jewels

I've got these red ant/fire ant mounds all over my lawn. I've used bags of chemical pesticide granules and although they promise to kill the queen, the mounds always reappear a yard or two away. I've researched a bit online and will try some of the suggested remedies which include using cornmeal or grits. It's a lot cheaper and a lot more environmentally friendly. I'll follow up and post how it works for me.

If you know of a green method that works, please post that as well. If you're looking for your own greener solution, maybe someone here has your answer.
Maybe your experience will help someone else find a better, greener way.

Let's share any natural alternatives that we come across or that have worked for us to replace less environmentally friendly products.

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markd4life

Try Diatomaceous Earth, totally green no pesticides. Google it, it works.

jewels

Sounds like a plan. Thank you.

If you know of any other solutions to other problems, please post 'em!

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
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Bill O'Rights

I don't know about ants, but this stuff works great for fleas.
We had an infestation last summer. All the sprays that we tried would knock 'em down, but not knock 'em out. It got so bad that if you went down into our basement (where they really seemed to enjoy "hanging out") you could feel and see them crawling up your leg. Sometimes 2-3-4 at a time. We tried the Diatomaceous Earth. Within 2 days...massive improvement. Within 5-6 days (less than a week, I know)...absolutely no signs of the tiny little bastards...anywhere. Not on the dog, not on the cat, not in the carpet, not on the furniture, not in the basement, not anywhere.

And...it doesn't cost any more than some of the chemical sprays that we bought, that didn't do anywhere near the job.

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

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BadNick

A few years ago, me and several neighbors who have property adjacent to mine bought a few thousand ladybugs and released them in our yards to control aphid infestations in some of our trees. Man ...or should I say "lady"... they worked great...and the little buggers look cute, too.

I recently noticed some new (never there before) ant mounds in front of my steps from the driveway into the house. I used the biblical flood method...aggressive water deluge spray from my hose...they rebuilt...I flood them again...haven't seen any trace of them now for over about 2 weeks.

I like that diatomaceous earth idea for fleas...I don't have fleas in the house now but I have had problems in past years. Next time I'm trying this. One article I googled said not to use "swimming pool filter" grade DE. I wonder if aquarium filter grade DE is good or not?...I'll have to read more about this.

jewels

Update: The only DE I could find was this monstrous bag at $20, which I don't have. I bought some inexpensive grits instead and gave it a try. By that evening, I saw a couple of scattered ants remaining on two of the five or six mounds I had. Last evening, I didn't see a single ant. I'll keep checking, but it appears to have done the job.

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
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BadNick

jewels,
if the ants come back, would you consider a cuddly little anteater as a pet?

Cynthetiq

DM is also good for cockroach control... it's like an impenatrable line that insects cannot pass.

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Supple Cow

No wonder they tell you to use chalk to stop ants... it contains DE. I'm going to buy a bag to see if I can have a cricket-free winter. I lived with them all last winter - one or two a day would wander in, startle me and then pay for it by getting sucked into my vacuum cleaner. A few of them scared the bejeezus out of me by showing up inside my shower as I stepped in, or by hanging out on the inside of the door to my bathroom where I wouldn't see then until I had my pants down and took a seat. I notice I don't get startled when I'm fully clothed and wearing shoes that cover my feet completely plus long pants. But you know, this is my apartment and I am not always fully clothed!

The sprickets are the worst. When you come near them, they jump TOWARD you instead of away.

*shudder*

I would much rather get a cute, furry solution (kitty!!!!) but I signed a lease saying I wouldn't get one. It's almost like free entertainment for a cat to have so many crickets to hunt, too. Oh well. I'll report back on DE vs. crickets in a basement room. I may be fighting a losing battle since it's always dark and moist in the storage room adjacent to my apartment, but we'll see.

