Red Ant War.

[Richb2004v2]

Recently I seem to have been getting bitten by red ants where ever I go in the garden. I traced them to one of our tale trees where I found their nest made from leaves. I then found four more. I cut them down and sprinkled white anti-insect powder on them. But a lot of them made off without getting a dusting. I also noticed that there are still one or two nest that are out of my reach. I just wondered if anyone had any advice on how to keep on top of them. This is the second time in 6 months that I've had a purge. Also I wonder do these particular ants ever come indoors? I would doubt it but just wonder.

[Nio]

Rich

A flame thrower is the only way to rid yourself of these pest

In case you don't have one handy, you can fabricate a make shift one out a can of Thai Baygon Bug Spray and a Bic lighter

That will do the trick

No leave, no tree, no ants

joking

those dam_n things are hard to get rid off and I am same situation as you. Declare all out war and next month or week they are back

[Rimmer]

Tell me about it!! I got them crawling over the main gates, the mail box, the side gate, every tree and bush and let me tell you those critters really bite and hang on, they are so bad that our policeman no longer comes to his box to sign in once a day, I've sprayed them, stomped on them, dug up their nests and what do they do? They moved into the security camera cases and now I got little people walking across my monitors all the time. Grrrr

[Namphonny]

I use a very long bamboo pole, tie a rag to the end, soak it in petrol and hold it under the nest. They don't seem to like that.

[gotlost]

Don't you just love these little buggers?

[siamjj]

do as the thai's do and eat them,they are tasty,kind of spicy,lol.once you develope a taste for them,you'll be happy to have em

[londonthai]

throwing out or burning all the debris in the garden would stop ants and all the other insects, including termites, from nesting. From time to time burn all the vegetation to the ground, just protect the trees.

digging a small ditch filled with water all around your house would stop them coming as well

[toptuan]

do as the thai's do and eat them,they are tasty,kind of spicy,lol.once you develope a taste for them,you'll be happy to have em

Quite true. Just call over your "baanawk" (country Thai folk), and they'll relish removing these ants (and their eggs) for you, to enjoy as a popular delicacy.

By the way, these are called "leaf-weaver ants" which typically nest in leaves that are cleverly weaved together into a protective cover over their nest. Smart little buggers, and yup, carry a real bite (although no poison). Hurts real badly, but only for a moment.

[Crypt36]

Burning and spraying them won't do you any good in most cases. You need to get to their queens! Get ourself some Ars antkiller at the supermarket. They take this poison home and feed themselves as well as their queen with it. Works for me every time!

Also a flowerpot filled with sand upside down next to the nest, supposely they will quickly make their nest in this one and all you have to do is pick it up and throw it away.

[ericthai]

Your need to get some ant killer. You put this around the mound and the workers will take it to the queen, only way to kill them is kill the queen. I started out trying to burn them pouring gas on the mound and lighting it but a week later they were back. I have had good luck with the ant killer, cant recall the name.

[GeorgeO]

Your need to get some ant killer. You put this around the mound and the workers will take it to the queen, only way to kill them is kill the queen. I started out trying to burn them pouring gas on the mound and lighting it but a week later they were back. I have had good luck with the ant killer, cant recall the name.

I agree that a proprietary antkiller is the only effective way. I have found the need to use ARS Antkiller only twice in almost two years (for different ant populations) and they disappeared like magic. They take the granules back to the nest for everyone to get a sniff! I didn't dig up their nests, but I suspect there would have been carnage down there once they had spread the stuff around.

[slapout]

The consecrated termite/insect poison, mix as directed (I double/triple dose) in pump up garden sprayer (this will reach top of tree) and your set to wipe the little buggers out. soak trunk of tree, and look for nest in potted plants. Wife waters most days so I increase solution strength to compensate for her diluting it down with the water hose.

[Richb2004v2]

I did some Hitler like experiments with them during my purge. It seems they are not as clever as we think. They couldn't figure out how to prevent themselves drowning when I put their nest in my pond anyway

[lordsux]

More of my images

[toptuan]

I did some Hitler like experiments with them...

Heil Rich!

[Richb2004v2]

More of my images

You have some truly fantastic pictures there. How did you get so close in that particular shot?

[lordsux]

Thanks for the compliment

That particular shot was taken on my balcony with a Canon Powershot S5 IS, Super Macro, f3.5, Spot Focus Metering, No Flash.

The ants were almost touching the lens but were more interested in attacking the big ant than running off.

[Korat88]

More of my images

You have some truly fantastic pictures there. How did you get so close in that particular shot?

Agreed. Some wonderful images amongst those. Love the lightning shots!

[drtreelove]

Some excerpts on ants and baits from the numerous threads in multiple forums.

