Subject: Advice wanted: Ants in the Strawberry patch

From: [email-masked] (WillyL)
Date: 2 Apr 1995 19:19:23 -0400

Help fellow gardeners.  I have a nice bed of june-bearing strawberries
that is first coming into its own here in northern MA.  I thought I would
have problems with birds but no-  the problem is ants.  Small reddish ants
eat my strawberries just when they ripen.  They start a small hole then
quickly enlarge it.  The only advice I've received so far is to look for
ant holes and pour in boiling water.  Won't that hurt the plants.  Any
other safe no chem ideas before the season begins?
Bill Levy

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 03:44:54 GMT

>other safe no chem ideas before the season begins?

If the ant hill is in the strawberry bed, the boiling water will kill
the closest plants; but better that than losing your entire crop.

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (Natasha Elizabeth Dehn)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 01:24:30 GMT

WillyL ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Help fellow gardeners.  I have a nice bed of june-bearing strawberries
: that is first coming into its own here in northern MA.  I thought I would
: have problems with birds but no-  the problem is ants.  Small reddish ants
: eat my strawberries just when they ripen.  They start a small hole then
: quickly enlarge it.  The only advice I've received so far is to look for
: ant holes and pour in boiling water.  Won't that hurt the plants.  Any
: other safe no chem ideas before the season begins?
: Bill Levy

Hey Bill, if you come up with any good ideas, be sure to let me know!  
I've had exactly the same problem everyyear--first the blasted things 
herd their aphids unto the plants, then they eat the strawberries that 
manage to make it that far!!  Last year I bought some lacewing eggs to 
cut down on the aphid population and send the ants to better climes, but 
never saw any sign of the lacewings (yes, I know what they're supposed to 
look like as larvae).  I was told to try diatomaceous (sp?) earth against 
the ants, but for some reason, didn't.  Maybe that'll work?  All of my 
plants are going to be moved to new beds in a few weeks, where there are 
no established ant nests, so I'm _hoping_ that will take care of the 
problem.  I'll be curious to know if anyone else has this problem--I 
think I posted last year and no one had strawberry loving ants but me!
Good luck Bill!
Natasha

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 03:44:54 GMT

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (Natasha Elizabeth Dehn)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 01:24:30 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 03:44:54 GMT

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (Natasha Elizabeth Dehn)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 01:24:30 GMT