Eradicating Leaf Cutter Ant Mound?

[Butch50]

I have a leaf cutter ant mount growing on my property. At the moment it covers about 500 SF of area.

Any ideas on how to eradicate?

Thanks!

[Hack]

A couple gallons of foreshots and a match?



I know, I know, how irresponsible of me to even suggest it...



but it still sounds like fun doesn't it?

[Husker]

I always thought black powder packed into bb gun CO2 cartridges would be more fun. However, foreshot, or any hi proof burning those little beasts sounds fun also.

H.

[Dnderhead]

don't thank that whould work up to 8 feet in the ground and covers a vast area, they eat mold that they grow on the leaves, maybe a fungicide
so thy could not "grow" there food?

[goose eye]

kill the queen
ole timey disiston/orthene if you can get worked good on bacca
call county extention agent

so im tole

[BW Redneck]

This might help a little. http://citybugs.tamu.edu/FastSheets/Ent-1029.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow.

[Butch50]

Love the explosive ideas! Unfortunately too close to the house. My Uncle once poured gasoline down a hole he saw a rattlesnake go into, then lit a match at it. Blew a crater in the ground under his feet and knocked him flying. Killed the snake though.

Anyone ever try, or heard of, hooking a hose to a tractor exhaust and pushing exhaust fumes down the holes? I was also thinking maybe of hooking up a water hose and a bleach dispenser to flood them with a high concentration of chlorine solution.

[BW Redneck]

Anyone ever try, or heard of, hooking a hose to a tractor exhaust and pushing exhaust fumes down the holes? I was also thinking maybe of hooking up a water hose and a bleach dispenser to flood them with a high concentration of chlorine solution.

My dad always used to do that with groundhogs. It would either kill them or force them out of their second hole with the exhaust, where somebody would be standing by to shoot it.
[off_topic] If you also have a problem with groundhogs (woodchucks), take a leak at their tunnel entrance. They hate the smell of human urine.[/off_topic]

If you go through with the bleach idea, you could make some nasty chlorine gas or a few chloramines by pouring vinegar or ammonia (or both) down the holes first. I wouldn't try this if it was extremely close to the house, though, and I wouldn't do it around neighbors .

[Tater]

Have ya tried pouring sevins dust in and around mound?Ive used it for years with good results.

[Butch50]

If you go through with the bleach idea, you could make some nasty chlorine gas or a few chloramines by pouring vinegar or ammonia (or both) down the holes first. I wouldn't try this if it was extremely close to the house, though, and I wouldn't do it around neighbors .

Oh, I LIKE that idea! It is about 75 feet from the house, is that far enough? I thought of bleach because the cutter ants actually live off of a fungus that they grow on the cut leafs that they carry in. Bleach eradicates fungi, no fungi no food, no food no ants. Or so goes my logic...

Have ya tried pouring sevins dust in and around mound?Ive used it for years with good results.

Actually put Sevin dust around about half of the holes in the mound last weekend, haven't been back yet to see if that worked. I ran out of dust before I ran out of mound, if it is working I will get more dust and do it all. For the half I didn't dust I used an ant bait poison, but since they live off of the fungi I am not expecting much from that.

I am pre-supposing that the colony mound is all inter-connected, but it may not be. The exhaust fumes idea might show their inter-connectedness if I put a bit of oil in the gas to make it smoke, and see where the smoke comes out....

[BW Redneck]

Oh, I LIKE that idea! It is about 75 feet from the house, is that far enough? I thought of bleach because the cutter ants actually live off of a fungus that they grow on the cut leafs that they carry in. Bleach eradicates fungi, no fungi no food, no food no ants. Or so goes my logic...

75 feet should be enough, if you do it on a day when the house is upwind.