I have a sago palm that flowered last year, and now a new set of fronds are beginning to emerge in the middle of the opened flower. I decided I needed to pull off as much as possible of the flower remnants to allow the fronds to grow/spread. However, once I started pulling pieces off I have run into carpenter ants. What could I use to spray the ants without hurting the sago palm/new frond growth? See pic. Thanks!!
Hello Feebysowner,
I was going to suggest an ant bait that I have used very successfully, but you might be able to just blast all that earthy stuff away with a hose nozzle. Adjust the nozzle for a fairly fine jet to blast away the earthy material and leave just the plant. By using just water you don't need to worry about the possible unintended consequences of using a toxic material.
ZM
Yeah, I was hoping not to move the carpenter ants to another location in the yard. By blasting that earthy material away with water, the ants will be scrambling all over the rest of the yard. I am sure there are more ants in the yard in other places anyway, but was hoping to at least get rid of the ones in the palm.
Hello Feebysowner,
" I was hoping not to move the carpenter ants to another location in the yard. "
Those ants aren't intelligent enough to know where your property lines are, so you don't know that they would move to another location in your yard.
" By blasting that earthy material away with water, the ants will be scrambling all over the rest of the yard. "
Once again, those ants don't know what is your yard, and what isn't, and that "scrambling thing" is just a theory on your part. If it happens that the ants are all over your yard, they will be spread so thin that you probably won't notice them anyway.
We are assuming that your identification of those ants as carpenter ants is correct. If it happens that they are fire ants instead, which is a possibility in your location, then all bets are off, and you would be in danger of multiple stings just for disturbing them.
ZM
I would try this "TERRO T600 Ant Dust - Kills fire ants, carpenter ants, cockroaches, spiders." It is cheap and long lastings.
It says you can use it roses and ornamentals. Read the directions and see if it is plausible. I prefer things that you do not have to spay because I always get it all over myself.
If you put in kill carpenter ants on Amazon tons of insecticides come up.
https://smile.amazon.com/TERRO-T600-Ant-Killer-Dust/dp/B001B1KH1Y/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=kill+carpenter+ants&qid=1554611430&s=gateway&sr=8-6
Zen_Man - ?? Whether they move to some other location in my yard, or another yard, the point was not to move them at all, but to kill them. And, based on past experience there are far more of them than just a few that will 'disappear into the landscape' - whose ever landscape that might be.
Trust me, I live in Florida, I most certainly know the difference between a carpenter and a fire ant, as well as crazy ants, black ants, etc.
I would try this "TERRO T600 Ant Dust - Kills fire ants, carpenter ants, cockroaches, spiders." It is cheap and long lastings.
It says you can use it roses and ornamentals. Read the directions and see if it is plausible. I prefer things that you do not have to spay because I always get it all over myself.
If you put in kill carpenter ants on Amazon tons of insecticides come up.
https://smile.amazon.com/TERRO-T600-Ant-Killer-Dust/dp/B001B1KH1Y/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=kill+carpenter+ants&qid=1554611430&s=gateway&sr=8-6
