Fire ants and Containerized plants.

It seems like every time place another potted plant outdoors, it gets invaded by fire ants, despite the fact that we broadcast fire-ant granules around our entire property--which hasn't been as effective this year, as it was last year. We still get the occasional mound here and there, and even my indoor potted plants have been invaded on occasion.

The trouble with fire ants in plant containers is that they aren't always visible until I repot the plant. Talk about a good reason to wear gloves!

For my outdoor, non-edible container plants, I have tried using the same granules we use for spot-treating mounds. So far, this seems to work.

The question is, what to do about indoor containers, and containers with edible plants--especially those herbs and veggies? I have used fire ant granules in small amounts in my indoor containers, but I dont' know if that's really even a good idea, and I'd certainly prefer to try something less toxic.

A friend of mine says that she has had good success using cornmeal in her vegetable garden. She gets it in bulk at her local feed store. The advantage here is that it is cheap and non-toxic. The disadvantage is that it does not always work instantly. I have yet to try this method for myself.

On this gardenweb.com discussion forum, other suggestions include molasses, instant grits, orange oil, diatomaceous earth, and even coffee grounds. One person suggests a Green Light product that contains spinosad. I have no idea if that is safe for use in indoor pots.

Here is another forum, with a discussion of containerized fire ant situations.


More on this issue as it develops...


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A note for those Central and South Coast Californians who drop by this blog occasionally:

Imported fire ants appear to be gaining a foothold in parts of your region as well, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Quarantine areas include parts of Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. A friend of mine says that she has seen them active in San Luis Obispo County as well. For more information on fire ant quarantine areas in Calfornia, go to the CDFA website.