ant problems

aland · #1 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 03:30 PM

I wonder if any one has any knowledge on ant infestation, We had a lot of rabbits, Still a few now, The thing is we now have dozens of ant nests, I seem to remember that they follow rabbits because of their urine is this true and how do we deal with this problem in our hay field, We did have green wood peckers until this spring but i have only seen two all year, thanks, aland

Meta menardi · #2 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 03:50 PM

Is the problem due to soil contamination of the mown grass, or just too many ants?

charlieb · #3 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 03:53 PM

Why would too many ants be a problem?

Meta menardi · #4 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlieb

Why would too many ants be a problem?

I think that it is important to define the problem more closely.

aland · #5 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 05:38 PM

Hi thanks for taking interest, The problem is ant hills end up in the hay bales as well as causing trouble turning the hay this inturn sticks together making it a night mare to work, One or two would not matter but forty or more drives you mad at the time of making and in the winter when trying to feed it, We had a lot of green wood peckers until this year but no more they were lovely, aland

Meta menardi · #6 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 09:02 PM

So we are talking about soill contamination of your crop. I can't see what you can do this year, as the ant heaps are already there. Do you think it will be more a case of sorting out next years hay?

aland · #7 (**permalink**) 10-08-2009, 04:25 PM

That,s right when you open bails the wads tend to stick together, The contractor does not like mowing them up as he tends to travel quite fast i expect it shocks the mower heads a bit, I feel sure there is a connection with rabbits, We have been lucky to have had four fox cubs born in the hay shed this year it is surprising the number of rabbits and rats the Vixen as caught and of course we are happy that a natural predator as delt with them as i love rabbits but they cost us a lot in lost grazing and hay, aland.

Meta menardi · #8 (**permalink**) 10-08-2009, 06:12 PM

I wonder if it is more a case of, rabbits like sandy soil, so do ants. Apart from harrowing to pull down the heaps, I can't think of much you can do without being very radical and probably not very green. Little old ants have the upper hand when it comes to doing what ants do. I wonder if you could get some advice from a local wildlife trust, they probably know your area very well.

charlieb · #9 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 10:00 AM

Too many to manually demolish before the hay cut (or you can't see them before it's too late

)? Drive over them maybe?

What about a higher cut? Ant hills don't tend to get that high (except wood ants)?

aland · #10 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 09:27 PM

Thanks for the replies, Our ground is far from sandy real heavy clay and this is the problem it sticks and goes like concrete in the bales, In the winter we are throwing the great lumps at one another, when the ants were in the paddocks we graze it was not so bad as the green wood peckers got quite friendly we could get within twenty feet of them but they appear to have vanished it must have been the winter, We are surrounded by woods on all sides i do not know if they have found better feed elsewhere, aland.

PS perhaps we could visit a zoo some where and borrow a anteater,