What to do about ants?

[bluethruandthru]

Is anyone else noticing alot more ants this year? I live in Maryland and they aren't inside (thank goodness)..but I've really got alot in the yard. What I'm most worried about are a couple of trees (one poplar and one corkscrew willow) that are totally infested with ants. The ants are the little black ones...and in some spots they are so thick the branches are totally covered. The trees seem in good health, but I'm wondering what's going on and should I do anything?

[NMDemDist2]

1. here ya go!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=287x3236

[bluethruandthru]

2. Thanks

for the link...but I haven't really had a problem inside the house. I'm pretty sure the ants aren't hurting anything...I'm just curious why there are soooooo many of them in the trees.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

3. Thanks. The discussion

and the webpage link there both had some good suggestions.
I have lots of ants outside the house and some find their way inside - probably on the dogs when they lie on the concrete patio.

[Mr. McD]

4. 1% to 2% Boric acid in sugar water

Place small containers in areas of high ant traffic. The ants feed on it and carry it back to the nest to feed the queen and worker ants wiping out the whole nest. It is effective for most ant species.

[bluethruandthru]

5. Thanks Mr. MdD

I haven't heard of this remedy before. I don't like using pesticides of any kind..so this sounds great!

[Kolesar]

6. Can I use 20-mule team borax?

Or would that be 20-ant-team borax??

[Mr. McD]

7. Maybe

:shrug:
BORAX, OR SODIUM TETRABORATE, - is a combination of sodium, boron and oxygen, and is mined from the soil in its crude form. Boric acid is a crystalline material derived from borax. Caution: Remember, boric acid and all boron products can act as a stomach poison when ingested. While 20 Mule Team Borax® is extremely effective in controlling or eliminating ants, termites, weeds, lice, fleas, spiders and roaches, the Dial Corporation notes, “This product has not been tested nor received approval from the EPA for use as a 27 pesticide.” Even so if you mop or spray the floors, voids, sill boxes, tunnels, backs of furniture, appliances and other areas where you see insect pests with borax - you will be surprised on how great the material controls virtually all pests. It has been used for years to make cellulose insulation insect free and fire retardant. It also is great for removing stains in carpeting and/or odors in urinals, etc. - so mop to remove odors and to help clean - in doing so you will also control pests “accidentally”.

It may need to be a higher percentage.

[OnionPatch]

8. The ants in the trees are a familiar problem

here in California. When we see them in plants that have no berries or other sugary, edible parts, we know they are farming aphids. It sort of freaked me out to find out about this. I had heard of it happening in, like Brazil or somewhere but I didn't know they had those kind of ants here. I don't know if you have these kinds in Maryland, but you might look into the possibility.

Sometimes I use poison methods like those mentioned by the other posters but on trees with good trunks, I use Tangle Foot. It's that sticky stuff you get in a tub. Totally encircle the trunk with it and the ants can't walk through. I usually hose the tree down first if there are a lot.

[bluethruandthru]

9. I wondered if they weren't aphid farming.

I'd read about it, but hadn't seen it before. I haven't actually seen aphids in the trees...but maybe they're covered by the ants. I found a product at Home Depot that is a clear sticky substance (sugary, I think) with a bit of Borax in it. I've put it on various branches of the trees and the ant population does seem to have gone down a bit. I think I'll try the Tangle Foot as well.
Thank you!