Are ants harmful to cymbidiums?
If so, is spraying with an insecticide a bad thing to do.
What would you recommend.
Thanks
- posted
16 years ago
Cymbidiums with ants
Loading thread data ...
- Vote on answer
- posted
16 years ago
It's been my experience that ants carry scale and other diseases to my orchids, so I try to get rid of the ants. But Cymbidiums grow out doors (at least around here) so its difficult to know how to get rid of them. There's this orange oil spray you can get in stores that seems to be effective in getting rid of ants without the use of pesticides. My next ant attack I'm going to try it.
- Vote on answer
- posted
16 years ago
It's called Orange Guard. Don't spray it on the flowers. It's a citrus oil based product, and it's sticky. They say to spray it on top of the medium. They also say it kills on contact, which it does. But it leaves a heavy sticky residue. Frank sprayed it on the floor when we had a brief influx of ants in the house. What a mess to clean up. No more interior ants, but I think it's because they are frightened of getting their feet stuck to the stuff!
Diana
- Vote on answer
- posted
16 years ago
Mix a very small amount of Borax (20 mule team) with some powdered sugar and put where the ants will find it (not in your plants). The ants will find it and carry it back to the nest. In a few days no more ants.
Bob