Ant Problem

[Johnagain]

This question of treatment is going to be different than most regarding what is needed. My customer needs to get ride of the ants in her 1/2 acre pasture. What we have done is disced up all the grass and weeds to completely bare soil, and this is how it will stay no grass or weeds. She trains dogs for tracking and can't have any grass for training so she can follow the tracts. The problem is that when she puts out bait(meat) the ants get to it so fast that they cover the bait before the dogs find it and then the dogs snort the ants off the bait. What we need is something to treat the area that won't affect the tracking of the dogs. I know she can't use the normal chemical ant bait or pesticides. All I can do is give her your recommendations and let her be the judge of what she wants to use.

This control method can be broadcast, sprayed, or even disced in the ground for application. I will also need suggestions on where to get the products.
Let the ideas flow.

[ICT Bill]

This question of treatment is going to be different than most regarding what is needed. My customer needs to get ride of the ants in her 1/2 acre pasture. What we have done is disced up all the grass and weeds to completely bare soil, and this is how it will stay no grass or weeds. She trains dogs for tracking and can't have any grass for training so she can follow the tracts. The problem is that when she puts out bait(meat) the ants get to it so fast that they cover the bait before the dogs find it and then the dogs snort the ants off the bait. What we need is something to treat the area that won't affect the tracking of the dogs. I know she can't use the normal chemical ant bait or pesticides. All I can do is give her your recommendations and let her be the judge of what she wants to use.

This control method can be broadcast, sprayed, or even disced in the ground for application. I will also need suggestions on where to get the products.
Let the ideas flow.

In your case essential oils would not work as it would hide the smells, big time
Think like an ant, when there is food they come and eat it. Put out food as bait that is contained so that the animals can't get to it but the ants can
Borax is very effective and is a natural dessicant, it dries them up. mix 1 part borax to 10 parts sugar, add enough water to make it a syrup. the trick is the place to hide it so the dogs can't get it but the ants do

they will carry the dead ants (from the borax) back to the nest and use them for food, slowly (2 weeks) killing off the entire nest

or you can go to the hardware store and buy outdoor nest traps that have borax as the active ingredient. Terro has one that comes in a 6 pack, careful there are some others that can be very toxic, look for Borax or boric acid as the active ingredient

[Johnagain]

Thanks Bill,
Is this something that has staying power or will she have to reapply the application daily or weekly. During the summer we have daily rains and with the soil so pourous i'm just concerned that it would wash in so quickly. The whole area is fenced so she can apply it on the outside of the fencing so the dogs won't get to it. Thanks also for the mixing rate.

[FOL]

Maybe Bill can add to this or someone. Just an idea, not sure though if it is the safest answer. Line the tracks with DE. The ants will not cross that barrier, but if the dogs are sniffing around it could not be the safest for them. Just a thought.

[ICT Bill]

Thanks Bill,
Is this something that has staying power or will she have to reapply the application daily or weekly. During the summer we have daily rains and with the soil so pourous i'm just concerned that it would wash in so quickly. The whole area is fenced so she can apply it on the outside of the fencing so the dogs won't get to it. Thanks also for the mixing rate.

The packaging says that after the ants are killed initially, to replace them every 3 months. They will swarm them at first and you may have to set them again after a week, but after that every 3 months. The traps are made for outdoors.

You could use an old mayonaise jar and put a small hole in the top and lay it on the ground with the borax mix in it, the ants can get in and out but if one of the dogs got it by mistake or a racoon, they would have a real hard time getting to it

Diotamaceaous earth (DE) is worthless after it gets wet

[Johnagain]

Thanks again for the ideas. I like the jar idea for the boric acid mix. I have lots of gatorade bottles that she can use.

[ScottMFree]

This may sound a little weird, but when I am trying to get rid of ants I use bay leaves. For some reason, bay leaves drive ants nuts and the leave permanently.

[ICT Bill]

This may sound a little weird, but when I am trying to get rid of ants I use bay leaves. For some reason, bay leaves drive ants nuts and the leave permanently.

OK I'll bite. Crushed, whole, steeped, made into a tea, sprayed, placed, how do you apply it