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jb_989

Ant colony under child's sandbox

jb989
15 years ago

How do I get rid of them with without putting toxic chemicals in my toddler's play area? Area is covered with hardwood mulch.

I've seen lots of ideas online, such as boiling water, baby powder, vinegar, etc. but not sure what really works.

Comments (3)

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    Thoroughly wet the soil in the area of the nest. Boiling water will not work because the soil will suck up the heat from that water very quickly, long before that wee bit of water would get into the nest. To get enough Talcum Powder or Vinegar down to cause them to move would be really expensive, and those would not cause the ants to move the nest, just relocate the entrance and exit to the nest. Ants, however, do not like to nest in wet soils and will move if the soil that nest is in does get too wet.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    15 years ago

    There is an organic ant bait product that works very well. Many companies are making it these days under their own names, but look for the active ingredient SPINOSAD. Be sure that the product is an ant BAIT.

    Not only is Spinosad safe for use around children and pets when used according to directions, but because it is a bait, it will be swiftly taken down into the nests of the ants.

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    This is from the Organic Materials Review Institute, OMRI, about that product. "Reviewers generally agreed that the toxicological profile for spinosad is relatively benign when compared with other
    insecticides. All found it compatible with organic production and believed that it has a place in organic agriculture.
    However, all expressed concerns about the effects on beneficial organisms such as bees, aquatic organisms, earthworms,
    soil micro-organisms, and parasitoids. Though spinosad is quickly photodegraded on leaf surfaces, it is degraded very
    slowly in aquatic environments, and may be accumulated by oysters and fish due to its fat solubility. Though soil microorganisms
    degrade the original material quickly, metabolites are biologically active and persistent in the soil."

    Simply because that product comes from "matural" materials does not make it better. Due care in use, due to the toxicity toward beneficial insects, is needed. Relocation of the ants nest is a better solution that kiling these beneficial insects.

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