Black mulch with ants

Lanette1982

9 years ago

I am new to this website. However, I found some good information, and I need your advice. Recently, we bought 10 bags of black mulch. We found colony of large black ants and eggs in one bag of mulch. X did not listen to me, and he spread mulch with ants around the shrub bed. I know that ants can "farm" root aphids and mealy bugs. On the other hand, X told me that ants can eat white grubs and some other bad pests. Is he right that black ants eat white grubs?
I always considered ants as nuisance, and too many ants can be a problem. I also noticed large black ants on my Joe Burke pine tree (I guess, they came from a flower bed with infested mulch)
I know, I should use my own judgment in solving the problem but I'd like to hear your opinion.
I am thinking to remove infested mulch, apply Bug-B-Gon Max Insect Killer for Lawns or Sevin on flower bed, and treat my Joe Burke pine because I do not want more infestation. Any recommendation? Thank you!

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Comments (3)

Kimmsr
9 years ago
Ants are a part of our world. While you might eliminate one nest others will move in to fill that vacancy. Ants are predators and not as much a pest as many people have been taught.
There is no reason to remove that mulch and even less to spry those poisons which are much more harmful to the environment then the ants are.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years ago
Lanette, I suggest that you catch some of these ants in a clear glass jar so that they can be identified. Your local Extension branch would be a good place to start. Some species are a concern while others are not.
Your description of "big black ants " isn't helpful.

Removal of the mulch would probably be useless at this point. What do you mean by "black mulch ", anyway? Is it a big, chunky wood product? The ants were happy to set up housekeeping in a bag of mulch, but won't remain in the mulch once it has been spread out.

If ants are aggressively exploring your pine, you might want to examine the tree for pests that were already there before the ants were moved in.

Some ants are excellent predators of grubs and beetle eggs, some are not. Find someone to ID the newcomers.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
ants rarely do any significant damage to a plant... as compared to ones psyche ...

NEVER use a chem.. unless it is listed for such .. but i didnt look up your suggestions ...

but NEVER use chems... unless you see some damage to something ..

killing things.. like ants.. for the shear joy of killing them.. is frowned upon ...

unless you are me.. and they are digging in the cracks of your blacktop... and undermining a very expensive long driveway ... then its all out nuclear war.. lol .. hey.. do as i say.. not as i do ...

BUT... they have the other 5 acres.. and can do whatever they want..

my point... there is a reason i go after them in one spot.. and not in another ...

frankly.. i think X was right to go ahead and use the stuff .. its not that big a deal.. based on the info provided.. try to relax about it ... but do try for an ID ....

ken

ps: z5 doenst have some of the powerfully wicked ants from down south ... so dont get tied up.. reading about such ... insure you find sites.. that are zone equivalent ... and that is why the ID matters ...