NEW to gardening Please Help

[JustThinking]

I am really new to gardening and just starting to break soil today with a ton of seeds in hand

I have a ton of little black ants in my bed. I have read that I can kill them with red pepper and paprika, although can't find a mixture recipe. Any advice???

[Dillbert]

>>advice

yup, foo-get-abbout'da'ants.

the most problem ants cause is "aphid farming" - ants like the sticky sweet residue left over by aphids - since you have no plants yet, "aphid farming" is hardly an issue.

not all bugs are bad and require immediate actions to kill deader than dead.

[DoubleDogFarm]

justThinking, (I try that once, hurt to much)

Like Dillbert, I would concentrate on the soil building and raised beds. Healthy plants is a good way to fight insects and diseases.

[GardenJester]

/channeling the inner stoned hippy

accumulate some good karma, man. All life are one, live and let live, man.

save up the good Karma so you can do some truly sadistic killing of slugs.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Well, I need to play the duck card again. What Slugs!

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02045.jpg[/img]

[GardenJester]

mmm... Yeah... I think my neighbors would have a fit if I start raising ducks on my property. After seeing me in my PJs armed with a salt shaker doing my early morning slug patrol, they already think I'm kind of "off".

[JustThinking]

Thanks everyone!!! I won't worry about the ants So far haven't seen a slug

I am sure I will be back tomorrow with more questions

[britzplc]

I just started my garden as well there are a couple catepillars but thats about it thus far. my veggies havent even sprouted yet. I am just worried about the squirrels.

[JustThinking]

I just started my garden as well there are a couple catepillars but thats about it thus far. my veggies havent even sprouted yet. I am just worried about the squirrels.

Well I am not one to take advice from, although someone told me you could put chicken wire over your seeds or around your garden bed to keep the squirrels out.

[emijean]

I also have a lot of black ants tunneling at one end of my garden. Haven't put any plants in yet but I read that spraying cold peppermint tea deters ants so I'm gonna try that later.

Good luck
Emily

[rainbowgardener]

The peppermint tea should work, cold or hot, IF it is really strong of peppermint.

I agree that the ants are harmless and are helping aerate your soil. If they become a real nuisance, here are some thoughts about ant control:

One category is powdery things that clog up their spiracles (breathing pores), if they try to walk over them. This includes chalk line, baby powder, cleanser powder (like comet), bone meal. Make a ring of powder around what you want to keep them away from and they won't cross it.

Another category is strong smelling things, including vinegar, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, peppermint oil or other mints, cloves, garlic. Sprinkle your strong smelling stuff on and around what you want to protect from the ants. (Be careful with the vinegar, don't put it on your plants, it can burn or even kill them, if directly on the plant)

Then there are ways to kill the ants if you are feeling more aggressive (they definitely don't like that): pouring boiling water down into the ant hill, diatomaceous earth around what you are protecting, boric acid powder, and theoretically, put a dish of raw cream of wheat out. Supposedly they eat it and it swells up inside them and they explode. For all I know this this one is an old wives tale, but it might be interesting to try... exploding ants!

Then people have suggested windex + ivory soap, Shakely's Basic H, and simple green. I'm not sure which category these fall in...

[Tigerlilylynn]

Would it work to use a peppermint extract diluted in water or added to the tea to amp up the mint?

[rainbowgardener]

Should work!