Are ants harmful to cymbidiums?

If so, is spraying with an insecticide a bad thing to do.

What would you recommend.

Thanks

It's been my experience that ants carry scale and other diseases to my
orchids, so I try to get rid of the ants. But Cymbidiums grow out doors (at
least around here) so its difficult to know how to get rid of them. There's
this orange oil spray you can get in stores that seems to be effective in
getting rid of ants without the use of pesticides. My next ant attack I'm
going to try it.

K Barrett
"Uncle_vito" wrote in message
...
Are ants harmful to cymbidiums?

If so, is spraying with an insecticide a bad thing to do.

What would you recommend.

Thanks

It's called Orange Guard. Don't spray it on the flowers. It's a citrus oil
based product, and it's sticky. They say to spray it on top of the medium.
They also say it kills on contact, which it does. But it leaves a heavy
sticky residue. Frank sprayed it on the floor when we had a brief influx of
ants in the house. What a mess to clean up. No more interior ants, but I
think it's because they are frightened of getting their feet stuck to the
stuff!

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
It's been my experience that ants carry scale and other diseases to my
orchids, so I try to get rid of the ants. But Cymbidiums grow out doors
(at least around here) so its difficult to know how to get rid of them.
There's this orange oil spray you can get in stores that seems to be
effective in getting rid of ants without the use of pesticides. My next
ant attack I'm going to try it.

K Barrett
"Uncle_vito" wrote in message
...
Are ants harmful to cymbidiums?

If so, is spraying with an insecticide a bad thing to do.

What would you recommend.

Thanks

Mix a very small amount of Borax (20 mule team) with some powdered sugar and
put where the ants will find it (not in your plants). The ants will find it
and carry it back to the nest. In a few days no more ants.

Bob


"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
It's called Orange Guard. Don't spray it on the flowers. It's a citrus oil
based product, and it's sticky. They say to spray it on top of the medium.
They also say it kills on contact, which it does. But it leaves a heavy
sticky residue. Frank sprayed it on the floor when we had a brief influx
of ants in the house. What a mess to clean up. No more interior ants, but
I think it's because they are frightened of getting their feet stuck to
the stuff!

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
It's been my experience that ants carry scale and other diseases to my
orchids, so I try to get rid of the ants. But Cymbidiums grow out doors
(at least around here) so its difficult to know how to get rid of them.
There's this orange oil spray you can get in stores that seems to be
effective in getting rid of ants without the use of pesticides. My next
ant attack I'm going to try it.

K Barrett
"Uncle_vito" wrote in message
...
Are ants harmful to cymbidiums?

If so, is spraying with an insecticide a bad thing to do.

What would you recommend.

Thanks

Four alternatives from my "Home Remedies" page:


Melt about 1/4 pound of candle wax, then slowly stir in about 1/4 cup sugar
and 4 ounces boric acid powder (available at your local drug store). When
thoroughly mixed, pour into a pan, creating a 1/4" to 1/2" thick slab. Cut
or break into chunks, and distribute around the greenhouse. If you decide
to try this indoors, be sure to keep them away from children and animals.



A surprising - and no doubt smelly - ant repellant is fermented cow manure
tea. Put about a gallon volume of fresh manure in a 5-gallon bucket and top
it up with water. Cover and let stand for a couple of weeks or more until
it's fully "cured." Spray around the greenhouse and under the benches. (CJ
Maciejeski claims this keeps fire ants away down in Houston, and if it works
for them...)



Here's another volunteered from the world of cyberspace: raw grits!
Sprinkle them in an area where ants are attracted, and they will gobble them
up. Later they will swell in their bellies. (Need I say more?)


OK, another one volunteered by a reader - aspartame! You know...Nutrasweet,
the sugar substitute? Apparently it is attractive to them, is taken back to
the colony, and kills the lot. This one is even supposed to be effective
against fire ants. You may find it necessary to dampen the powder or
granules to make it attractive to the critters.


--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"Bob Walsh" wrote in message
. ..
Mix a very small amount of Borax (20 mule team) with some powdered sugar
and put where the ants will find it (not in your plants). The ants will
find it and carry it back to the nest. In a few days no more ants.

Bob


"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
...
It's called Orange Guard. Don't spray it on the flowers. It's a citrus
oil based product, and it's sticky. They say to spray it on top of the
medium. They also say it kills on contact, which it does. But it leaves a
heavy sticky residue. Frank sprayed it on the floor when we had a brief
influx of ants in the house. What a mess to clean up. No more interior
ants, but I think it's because they are frightened of getting their feet
stuck to the stuff!

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
It's been my experience that ants carry scale and other diseases to my
orchids, so I try to get rid of the ants. But Cymbidiums grow out doors
(at least around here) so its difficult to know how to get rid of them.
There's this orange oil spray you can get in stores that seems to be
effective in getting rid of ants without the use of pesticides. My next
ant attack I'm going to try it.

K Barrett
"Uncle_vito" wrote in message
...
Are ants harmful to cymbidiums?

If so, is spraying with an insecticide a bad thing to do.

What would you recommend.

Thanks