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addison Il

me and sis peeled back the black plastic to check if the ground was good to go and low and behold lots and lots of big black ants had made there homes known they where everwhere like one of those horror movies where they attack inocent girls well as we where obseving right next to one of there many holes i saw lots of red buggies never have i seen these things before they looked like ants only red and small very small. What can we do to get rid of the ants in the patch and what do ants do thats bad to our plants we spread grubex all over are patch so why do we still have the ants im not getting it at all and our plants will be moved outside in the patch may 10 can you guys help me figure a solution before i plants on what to do and what exactly am i dealing with what are those red buggies?? thanks to all sorry for being a pest me and sis really appreciated your help and may you always grow em big.... tracy

5/4/2006 3:18:06 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Ants won't hurt a pumpkin unless we're talking about those rainforest leaf cutter ants.....but....probably not in Addison.

Merit wouldn't do much harm to ants. Merit is PLANT SYSTEMIC & since the ants aren't eating plants....

Now that the plastic is removed the ants will probably just move on their own.

SOME ants should not be permitted to dwell near a structure. Carpenter ants especially. But you woukd probably need to catch one & show it to a local entomologist or a Pro Pest Control Operator for a positive ID. 99.999% of the US population cannot properly identify a Carpenter ant.

Red buggies???? Are they mites? Squish one with your finger on a piece of white paper. Does it leave a red streak? Is it big like an ant or smaller than a pin head?

5/4/2006 7:15:01 PM

addison Il

a little bigger then a pin head they look like fire ants but a tomato red in color and there near the ants holes. thanks for the info on ants it helps to have peaple like you too ease my mind.. thanks

5/5/2006 12:35:59 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I would keep an eye on them for now. There is a medium sized brown ant that cultivates aphids. It isn't too ealy in IL to be seeing aphids. Merit does control them....but slowly. So if aphid populations & medium sized brown ants start to frequent the patch, a contact insect spray might be justified. BUT ASK FIRST! Seedlings are very sensitive to sprays!

5/5/2006 7:55:40 AM