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pests Aphid Farmer ants (grr)

I have a problem with aphid farmer ants. I'm too keen on using pesticides (health reasons) so I'm using my own soap and garlic mixture and just spraying the little jerky aphids off my plants. This seems to work for a few days then the little SOBS are back. 
 
Does anyone have any suggestions? 
 
        Get a butter container or whip cream container put holes near the bottom big enough for the ants.Inside mix up 6tbls sugar and 1tbls borax.Put it near the worst problem area on dry days.You can take the lid off and see the ants slowly stop coming.When you have got a handle on them take the trap out.Ants are not a huge problem if under control.I did not have any aphids this year after knocking down the farmers.But I did catch it early.
 
The Chilli Geeks said:
Collect up some ladybirds and place them on the plants, they won't do anything to the ants ... but they will eat the aphids.
        I bought 1500 lady's released them outside,the damn birds had a field day.All were gone the next morning but a couple.Thats when I went after the farmers(ants) that were all over the couple plants that had the aphids.But I do agree if you can get the ladybugs to do their job that would and was my first choice.
 
We've grown a new-found respect for ladybirds after growing chillies. They go from being seen as cute bugs to armored aphid killing machines with black and red war paint.
 
I'm a little worried that the ants will kill the ladybugs because these guys are protecting their farms. I even saw one running away with an aphid. It would be funny if it wasn't on my plant lol. Maybe mantis? What could eat the ants instead of getting killed by them? 
 
I'd love to do the sugar and borax but the bug population in Florida should not be underestimated. I would attract ever bug in the area and the tub would probably be full in an hour. I didn't clean my grill out after the coals burned down right away and within two hours I had so many ants it looked like a very bad horror movie. I'll have to find another way. 
 
i have same problem, but less aggressive oklahoma bugs. 
I sprayed them with neem, and they were gone th rest of the day but were back. Sprayed again. they leave for a day or two.
 
I think the best is to find the source of the ants and wipe it off the face of the earth with harsh pesticide or boiling water or something.
 
Get a jar that holds about a pint of liquid. Fill with warm water.
Add 1-2 T Neem Oil
Add 1-2 T Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds (it's organic)
Add 5-10 drops of Peppermint Essential Oils (ants hate it)
 
Shake up to make "milk"
 
Add contents to 1 gallon of water and spray
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Q0uP4odh4 
 
Koreansoul said:
I'm a little worried that the ants will kill the ladybugs because these guys are protecting their farms. I even saw one running away with an aphid. It would be funny if it wasn't on my plant lol. Maybe mantis? What could eat the ants instead of getting killed by them? 
 
I'd love to do the sugar and borax but the bug population in Florida should not be underestimated. I would attract ever bug in the area and the tub would probably be full in an hour. I didn't clean my grill out after the coals burned down right away and within two hours I had so many ants it looked like a very bad horror movie. I'll have to find another way. 
 
Tanglefoot? Or the more hilarious substitute, K-Y?
 
I have not found garlic very effective.  I did grind up nasturtiums (the whole plants in some water, then strained it) and spray this on squash bugs and they died!  I've heard ants hate cinnamon?  The sugar and boric acid stuff will work, and ants take it into their colonies and they all get it on them.  Maybe little bottlecaps with the mixture placed at the base of the plants will work - and replenish from a squeeze bottle when empty or rained out.  This is not for a trap - it's a poison that they get on themselves and bring back to the colony - so I'm not sure about the post above saying it's a trap. And I use boric acid not borax - but maybe both work (borax is cheaper).  You don't want borax or boric acid everywhere as it's harmful to plants in excess, but it's a plant nutrient in smaller amounts. One last one - tinfoil.  Some insects hate tinfoil, and putting it around the bottoms of the plants could keep the ants from getting to their colonies and back, but not sure ants are foiled by it (could not help it).
 
randyp said:
        I bought 1500 lady's released them outside,the damn birds had a field day.All were gone the next morning but a couple.Thats when I went after the farmers(ants) that were all over the couple plants that had the aphids.But I do agree if you can get the ladybugs to do their job that would and was my first choice.
 
try raising the ladybugs instead of releasing them, when they're in the younger stage is when they get really hungry and go ape on aphids, the adults stage not so much, 
 
insecticidal soap and neem oil seems to be working for me.
 
We were having problems with ants most of this year. I was talking to a lady at work and this is what she said to do..

Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. She said mix in a little water and make a paste and put it by where they come in.

At first all the ants swarmed the stuff for a day or so and didn't come back.. I was like wtf and googled it. Apparently ants have an acidic stomach and can't separate the sugar from the baking soda. they ingest this concoction and carry it back to the nest for the queen.. Lol and then the magic happens. The baking soda causes a chemical reaction to the acid in their stomach, builds pressure and they explode. Try it out.. Worked for me. As for the aphids Idk. Neem and azamax work but I fought them for months this winter and the only thing that got the job done was ladybugs.. I don't have many problems now that they are outside.
 
Neem oil works for me on everything ....just the other day Japanese beetles started to much on our heirloom rose bush , soaked it with neem oil and what I wasn't able to catch and crush flew away and stayed away....honestly haven't run into any bug problems that neem hasn't worked for...fingers crossed...
 
Question on the ladybugs.  I noticed a clump of aphids on one plant and only massed around a single bloom.  I've had no issue with aphids this year and those little black ants just seem to run around the plant from bloom to bloom.  Yesterday I was out trimming my shrubs and found a huge mess of ladybugs on one shrub.  I decided to move a few over to the pepper plant with aphids and the little black ants.  The ants immediately kicked into panic mode and rushed to the lady bugs.  They were all over the bugs and I'm assuming stinging the crap out of them because they popped out wings and hauled arse.  Is this normal?
 
I soaked cotton balls with the borax/sugar mixture and placed them on a firm piece of paper then placed those on top of the soil/mulch near the stem. Just started the other day so will keep you updated.
 
sirhc76 said:
Question on the ladybugs.  I noticed a clump of aphids on one plant and only massed around a single bloom.  I've had no issue with aphids this year and those little black ants just seem to run around the plant from bloom to bloom.  Yesterday I was out trimming my shrubs and found a huge mess of ladybugs on one shrub.  I decided to move a few over to the pepper plant with aphids and the little black ants.  The ants immediately kicked into panic mode and rushed to the lady bugs.  They were all over the bugs and I'm assuming stinging the crap out of them because they popped out wings and hauled arse.  Is this normal?
 
Yes, that's why I need something else to kill them. The little guys are protecting the aphids. It's really a PITA. lol
 
 
Spicytigger said:
I soaked cotton balls with the borax/sugar mixture and placed them on a firm piece of paper then placed those on top of the soil/mulch near the stem. Just started the other day so will keep you updated.
 
Please let me know how it goes. IF it works I'll put sugar and borax all around lol. 
 
Hog - I got myself from DE but didn't need it. 
 
My update is I found the little SOBs nest and got rid of it last night! Yay!! I'm spreading the DE around to help prevent any other infestations but this morning was the first morning I woke up and the ants weren't crawling or hiding on my plant leaves (and the angles weep). 
 
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