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Ants

I'm having a great crop this year. I'm not complaining but there are so many I can't pick then fast enough. In getting a lot of ants on and in the figs . How can I stop the ants. The season is almost over in New Jersey. Nights getting cold. Please info for next season

tanglefoot maybe?  depending on the number of trunks as far as practicality.

Organza bags applied tightly keep the ants off the fig. 
When the fig is ripe the ants still come and hover around the bag letting you know it is time to pick it.

Try a one inch layer of Vaseline on the main trunk, and re-do it if it gets washed off

As you see a lot of ways. i spread diatomaceous earth at the base of the tree. If they touch it, they have 9 hours at most to live. I use it mostly to combat the SWD fruit fly, comes in handy for the ants. I have a dust sprayer. I spray all around the figs. Works great for me. Disadvantages are that is stops working when wet, and so is not great for this time of year. You have one day because of morning dew. For ants that is all you need. SWD another story. Wear a mask when using, otherwise completely safe, even to eat. I use food grade, although I have no plans to eat any. Some people do!
Bait stations is another fairly low toxic method with borax, you can make your own with Borax soap. They work well too.

Its a battle especially with open eyes figs.
Organzas do the work ,all other stuff I tried failed.

Tanglefoot for ants. Make sure to wrap the trunk before application.

Navid.

Thanks I will try al suggestions next year. All I have left are some figs that probley will not ripping before the first frost I don't see any warm weather in the near future.

Quote:
Originally Posted by elin
Its a battle especially with open eyes figs. Organzas do the work ,all other stuff I tried failed.


Maybe it works, but I have 700 figs ripening. Maybe if i quit my job I would have time. OK, so I don't have 700 ripening, but you get the point. Also I heard of some saying they got through organza. Probably not put on right. Here the ants are those small ants, they can't get through?

Hi,
Use Lime brushed on the trunks and sprinkled around the trunks. You could add or use coffee grounds too.
Last year I ran out of used coffee grounds and used cheap powdered coffee from the bag ( powdered coffee that was not used/ was new ) .
It helps, doesn't get rid of all the ants, but at least is safe to use.
The only problem is rain then ...
My neighbor thinks that salt help with ants. You need to put the salt a bit away from the trees in the walkways for instance . Salt is a weed killer so be careful when using it.
But I use salt in the walkways (I use big grained salt). It is a good weed killer, a good slug and snail killer , and apparently works with ants too ... And if a child gets some ... well it is just salt .
I don't have sheep, goats nor cows .... Those might clean the salt :) .

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