undertaken to develop some scientific data regarding the effects of instant grits and Malt-O-Meal in fire ant colonies.
http://fireant.tamu.edu/research/arr/category/non-chemical/97-
01pg4/97-01pg4.htm
http://tipnut.com/ant-killer/
RE: Fire Ants in my Compost - Kelena - 06-17-2012
Grits for me, some for the LFA's! I hate these things so bad. Went to Ace yesterday and while there grabbed an eggplant in cinder in a little plastic bag. Yep. Brought home LFA's. Forgot to check. Aasume the bugs are there and protect yourself. I've always done that in the past, but was in a hurry. I completely forgot whatever it was I was supposed to do when you find them and just sprayed them with soap and water with some ground red pepper thrown in. I am sure some escaped into the wild so I set out some AMDRO bait traps. I am going to either elevate the compost or get rid of it.