Tomato Plant & Fire Ants?

AlittleSalt · April 4, 2017

This one is long. There is a real question as the title implies - and it is an experiment. I really like experimenting with plants.

Late last fall, there was a volunteer tomato plant that I dug up with the intent to see if I could overwinter it just for something to do. It died a few weeks after transplant. I had transplanted it in potting mix in a 3-4 gallon pot. It served two purposes - I didn't know what to do with the odd sized pot, and I got to use up some potting mix that I really didn't care for. (A personal opinion - so I won't mention a brand name). Anyway, I left the pot out thinking I would just dump the potting mix in the compost bin or something like that eventually. (I was being lazy from lack of interest.) That's the history of the pot and planting mix.

Two days ago, I was going through backup tomato plants when I thought, "Why not plant one in that pot?" I watered the plant in the party cup and went to plant it. Stuck my hand shovel in the potting mix and quickly saw that pot was full of fire ants! So I planted the tomato plant anyway.

Anyone who has fireants can tell you the dangers of them. For anyone who has not encountered a fireant - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ant sort of explains them.

I looked at it right at sundown tonight, and that tomato plant looks better/healthier than it ever did in the party cup. It brings up a lot of questions and ideas.

Could those fire ants be providing air to the roots by their burrowing?
Is that air a good thing for the tomato plant roots?
Can I compare what an ant colony is doing to what earthworms do?

frankcar1965 · April 4, 2017

At my old house where I sometimes had the mounds pop up in the lawn I often thought that the grass coming out of that mound was awfully green. So there must be something to it, perhaps their excrement? Or maybe they are stockpiling organic matter of some kind. This would be something interesting for an expert to expound on. I thought maybe I was just imagining it, but maybe not.

Worth1 · April 4, 2017

One of my containers has fire ants living in it too.
The problem starts when you start messing with the plant and they boil up and cover it and you.

Worth

gssgarden · April 5, 2017

Tomato plant or not, I see NO good reason to keep those little #@&%$'s around!!! lol

Greg

jillian · April 5, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by gssgarden

Tomato plant or not, I see NO good reason to keep those little #@&%$'s around!!! lol

Greg

I agree. For some reason they just love it here. Last year I had a container tomato plant that was failing miserably. I saw no evidence of them in container no mound at all . I finally cut it off at base of stem and to my dismay the stem was hollow and full of fire ants. Didn't know that was possible .

I am trying a product called "surrender" currently. Just a teaspoon per mound. We shall see.

GreenFarmer · April 5, 2017

wow sounds like a scary pest

Sun City Linda · April 5, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

One of my containers has fire ants living in it too.
The problem starts when you start messing with the plant and they boil up and cover it and you.

Worth

Been there done that. One of the few times I had garden gloves on. Turned a fairly small pot out into my hand and howdy do that was my introduction to fire ants. I ended up with some bites but it could have been SO much worse.

SteveP · April 5, 2017

In 2007 my FIL passed away in AZ and we drove out to attend. Crossing NM we were out in wide open spaces. I was taking a break from driving and sitting barefooted in the back seat while my oldest son drove. I had to pee and asked my son to pull over and I stepped out unzipped and began to relieve myself. I look down and I was surrounded by fire ants, barefooted and had a lot more liquid to pass. At the same time, my son decides it would be funny to drive off and leave me standing there. He is 1/4 mile away when here comes another car. I was in a bad spot and all I can say is it wasn't pretty.

frankcar1965 · April 6, 2017

Supposedly ants don't eat plants but that does not stop them from building mounds around the stems and I sure doing something with the roots that is not good. I have seen them build a mound overnight. They absolutely love the pine straw that I mulch heavily with, I'm going to have to use something to stop them.

creister · April 6, 2017

mix 2oz of molasses and 2 oz. of orange oil in a gallon of water and pour into center of mound and drench the whole mound. Bye Bye fire ants.

hornstrider · April 7, 2017

creister ................does it kill them, or just move them.

creister · April 10, 2017

Kill them. Orange oil will dissolve the exoskeleton, and molasses will stimulate soil bacteria to increase and will be able to attack and kill the ants since exoskeleton is gone. That is how it was explained to me.

I had ant mounds by two of my plants. I treated them with the above method. Ants are gone, but plants are slower developing than the others. I believe the extra moisture from the solution caused some over watering. Leaves are light green.

OzoneNY · April 10, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenFarmer

wow sounds like a scary pest

bite your head off

Spartanburg123 · April 12, 2017

Salt- I think you are right on all counts! The tunnels through the root system will certainly increase the porosity of the medium, letting air and nutrients in. It will also improve the drainage.

