ANTS

[It's Kev]

I use spent coffee grounds as fertiliser in most of my trees. The Rosemary however, just got slip potted into a tall pot because even though it’s still hot, the calendar says it’s autumn so I didn’t wanna disturb it. Long story short, the pot is brimmed in ordinary porting soil and no room for coffee grounds and also, it’s the only plant I have that now suddenly have ants that moved in. There are no aphids that I could see on the plant but it is in full bloom.
Should I just dunk the pot in a bucket of water for the day or is there a more clever remedy?
Enclosed pic of 2 of the little bastards

 

[Srt8madness]

I poison the hell out of ants. They just totally colonized my lemon tree. They can survive in water longer than you want to have the root ball submerged IMO. I've found no lasting negative effects from poison.

 

[It's Kev]

its been raining constantly for several days now with short breaks, so technically the rootball has already been submerged for some time

wifey is very weird about all sorts of chemicals

maybe i could just work coffee grounds onto that soil just like my other trees, but gonna have to repot for that, i'm literally on the tropic line so i might take that gamble

 

[Pixar]

Use Neem oil and dish washing liquid the smell will run the ants out of town

 

[It's Kev]

I could try the dishwashing liquid, seems like they’re after the blooms

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I see no problem if there are no aphids. The flowers will die at some point and the ants will leave.
Putting the pot higher up will help.

But since they're building a soil casing around the trunk, that's most likely where the aphids are. Treat those, by scraping the soil off and spraying, and they might leave the flowers too.

 

[Shibui]

My guess is the ants may just have found a great spot for a nest. They frequently set up home in pots here and its nothing to do with aphids, just somewhere warm and dry. Try watching to see if they come from the soil or travel up the pot from the bench.
If they are just visiting to take nectar there's no problem. They'll just look for other food after flowering.

its been raining constantly for several days now with short breaks, so technically the rootball has already been submerged for some time

Rain, even constant for a couple of days should go nowhere near 'submerging' the roots of a tree. Soil mix should allow water to drain faster than rain can fill it. Also ants seem to be able to waterproof their nests somehow and retain pockets of air in saturated soils. That's why they can survive even when the pot is really submerged. Dishwashing liquid or other soaps can help water to penetrate so may help when submerging pots to remove ants nests.

 

[It's Kev]

@Wires_Guy_wires i'm on the 5th floor, pretty high already
@Shibui they were in the house before the rain, found one hole where they emerged from and covered it with waterproof sealer that the landlord left here, got 5 or 6 more days till the rain clears, i'll probably find their new hole and seal that up too.

 

[It's Kev]

Found out where they came out, and covered their holes with waterproof sealant

 

[jandslegate]

I use outdoor ant stakes/spikes. Usually in the ground near a bench. In some more extreme cases or if I'm just concerned about infestation I'll put one in the pot. It doesn't eliminate them completely but I just figure it's outside and that's kind of their turf.

 

[gjones_42]

I use spent coffee grounds as fertiliser in most of my trees. The Rosemary however, just got slip potted into a tall pot because even though it’s still hot, the calendar says it’s autumn so I didn’t wanna disturb it. Long story short, the pot is brimmed in ordinary porting soil and no room for coffee grounds and also, it’s the only plant I have that now suddenly have ants that moved in. There are no aphids that I could see on the plant but it is in full bloom.
Should I just dunk the pot in a bucket of water for the day or is there a more clever remedy?
Enclosed pic of 2 of the little bastards

If there aren't aphids and the ants are just a nuisance, try diatomaceous earth. highly effective local treatment against ants, won't get washed away/degraded by rain, and won't trip your wife's chemical aversion. You can apply it on/near the site you identified as their route in, and it's very effective.

You can also try a borax-based treatment (about as mild of a chemical as possible, considering we can use it safely as laundry detergent), some of which come as little bait pods you can place near the pot or near the site of entry.

You can also build an ant moat if the DE/borax aren't viable (it is somewhat unsightly as a white powder everywhere...) by filling a tray somewhat larger than the base of your pot (let's say, extra 1-2 inch on each side) with water, and placing your pot something in the center elevated above the water.

 

[It's Kev]

they're fuckin fire ants

THIS IS WAR!!

 

[Kadebe]

You also could put garlic powder on your pot

 

[It's Kev]

You also could put garlic powder on your pot

I’m pouring boiling water down the hole in the wall where they emerge from, no mercy for these little fuckers, they’re getting more and more aggressive as the days get hotter

 

[gjones_42]

I’m pouring boiling water down the hole in the wall where they emerge from, no mercy for these little fuckers, they’re getting more and more aggressive as the days get hotter

Love the energy here. Probably not the best for the wall, but fk em right?

Consider trying something borax-based to kill off the ones that know this location. You can easily search borax and ants and find "recipe" for mixes of essentially borax detergent and sugar. This worked well for me getting rid of carpenter ant infestation (not bonsai related...) after trying a dozen other things. Maybe it will work for fire ants

 

[HorseloverFat]

Nothing will get rid of ants besides removing the source.

So somehow, they are getting sap, and wanting to come back with their relatives

Poisons keep them at bay, and away.

People who grow veggies(like plants) for sale around here use double-sided tape on the rims of their pots. When they start seeing dead ants on the strip, it's time to treat for the aphids.

People also mix chalk dust, wood ash and powder DE and run a line around their areas... Good for many pests.

...


I'd probably control the sap leak/potential pest somewhere near the castings...

Cause if there's a big "open for business, ants welcome!" Sign...

You'll be in perpetual skirmish, no matter your tactics.

That's no fun.

 

[Gabler]

they're fuckin fire ants

THIS IS WAR!!

If they’re fire ants, that means they produce toxic chemicals that burn your skin, right? Is that not enough to convince your wife it’s fine to spray a can of Raid down the hole in the wall?

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I set some ant poison baits near the tree and the entire colony came to drink, take back to the nest and DIE !!!

 

[Kadebe]

You also could put garlic powder on your

I’m pouring boiling water down the hole in the wall where they emerge from, no mercy for these little fuckers, they’re getting more and more aggressive as the days get hotter

You could also put a little plate with a mixture of sweet marmelade/ baking powder. When they eat it, they explode

 

[Cajunrider]

they're fuckin fire ants

THIS IS WAR!!

Aight! How do you plan to conduct your war?

Conventional warfare
Low level: I got some tannerite. Let's take that pot and find a long distance rifle range.
Higher level: We definitely can make some flame thrower.
More: Oh you know we can go very far with this.

Chemical warfare:
Low level: Some borax / boric acid will do you.
Higher level: Ants granules you can buy at the big box store or you can get some Bifenthryn and mix it yourself.
More: The anti-chem members around here doth protest.

All I can tell you is your hot water ain't doing nutin'