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

BadNick

Supple Cow,
I had somewhat of a spider cricket infestation last year...if I came down to the kitchen late at night, several of them would be there ready to pounce on me or try to get away as I was swatting them to death. Then I tried these things and the bugs disappeared. While putting something out that they get stuck in and die may not be as "green" as some other solutions, at least it's not spraying pesticides around...I found these spider cricket glue traps to work great as long as you don't mind putting them into the trash after a few days with dozens and dozens of spider crickets stuck on each strip:

Supple Cow

I wonder what's on those for bait or if they are just sticky and the spiders and crickets are dumb. I just was making some sugaring goop (for hair removal) and thought about making my own fly paper with it. I might give that a try before I spread the DE. I guess I just kind of figured that spiders and crickets are smarter than flies. (Stupid flies!!)

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

BadNick

I like to think I'm usually smarter than crickets, but I've accidentally touched that stuff and found out DO NOT TOUCH IT...that stuff is so sticky and very hard to get off of anything, though there is no harmful chemicals in it as best as I can tell reading the MSDS.

I'm not sure I'm smarter than spiders, I really like spiders since they catch mosquitos and flies, two other insect critters I strongly dislike. I never disrupt a spider's web outside or in my house.

I had one of the above glue strips in a crawl space under my back shed and one day I found a cute little fieldmouse stuck in it...man, it took me half hour to clean the glue off that little guy using vegetable oil and a soft tooth brush a few times, and then finally clean him off with mild detergent and send him on his way home.

genuinegirly

Here's something that worked wonders for a friend's flea-infested apartment in Berkeley:

Borax! Just sprinkle a fine layer on flea-infested carpets or couches, and the nasty buggers are gone (it kills the eggs and larvae). Vacuum it up after 30 minutes. Powerful stuff, harmless to us.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

Willravel

Chalk, garlic, cinnamon, vinegar, cayenne pepper, citrus, and perfume all repel ants. I've used chalk outlines before to prevent them from crossing a sidewalk, and it worked better than I expected.

Killing? Pour boiling water into the hole twice a day until the ants stop coming.
-----Added 24/10/2008 at 10 : 50 : 23-----

Is nice!

kutulu

We use borax for ant control. Mix 1 tablespoon w/ 1/4 C sugar and lay it out where necessary. It is toxic though and can destroy soil if you use too much though.

Supple Cow

Well, the other day I found another cricket in my bathroom. Inside the shower. While I was in it. With soap running into my eyes.

Apparently they're not so good at jumping when there is water raining down on them, so that little guy drowned. I dusted the edges of my apartment with the DE immediately after my shower. I don't think my homemade fly paper would have worked anyway. I put down a nice extra-thick line in the storage room adjacent to my bathroom because I'm pretty sure that's where they like to hang out and have babies. So far it seems to be working. I've only had one intruder in the week since I spread the stuff, and I think he snuck in through the crack in the front door because I forgot to shut it all the way behind me.

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

BadNick

Paying bills electronically...saves paper, fuel. I just read an article about it in the paper so it reminded me of this one. Personally I don't feel my privacy is more threatened than if I was using paper to pay...some statistics say that electronic payment is actually safer.

http://www.greenbiz.com/feature/2008...green-practice

jewels

So the grits worked on the ant mounds in my yard. Temporarily.

They'd be back a few days later.

If I invest in the DE, does anyone know if they'll reappear?

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
Mark Twain

BadNick

jewels,
my :

The DE will eventually wash away from the rain. The grains are so small that they can easily wash down and percolate into the soil or through cracks in your pavement. But while it's there, it disables/kills the ants.

If you want to buy a smaller quantity than you mentioned above, go to a pet store that has aquarium supplies. The DE is used in special aquarium water filters and I've seen it sold in pretty small containers.

jewels

Thanks, BN

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
Mark Twain

BadNick

Your welcome, jewels. I hope you persuade those critters to go someplace else.

Hey...I have a question. With this post I made below, was I totally spazzed? Now I'm not sure if this thread was just about getting rid of bugs in a green way, or if other green solutions were being discussed. I'm just doing an insanity check. Compost...that's another good one and I like how it smells

Martian

If you want an ultra-green, natural solution to household pests and are not squeamish, introducing some predators works well. House centipedes are completely harmless to humans and will feed on most terrestrial arthropods. They're quick, but usually not quick enough to catch flies etc; even so, they're excellent at catching crickets, ants, spiders and cockroaches. Spiders, in turn, are good at controlling fly populations. I have a couple of 'pet' spiders that I leave undisturbed. I look at it as an arrangement for mutual gain. I provide them with a relatively safe environment where all they have to fear is the cat, and they in turn help to control pest levels.

