Ants Eating My Strawberries...

[KevsFarm]

This yr for the first time, ants are eating my strawberries, even ones that are just starting to get a little bit of red.
Is there a non-toxic treatment to rid my strawberry patch of ants..? I've never used any poisons on my land and don't want to start now.
Their small,less than a 1/4 in. brown ants, don't know exactly what type, but they sure have a sweet tooth. They are the same ones that get into my figs just as they ripen.thanks...

 

[digitS']

If you don't want to use anything toxic, maybe disturbing their nests and pouring boiling water on them will be enough.

There are organic controls for ants but they are toxic, also.

Steve

 

[KevsFarm]

Thanks Steve...man i'm gonna need alot of boiling water..! Those ants seem to have popped up everywhere..

 

[vfem]

I sprinkled some DE and Oyster shell when I was having issues with ants and slugs on my berries. Long as it was dry it drove them all away. After some rain the slugs returned, but not the ants. If that helps?

If it ever stops raining I will sprinkle more oyster shell.

 

[KevsFarm]

Vfem....i didn't know DE works on ants, i have some , will try . Were expecting rain as well, i'll wait until the suns out and things dry up.thanks..

 

[hoodat]

I've been having trouble with ants in my squash blossoms. They get in there to harvest the pollen and drive the pollinators away. I wouldn't mind if they went from blossom to blossom so they'd do some pollinating but they just go to one blossom at a time till they clean it out.
I'll give the DE a try.

 

[vfem]

I am not sure if it was one of the other... I did both... Let me know if the DE wasn't the one that worked so I don't waste anymore! LOL

 

[KevsFarm]

Since i have'nt any oyster shell, i'll see what happens with DE first.
Does the oyster shell you used come finely ground.. ? I know DE are tiny razor sharp tiny shells, which resemble a powder and cut up the bodies of targeted insects.
I was just wondering what/how the oyster shell does to its vitmins...?

 

[vfem]

Well the oyster shell I use is not finely ground, some small and large chunks are in it. I haven't seen any affect to the berries themselves... but it really kept the snails and slugs OFF the plants for sure.

 

[simple life]

I have used DE but have never used oyster shell.
Its not that jagged like the de and its much larger.
There is alot of stuff on the market advertised as oyster shell but is actually calcium chips but it looks the same and does the same thing.
The only thing I have heard it used for in the garden is to add calcium to the soil.