Ants in my house! - Orchid Board

Cookiemonster · #1 05-01-2009, 12:30 PM

Hello all,

I grow indoors, and recently have found some of my plants next to a window with ants

- on the new growths with the sticky sweet sap. I have checked for aphids and nothing- I have been spraying every morning just incase with Safers insecticidal if there are any aphids- still no buggers, but I am finding the ants crawling on the new growths- i think they want that sugar-
I want them gone!
Is there anything I can spray indoors that is safe for me? Would it be safe to spray them outdoors with bayers rose& shrub stuff and bring the plants inside when they're dry.
Thanks

WhiteRabbit · #2 05-01-2009, 02:07 PM

Cookie - I had been having the same problem - not too severe tho
For inside I spray with OrangeGuard and place ant bait in the area
This has always done the trick for me
good luck

Becky15349 · #3 05-01-2009, 02:37 PM

Ant bait! Or put a saucer full of something sweet, maybe jelly? then you can pick it up and throw it out the window...they will probably come right back tho!!

Gin · #4 05-01-2009, 03:18 PM

I use either Revenge or Antrol (no inside pets or kids ) the workers eat it and take to the nest have to kill the queen or they will be back . It is boric acid and powdered sugar Lowes or Wal Mart has it . Spraying the workers won't work they just make more of them .

Shirley · #5 05-01-2009, 09:47 PM

I've been told that aspartame (artificial sweetener) will do it and that's perfectly safe. Haven't tried it myself.

jkofferdahl · #6 05-02-2009, 10:23 AM

I sprayed Safer yesterday for the same problem. It just about instantly killed the ants on my Paphs (they live in a separate window/room from my other orchids). However, I'm sure that this will be an ongoing battle. I'm hesitant to use baits or stronger poisons because of my dogs.

quiltingwacko · #7 05-02-2009, 01:25 PM

I really like Terro. It is the boric acid sugar mixture and comes in several sizes, varieties. So far my three dogs ignore it. I try to put it in places where they usually don't hang out, like window sills, orchid tables etc. None of my past dogs has ever gone after it either. I try not to tempt fate though. I use it outdoors and indoors. Carol

Donald · #8 05-04-2009, 09:40 AM

The last time I had ants as you have described I had an invasion of scale. Keep a good eye out for this pest.

Singingirl96 · #9 05-15-2009, 11:58 PM

That happened to me last summer. Out of my 20 phals by a window, only one was infested with ants. Weird huh? The plant was healthy and had nothing wrong with it at all, except for the damn ants.
I used neem oil. I used it once, waited two weeks and used it again. The ants vanished and the plant did not seem to have minded the ants or the insecticide. It flowered this month.
You may want to try that.
Good luck.

Ranchnanny · #10 05-16-2009, 01:36 AM

Cookiemontster have you tried TERRO its a clear thick liquid that you put on little pieces of paper etc. and the ants eat it. Once they eat their fill they go back to the colony and feed the young and queen and they all die.
I had them in my bathroom two years ago and after using TERRO no more ants.

Sheridan