Okay, so how do you garden...

[Rajah]

...when you're under doctor's orders to avoid anything that might put you in the path of fire ants? It's impossible to go outside without running into fire ants here, but there's *got* to be a happy medium so we can still have a pretty yard but I won't be putting myself at risk every time I try to work on the garden.

My mom suggested making sure everything we plant is a bush-type so I'm rarely around the ground once the plant grows a bit. And I'm planning to ask DH to poison for fire ants every few weeks and every time about an hour before I try to do anything outside.

Any other suggestions? I may just have to give up on the idea of a neat garden.

 

[Snowwark]

Awww...I'm sorry Rajah, that must be very frustrating. I really don't know what to suggest other than going for as low maintenance a garden as possible. Does your DH enjoy gardening?

 

[Helopoh]

Rajah that stinks but I can say this I know that they make stuff to get rid of the ants so you may have a chance as long as you can afford to use it often enough to keep them at bay...Those ants are nasty little buggers...Keep your chin up a solution will come.

 

[Rajah]

Unfortunately, my DH does not like to garden. Not yet, anyway. He may like it once he gets started because he does have a bit of a green thumb.

And, also unfortunately, that poison you use for fire ants typically only gets rid of 90% or so of them (maybe a little more) and rarely *really* lasts more than a week during the high fire-ant season.

 

[yasuern]

Hi Rajah,
I live in MA so I know nothing of fire ants - but here is a link that seems to have some info - Sorry if you already have it -
http://fireant.tamu.edu/

 

[Mamu]

Rajah so sorry to hear this, I also no nothing about fire ants. I would hire a professional exterminator. They know how to deal with the ants. Once they have treated the yard there may be something you can use that isn't so toxic on a regular schedule to keep them away. Good Luck!

Once the spring arrives I garden everyday.