Re: ants in the vanilla

[Henry Karczynski]

I made a mixture of black pepper and garlic in vegetable oil and applied some to the pre-flower buds.  The ants that became exposed to the mixture died almost immediately, something that surprised me.  However the mixture was too concentrated and damaged the buds that had been applied.  I am applying the same mixture to the forks in the branches that had been pruned which is where ants make their nests in the host trees that support the vanilla vines.  
My objective is to reduce the ant population during the pollination period.  Our refractometer analysis of the areas that the ants are damaging did not reveal any differences with the areas that the ants were equally present but damaging the buds.  The only difference in the lots with more severe damage is that the lots with less damage have more species diversity and pennyroyal around the perimeter.

Henry

Wolf wrote:

OUCH!!!!!
On Wednesday, January 29, 2003, at 03:56 AM, Peter Michael Bacchus wrote:

Hi Henry,
Have you thought of putting a little bit of honey in a wee
dish in the middle of a tray or wide bowl and pouring boiling water over
them when they are there in the greatest numbers. Once the water is cooled
spray it over and round the plants to be protected. The number of bowls you
need will depend on how much you need to protect. While you are doing it ask
them if they would be kind enough to leave your vanilla for you or at least
most of it. Your ants may be different to ours and may not respond in the
same way that ours do.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Pye" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:51 PM OUCH!!!
Subject: Re: ants in the vanilla

Henry Karczynski wrote:

Catnip, mint, chrysanthemum, onion family especially garlic cloves,
pennyroyal, tansy, rue as growing or dried plants repel ants so perhaps
you could plant some as companion plants

roger

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