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Fire Ants Under Weed Mat

S

SwampCat

5 year old buck +
We may not have voles, rats, mice, or rabbits - but anything covered by weed mat is soon colonized by fire ants. I dont think the granule ant poison would kill a young tree with a single application - but with the weed mat - I have to apply several times a year. Has anyone experienced tree loss due to ant poison. I am also a little concerned about uptake by the roots and concentrating in the fruit.

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Valid considerations that I dont have an answer for

Ant poison is a permanent fixture in the bed of the mule

I use liberally in my orchard as well as pond shores ,driveway, porch,sidewalks,etc

bill
 
Ca not speak for apple trees, but terro granule ant killer works great at hunting camp. No trees or grass dies where I shake it. Had problems with ants eating the cabin. I sprinkle lightly in the spring and never see an ant since.
 
I guess I would use Sevin and just retreat when needed.
 
When some of my trees were in pots, I would occasionally get ants in the pots. Local nursery recommended using Permectrin II. It lasts for about 30 days and it didnt harm the trees any. I would recommend stiring the ant pile up and then spraying. I got a better kill from doing this.
 
Do the fire ants harm the tree in anyway? Seems like they would act like a standing army to protect the young tree and should be promoted if they cause no harm.
 
b116757 said:
Do the fire ants harm the tree in anyway? Seems like they would act like a standing army to protect the young tree and should be promoted if they cause no harm.
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I have had a few young - less than 3/4” diameter - girdled by the fireants. Nothing else damages our trees - we dont have rats, mice, voles, or rabbits. They will keep building the mound to the point there is no basin around the tree and water then runs off away from the tree
 
SwampCat said:
I have had a few young - less than 3/4” diameter - girdled by the fireants. Nothing else damages our trees - we dont have rats, mice, voles, or rabbits. They will keep building the mound to the point there is no basin around the tree and water then runs off away from the tree
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They will turn a tree tube into a "high rise!!!"

bill
 
Wow glad I don’t have them.
 
I have no experience with fire ants but this is the stuff at work we use to kill regular ants because it’s quite effective.

www.ortho.com

Ortho® Orthene® Fire Ant Killer1

Kills the queen and destroys the mound! For best results, apply when fire ants are active. Applications made under prolonged hot and dry conditions may be ineffective due to location of ants deep in the nest.
www.ortho.com www.ortho.com
 
I dont have any trouble killing them - or at least displacing them. Problem is, that weed mat is like a welcome mat to an ant. Kill them and they are gone for a month before a new bunch moves in.
 
Any good or bad things for a weed mat? I was planning to use basic cheap landscaping fabric. You can see the random patterned fibers, also looks like a bit of fiberglass fiber crushed flat.

Put in white spruce, poplar, and white pine. Cut a 2ft square cardboard with a hole in the middle, covered it with mulch. The apple trees are not covered or mulched yet. Will do that after I come back from NC next week. Some young weeds highly outweigh me not bring my favorite fishing lures to topsail. Been a busy busy week with the trees.
 
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bigboreblr said:
Any good or bad things for a weed mat? I was planning to use basic cheap landscaping fabric. You can see the random patterned fibers, also looks like a bit of fiberglass fiber crushed flat.

Put in white spruce, poplar, and white pine. Cut a 2ft square cardboard with a hole in the middle, covered it with mulch. The apple trees are not covered or mulched yet. Will do that after I come back from NC next week. Some young weeds highly outweigh me not bring my favorite fishing lures to topsail. Been a busy busy week with the trees.
Click to expand...

Taggin in to this, is there consensus on using weed mats for apple trees? Luke at Midwest deer trees advised against them due to attracting miles and mice under them.
 
I have just cages them and let them be, and weed whip in the cages a couple times a year.
I have used old Sheetrock and lay it around the trees, and I have just started using weed mats and putting rock on top of the weed mats. I can’t tell you any is better then the other, but if I put weed mats on, and rock, I shouldn’t need to lift the cages and weed whip anymore. And that is more of what I am going towards, more work now, so there will be less work later.
 
I used Dewitt weed mats last year and again this year prior to last year I had not used them. I’ve had about 150 out since last year and I haven’t noticed any mice or vole damage yet but this is a pretty limited cross section of time and quantity to make any judgment calls. I do have a pretty healthy hawk population on the farm so they help my cause I’m sure. I do think I’m going to attempt to mow isle’s down my tree rows at least a couple times this summer and for sure in late fall to help out my hawk sentry’s out in their quest for a furry meal.
 
We dont have gound nesting animals so I cant comment on mice or voles living under the weed mat
 
We have used vinegar out of a pump sprayer before to keep ants out of places. It has something to do with the high acid content. Acid usually isn’t detrimental to fruit trees unless used in very large quantities (as far as I know). Ever try spraying some on the bottom side of the mat to see if it keeps them away?
 
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