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14. Are ants useful? Should I kill them?
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| Ants carrying a beettle |
Description: There exists a large diversity of ants. Generally, they are small insects from 1 to 1.5 mm in length. They live
in organized colonies and consist of several castes of morphologically different individuals with specific roles.
Life cycle: Ants are insects with a complete metamorphosis and each species has its own lifestyle and adaptations. In
general, a new winged queen mates with a winged male. She then looks for a favourable place to start her colony, sheds her
wings and begins to lay her white eggs. The duration of development from egg to an adult ant varies from 48 to 74 days according
to species, temperatures, and the living conditions. The larvae resemble small white worms. Towards the end of its larval
life, the insect weaves a cocoon were the larva turns into a cocoon. After some days, the adult emerges from its protective
envelope as a worker, soldier or perhaps as a reproductive winged male or female. In May or in August, according to the species
and if the climatic conditions are favourable, the winged males emit a chemical substance which gives the departure signal.
All the winged ants leave the nest and fly away, generally on a warm, windless day. The males die shortly after mating and
the cycle is repeated. Again, the new queens begin to search for suitable places to each establish their own colony.
Beneficial effects: Generally, North American ants are desirable (beneficial) predators that rarely cause damage to vegetation.
Many species eat a number of destructive garden insects as well as their eggs (including the white grubs of chafers). Ants
play an important role as recyclers in nature. For example, Carpenter Ants accelerate and promote the cycling of wood back
into the food chain.
Adverse effects: Ants can become a nuisance in certain circumstances. Those who proliferate in the lawns love dry sandy
soil, forming mounds that destroy part of the lawn. Another example of undesirable ant behavior are those species attracted
to the sweet honeydew produced by aphids. In exchange for honeydew, these ants will protect and even help cultivate the aphids.
Consequently, these ant species can promote aphid outbreaks. Further, other species will attack damaged fruits or trees producing
destructive galleries and nests. In addition, some other species enter homes through cracks and contaminate food supplies.
Certain ants such as Carpenter Ants can carve galleries into the timber of dwellings, particularly when the wood is softened
by rot. Lastly, some ants can sting or bite when disturbed, however stinging ants occur in areas with warmer climate than
ours.
Prevention:
* For ants in the lawn: modify the texture of the soil by adding compost and some lime regularly so as to produce
unfavorable humid conditions.
* Position repellant plants close to the house. Choose species that have a strong odor such as Mint, Wormwood or Tansies.
* Disperse some leaves of Tomato, Lavender, Marjoram, Elder, Ferns or the skins of lemons in areas frequented by ants.
* Close all cracks where ants may enter the home. Pay special attention to the joints around the windows.
* Eliminate crumbs from the ground.
Control of ants in the garden:
* In areas where it is practical, scald anthills with hot water several times to reduce ant populations.
* Spray the nest with a solution of strong peppers: boil 250 ml of strong hot peppers in 1 liter of water, and then
pour or spray the mixture directly on the nest.
* Apply an adhesive band around the trunks of infested trees («tanglefoot» available in garden stores).
* Place traps of boric acid in the path of the ants.
* Use insecticidal soap with borax sold commercially.
* Apply wood ash or lime next to the affected plants. Repeat after rain, but not near plants that love acidity.
* Add compost to the soil of your lawn. If your land is too sandy, it will encourage the presence of ant.
Control of ants inside the house:
* Blow diatomaceous earth in all the cracks that may serve as ant entries, and seal them. Do not use diatomaceous
earth outside in the garden because it will destroy a great number of useful organisms. Moreover, it is inefficient when it
is wet.
* Place baits mixed with borax in the path of the ants.
* Make sure that the wood in your home is protected from humidity.
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6. I'd like to replace my grass with perennials.
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| Edith's Garden |
If you want to replace
your lawn with some easy
care perennials here are
some suggestions:
Astibe, Garden Spirea
Can take full sun but does best in partial shade blooms midsummer to end of August
Bishop's Hat, Barrenwort (Epimedium species)
Moist soil in open shade, will tolerate some sun blooms in April, May
Bugleweed (Ajuga)
Full sun or partial shade blooms May, June
Crane's Bill (Geranium species)
Full sun, light shade blooms spring to summer
English Ivy (Hedara helix), hardy varieties Baltica, Bulgaria, Hebron, Rochester, Thorndale & Wilsonii
Full sun to heavy shade
Houttuynia (Houttuynia cordata);chameleon's variegated leaves
Sun and shade. Blooms in summer; small white flowers
Knotweed, Himalaya Fleeceflower (Polygonum affine)
Full sun. Blooms late summer into fall
Lungwort, Jerusalem Sage (Pulmonaria terminalis)
Partial to full shade, moist soil Blooms in spring; pink flower fading to blue
Pachysandra, Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalus) Shade, moist soil Blooms in spring; greenish-white flowers
Periwinkle, Myrtle (Vinca minor)
Light or partial shade Blooms early spring, blue flowers, Alba is pure white
Self-heal (Prunella webbiana);Purple Loveliness;
Full sun, shade Summer bloom
Sweet Woodruff (Galium ovoratum)
Very fragrant Full shade to partial sun. White flower
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Full sun to partial shade in poor to average soil excellent ground cover;a thyme lawn would be very effective leaves are
useful for cooking, lotions, baths and potpourri.
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