Mot dang fai (Thai fire ants)

[WheresWaldo]

These damned things seem to be pretty much everywhere, I suspect they have an underground network that pretty much cover the entire country. They like to eat roots.

I planted a small tree a year ago and it was looking great. Then suddenly, it began to wilt. It had been dry for awhile so I decided to water it with a slow drip to saturate the ground. The next morning the mot dang fai had boiled up out of the ground all around it. The tree was beyond saving. I learned my lesson. I now put carbofuran in the ground with the planting of any new tree.

But I have also had problems with these critters eating the roots off vegetables I have planted. I do not want to use carbofuran (or other carbamates) as it is a systemic pesticide which will poison the plant itself. So far I have been trying to do the vegetables with completely organic methods. Any suggestions for preventing the destruction of my vegetable garden by these pests?

I have no doubt that this matter has been discussed in this forum before, but searching for ants will bring up so many hits that it is still like searching for a needle in a haystack. So I am asking the question. Those of you that will suggest that I search, well I didn't. Instead of making that suggestion, can you please provide a link to any such thread of which you are aware? Thanks in advance.

[loong]

There have been various threads on the forum

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/251953-insect-pests-plant-diseases-and-integrated-pest-management/#entry2599031

is one mention.

Try searching for "Borax" for more info

[DumbFalang]

Unofficial: Go down to your local Starbucks and get some coffee grinds. Soak some in water and then pour the water over your plants every now and again.

Official: Ask a Thai friend to pop into your local B2S book store and buy the magazine in the attached photo. I asked the wife for the name of the book, but it took her about 10 seconds to say the longest word I have ever heard in my life, so I decided to post a picture ;-)

[WheresWaldo]

There have been various threads on the forum

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/251953-insect-pests-plant-diseases-and-integrated-pest-management/#entry2599031

is one mention.

Try searching for "Borax" for more info

Thanks for the link; I'll read it over in the morning. As for Borax, I have used it and have completely eliminated ant from my house, thanks to a post by the brilliant and illustrious TongueThaied, long since booted by the mods for calling a spade a spade.

The problem with the mot dang fai is that they are so pervasive. I have put borax treats everywhere, but the just go way and come up somewhere else. I have some new raised beds and the last thing I want is a total colonization by these critters.