Orange Oil for Fire Ants

clfraser 4/8/2011, 10:17 pm

I got some orange oil to use in my garden because fire ants are creeping in. I can't seem to find the mound, but they really have taken to the radishes.

Does anyone know about how to use the orange oil to treat for the ants?

dizzygardener 4/8/2011, 10:33 pm

Here's a short article that talks about controlling fire ants with orange oil: http://www.urbanharvest.org/advice/pestsdiseases/fire_ant.htm

You really need to find the mound. If you can't find the mound you can spray the orange oil directly on the ants in your box then follow up with DE which acts as an irritant. That will keep them away for a bit, but really you need to find the mound to put an end to the problem.

clfraser 4/8/2011, 10:46 pm

The only thing I can figure on the mound is that it is in the radish square, but not so much a mound. There is nothing around outside the squares and there is not so much a mound but the ants seem to be heavily concentrated in the radish square.

clfraser 4/8/2011, 10:47 pm

Thank you for the link dizzygardener.

clfraser 4/9/2011, 7:58 am

Will Orange Oil harm beneficial bugs. For instance will it kill all my new lady bugs?

Miss M 4/29/2011, 1:49 pm

I am worried about fire ants getting into my garden. I have seen other ants in there. Is there anything that repels them? If I spread broadcast ant poison around the area my garden is in, would that keep them away?

ashort 4/29/2011, 2:52 pm

Usually mounds form in response to rain / flooding of their tunnels. Try soaking the radish square well several days in a row to see if the mound comes up...

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