Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all.

I'm currently fighting a battle against ants. They seem quite fond of my setup. Pesky buggers.

I found a product in bunnings that's a physical ant/climbing bug barrier. It's a grease on the back of a wax paper of sorts. It's supposed to stop the ants climbing up it.

Since all my GB's are raised, it's pretty easy to apply a grease to the legs.

Does anybody know what sort of grease would have been used? It's extremely sticky, had to rub my fingers with oil, then detergent to get it off.

I've been using copper tape on the legs to keep the snails/slugs out, and so far it seems very effective. I haven't seen one, just plenty of caterpillars and ants.

Try Vicks vapour rub not much will challenge it , I use it on pieces of 90mm down pipe to keep raiders off seedlings in the ground garden .

Follow them home and deal with them ..

normal grease or vaseline should do too, which ever is cheapest.

If the ants are moving in, have a good look around, especially under leaves they have been visiting, for Aphid, White Fly, etc, larvae.

I might try vicks. I'm pretty sure I have some at home!

I've checked for the things they like to bring in. So far nothing, but I want to keep it that way.

I've gone through an entire bottle of ant rid over the last month, and they've eaten it all up. They'll go away for a few days, then they are back again in force.

I get a few ants in my GB's occasionally so about once every 2 or 3 months I flood each bed by putting a cap on top of my stand pipes and letting the water come up 20mm above my gravel.

then I cut off the water supply to the bed and leave it flooded for 10 minutes or so. I have even used the hose to blast the dead or swimming bugs off the top and over the side that fixes the right up for a while.

All you need to do is make a barrier. Beekeepers put the legs of the table in question in coffee cans or other larger-than-leg vessel. Fill with a couple inches of motor oil or some sort of barrier (not water). Ant problem over.

I like your thinking Ben!

I might have to try that. It should be a pretty easy way to do it!

I use diatamecous earth (spelling checker hated that word ), it works wonders.

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