Most importantly, fire ants are carnivorous- and foragers! They bring organic food into that nest at night, and also produce organic waste. It's a win win! At least, until you do like Worth said, and cover yourself with them.

jillian · April 12, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartanburg123

Salt- I think you are right on all counts! The tunnels through the root system will certainly increase the porosity of the medium, letting air and nutrients in. It will also improve the drainage.

Most importantly, fire ants are carnivorous- and foragers! They bring organic food into that nest at night, and also produce organic waste. It's a win win! At least, until you do like Worth said, and cover yourself with them.

Did a Google search. Fire ants are omnivorous. Which explains why I had them living inside tomato plant stem. Perhaps the plant was ill and sent them an invite. When I dumped the pot it was inundated with them. I hate these critters. Glad to report the surrender is working. I am on a mission, determined to get rid of them.

April 4, 2017	#1
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Tomato Plant & Fire Ants? This one is long. There is a real question as the title implies - and it is an experiment. I really like experimenting with plants. Late last fall, there was a volunteer tomato plant that I dug up with the intent to see if I could overwinter it just for something to do. It died a few weeks after transplant. I had transplanted it in potting mix in a 3-4 gallon pot. It served two purposes - I didn't know what to do with the odd sized pot, and I got to use up some potting mix that I really didn't care for. (A personal opinion - so I won't mention a brand name). Anyway, I left the pot out thinking I would just dump the potting mix in the compost bin or something like that eventually. (I was being lazy from lack of interest.) That's the history of the pot and planting mix. Two days ago, I was going through backup tomato plants when I thought, "Why not plant one in that pot?" I watered the plant in the party cup and went to plant it. Stuck my hand shovel in the potting mix and quickly saw that pot was full of fire ants! So I planted the tomato plant anyway. Anyone who has fireants can tell you the dangers of them. For anyone who has not encountered a fireant - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ant sort of explains them. I looked at it right at sundown tonight, and that tomato plant looks better/healthier than it ever did in the party cup. It brings up a lot of questions and ideas. Could those fire ants be providing air to the roots by their burrowing? Is that air a good thing for the tomato plant roots? Can I compare what an ant colony is doing to what earthworms do?

April 4, 2017	#2
frankcar1965 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NW Louisiana Posts: 89	At my old house where I sometimes had the mounds pop up in the lawn I often thought that the grass coming out of that mound was awfully green. So there must be something to it, perhaps their excrement? Or maybe they are stockpiling organic matter of some kind. This would be something interesting for an expert to expound on. I thought maybe I was just imagining it, but maybe not.

April 4, 2017	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	One of my containers has fire ants living in it too. The problem starts when you start messing with the plant and they boil up and cover it and you. Worth

April 5, 2017	#4
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,827	Tomato plant or not, I see NO good reason to keep those little #@&%$'s around!!! lol Greg

April 5, 2017	#6
GreenFarmer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: under my greenhouse Posts: 40	wow sounds like a scary pest

April 5, 2017	#8
SteveP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 1,398	In 2007 my FIL passed away in AZ and we drove out to attend. Crossing NM we were out in wide open spaces. I was taking a break from driving and sitting barefooted in the back seat while my oldest son drove. I had to pee and asked my son to pull over and I stepped out unzipped and began to relieve myself. I look down and I was surrounded by fire ants, barefooted and had a lot more liquid to pass. At the same time, my son decides it would be funny to drive off and leave me standing there. He is 1/4 mile away when here comes another car. I was in a bad spot and all I can say is it wasn't pretty.

April 6, 2017	#9
frankcar1965 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NW Louisiana Posts: 89	Supposedly ants don't eat plants but that does not stop them from building mounds around the stems and I sure doing something with the roots that is not good. I have seen them build a mound overnight. They absolutely love the pine straw that I mulch heavily with, I'm going to have to use something to stop them.

April 6, 2017	#10
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	mix 2oz of molasses and 2 oz. of orange oil in a gallon of water and pour into center of mound and drench the whole mound. Bye Bye fire ants.

April 7, 2017	#11
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	creister ................does it kill them, or just move them.

April 10, 2017	#12
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Kill them. Orange oil will dissolve the exoskeleton, and molasses will stimulate soil bacteria to increase and will be able to attack and kill the ants since exoskeleton is gone. That is how it was explained to me. I had ant mounds by two of my plants. I treated them with the above method. Ants are gone, but plants are slower developing than the others. I believe the extra moisture from the solution caused some over watering. Leaves are light green.

April 12, 2017	#14
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	Salt- I think you are right on all counts! The tunnels through the root system will certainly increase the porosity of the medium, letting air and nutrients in. It will also improve the drainage. Most importantly, fire ants are carnivorous- and foragers! They bring organic food into that nest at night, and also produce organic waste. It's a win win! At least, until you do like Worth said, and cover yourself with them.