Weaver ants

http://www.infobridge.org/asp/documents/3547.pdf

http://www.oisat.org/control_methods/natural_enemies/predators/weaver_ant.html

http://www.livingwithbugs.com/ant_bait.html

http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/antbait267.shtml

krod boric

(กรดบอริก)

I got some boric acid from an Opthamologist in Chiangmai. My daughter had a sty and he prescribed the Boric acid.

I can't help with BKK, but here in Chiang Mai you can buy it cheaply in half kilo tubs from the small chemical supply shop on Suthep Road pretty much directly opposite the teaching hospital (on the left if you are heading up Suthep Road away from the moat).

BTW I make my own ant killer using Boric acid and it is amazingly effective - I've gone from inundated to NO ants inside my home. Love it!

The recipe I have used can be found at http://quantumrelativity.calsci.com/Recipes/AntDeath.html and has worked great for me. Their advice of simply leaving puddles on the floor for ants instead of using containers seems to work well for me: getting much easier uptake by the ants.

[Nienke]

Here's a thread with some very helpful tips on how to make boric acid cookies, etc. as well: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Centipede-Co...p;hl=Boric+acid

[DaDog]

What you need to do for the red ants is get some corn meal and sprinkle it where the ants are. They will eat it and eventually die because they can't digest it. Use their own appetite to kill them.

[kubota]

Have a look at this site: http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/

[Old Man River]

Your need to get some ant killer. You put this around the mound and the workers will take it to the queen, only way to kill them is kill the queen. I started out trying to burn them pouring gas on the mound and lighting it but a week later they were back. I have had good luck with the ant killer, cant recall the name.

I agree that a proprietary antkiller is the only effective way. I have found the need to use ARS Antkiller only twice in almost two years (for different ant populations) and they disappeared like magic. They take the granules back to the nest for everyone to get a sniff! I didn't dig up their nests, but I suspect there would have been carnage down there once they had spread the stuff around.

Roughly, where do they nest? My yard is inundated with this scourge and I notice a line heading up one of our trees. Do they nest in trees, or should I be looking for a nest in our yard?

I bought ARS and am now armed and dangerous. I just need to know approx. where the nest is so I can put this stuff near their nest.

Thanks.

[Donnyboy]

Roughly, where do they nest? My yard is inundated with this scourge and I notice a line heading up one of our trees. Do they nest in trees, or should I be looking for a nest in our yard?

I bought ARS and am now armed and dangerous. I just need to know approx. where the nest is so I can put this stuff near their nest.

Thanks.

you should find one or more of these up in the tree

[Sheryl]

I get bitten by them all the time.

Once got bitten in my eye..that's in, not on or around. The $%^& critter had apparently gotten in my hair unnoticed, I leaned over something, hair brushed downward and whammo in the eye.

In addition to unspeakable pain, vision went so blurry I couldn't see.

Which then made it very hard to look up any possible long-term effects on my vision..or drive into town to buy eye drops. Luckily a kindly neighbor did this for me.

When my vision returned I researched it a bit. The stuff in their bite is formic acid.

Hope this never happens to any of you but if it does, get eye drops containing dexamethosone or other steroid plus antibiotc (in the same preparation) and apply every couple of hours for a day or so.

[Old Man River]

Roughly, where do they nest? My yard is inundated with this scourge and I notice a line heading up one of our trees. Do they nest in trees, or should I be looking for a nest in our yard?

I bought ARS and am now armed and dangerous. I just need to know approx. where the nest is so I can put this stuff near their nest.

Thanks.

you should find one or more of these up in the tree

Thanks. It does look like they are going up two trees. Does anyone know how long it takes this ARS Ant Killer to actually eliminate these pests?

[tutsiwarrior]

I'd say move into a shop house that ain't got no garden...that'll teach the little buggers...but then, there are shop house vermin to deal with; small black ants that seem to penetrate everywhere...humanitarian principles are compromised by mass death and destruction with Chaindrite #2...

shop houses are safe...it's a jungle out there...

[Old Man River]

I'd say move into a shop house that ain't got no garden...that'll teach the little buggers...but then, there are shop house vermin to deal with; small black ants that seem to penetrate everywhere...humanitarian principles are compromised by mass death and destruction with Chaindrite #2...

shop houses are safe...it's a jungle out there...

It sounds like something we are using in Afghanistan.

Right now, I have declared war on the ants in our trees. The maids are having a great time watching this as the ants are winning. I haven't given up....yet.

[Crypt36]

I've just moved over to another condo and the war happened again... Red ants on balcony and black pest in the bathroom... So once more I took up my ARS antkiller and let them have it, after a night of ant labour the stuff was gone and I now knew all their acces points. Time for my ultimate weapon of ant-destruction: Silicone. Filled up all their acces points and my condo is safe again... for now... Offcourse gardens are a whole different problem.