I don't have a lot of issues with bugs in general; mostly flies that come in through the windows in the summer (they're always open in the warm weather, and Layla has left the screens in sub-optimal condition... sigh), but if I did have ants, cockroaches or any other such pests I wouldn't hesitate to use centipedes as a control method. That's just me, though, and I'm a bit odd.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

jewels

I was hoping for all types of green solutions, but ... If we're dealing with bug solutions, I'll take it.
-----Added 23/11/2008 at 06 : 37 : 28-----
Interesting approach. Where do you find the centipedes and how do you lure them in?

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
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Dammitall

We get a bunch that come inside our house when it starts to get cold. My partner doesn't particularly like them but she's finally gotten to the point where she respects their benefits to humans and doesn't demand that I "get rid of" them.

I can't blame her, though. They are pretty freaky looking, especially when they move quickly... and they can get rather large.

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If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]

Supple Cow

House centipedes give me the WILLIES, but I do realize how they are ecologically my friends. I think they get a new pair of legs every time they molt or something, and I've just never been good with small creatures that have too many legs. They are pretty gnarly looking and I am a bit too squeamish to just leave 'em running around. I try to at least shoo them outside with a broom.

The DE is not working so well on my crickets anymore. I got that powder *everywhere* and they just jump over the DE barrier I made and come right into the shower with me. I don't know what it is about the shower, but I always check every corner of it before I get in and TWICE this week I had a cricket jump in with me and try to climb up my leg to avoid getting washed down the drain. WTF. I mean, I know they like moist environments where mold is likely to grow, but why are they so dumb that they jump into the running water of the shower and then panic?

I have been feeling phantom cricket legs on the top of my foot since then.

Time for me to order some of those nifty glue traps and end this madness once and for all.

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

Martian

In the summer that's okay. In the winter they'll die anyway, so you might as well just squish 'em and be done with it.

Centipedes will naturally gravitate toward their preferred climate and if they have a source of food (ie your household pest of choice) they'll thrive. If you can't attract any naturally, however, firmer action may be necessary.

If one is looking to cultivate centipedes, the easiest (and only) way I know of would be to hunt them. They like damp, dark areas and are frequently found underneath rocks or in rotting logs. They may be found any time of the year other than winter, but are typically most active in spring as it's their mating season. They're quick little buggers, but you probably won't need too many; they can live for the better part of a decade.

Care should be taken to make sure you collect the correct centipedes. While most are harmless to humans, some of the larger types carry a venom that can be quite unpleasant. All but the largest house centipedes are unable to penetrate human skin and their venom is no worse than a bee sting; furthermore, they only bite humans when they feel threatened, since we're not food. So if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone (the same goes for spiders, incidentally).

They will naturally want to be in their preferred environment. Dark areas with some moisture and hidey-holes would be best. If you disturb them while they're doing their thing they will most likely scurry out of the way (they have excellent eyesight, relatively speaking); best just to leave them be.

The house centipede is easily identified by three black stripes running down it's back. If you find something you believe to be a centipede but it doesn't have any stripes, leave it alone. At best you'll do it a disservice by moving it. At worst it could be harmful, although that only really applies to tropical and subtropical climates.

As an aside, they do indeed gain legs every molt; two on the first and four every molt thereafter.

GIS piccy for reference:



I loves me some creepy crawlies.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

Cynosure

OMG! That's no "green" solution! Look at how much precious fresh water you're wasting... !

Dammitall

__________________
If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]

Supple Cow

Maybe if I think of them like miniature Roombas...

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

Dammitall

I had a spricket show up in my house not long ago and I had no idea what it was... but now I do. Thanks, Supple!

(I caught it in a cup and took it outside. That's typically my green solution.

__________________
If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]