Hi all,

I’ve had multi probs trying to find you and register…. thanks to all that helped.

It’s been ages since I’ve logged into the gardening forum.. way before this new version., as I was without garden for 18 months or more
Anyway.. now I have a little vegie patch and need some help please.
My strawberries are growing beautifully and I am them growing through holes in thick plastic… they’re very happy – my problem is that as soon as the strawberries rippen the ants eat them :(
Any suggestions as to how I can manage this problem without chemicals ???

thanks
Misty

Hi Misty and welcome……

Can’t help you as I don’t grow strawberries. I am sure someone will be able to help you out though.

my problem is that as soon as the strawberries rippen the ants eat them :(
Any suggestions as to how I can manage this problem without chemicals ???
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Gotta wonder if the ants are doing the eating or slugs are doing it and ants are coming in the morning mopping up.

Hummm., well it’s just that the ants are all over the strawbs so I’m guessing they are the culprits.

Gosh that’s a curly one Misty. Ants don’t like water but I can’t imagine you building a moat round them! I can’t think of a way to solve this without chemicals, sorry. Welcome to the forum anyway. Someone else may come up with a bright idea, I’m all out of them.

Hi Lucky,

I used to write in regularly years ago, but you may not remember me… then I was registered as tadpole.

it’s just that the ants are all over the strawbs so I’m guessing they are the culprits.
++++++++
Yeah ants often get the blame for stuff they don’t do.
What do the éaten’strawberries look like. Do they have holes in them and o soft around the holes?

Hi Orchid.,
…. a moat., that’s cute :)…. I wonder if I could rig up mini ones

Misty3 said:

Hi Lucky,

I used to write in regularly years ago, but you may not remember me… then I was registered as tadpole.

HI ya Taddy:) Sure I remember you sweets:D Glad you found your way over here…..

I wonder if I could rig up mini ones
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
It’s not ants Misty. But a moat would keep the castle safe.

then I was registered as tadpole.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Are you a frog yet?

OK… tricky and technical…
just look nibbled but they manage to nibble most of the strawb !

Longy said:

I wonder if I could rig up mini ones
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It’s not ants Misty. But a moat would keep the castle safe.

Try a beer trap overnight…. if its snails or slugs…. they get drunk on the beer and not go home…then you’ll know if it’s them or not.

Good idea lucky…. will have to see if other half is willing to leave some !!!!

just look nibbled but they manage to nibble most of the strawb !
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Yeah it’s probably Slugs. (Go out there now. Take a flashlight. They’ll be busted bigtime. There is an iron based product put out by maxicrop which kills slugs and snails wthout angry chemicals.

then I was registered as tadpole.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Are you a frog yet?

No…. and thankfully not a prince!!!!

will have to see if other half is willing to leave some !!!!
+++++++++++
Drop a slug in one.

There is an iron based product put out by maxicrop which kills slugs and snails wthout angry chemicals.

***

What’s it called, or isn’t that allowed (product names that is)

Drop a slug in one.

************ :) can see that going down well !

What’s it called, or isn’t that allowed (product names that is)

+++++++++++++++
I dunno if it’s allowed or not but i think it’s just called maxicrop snail and slug killer. I’ll have a google. By all means tho’, go out and sus out the plants with a torch.

Misty3 said:

Drop a slug in one.

************ :) can see that going down well !

That’s the point.

http://www.multicrop.com.au/MSDS/Multiguard%20Snail%20&%20Slug%20Killer-ref-1029.pdf

Here’s the MSDS on the product along with the name.
Cut and paste to your browser bar.

Thanks for that Longy…
MM wants his dinner.. so I must dash.

Thanks all – great to be back!

Misty

MM wants his dinner.. so I must dash.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That’s what i like to hear!

Hi Tadpole, good to see you back

:)

What about sawdust? That’s if you can get any. I believe that slugs don’t like dry stuff like that, they need moist and/or smooth surfaces to slide along or they dehydrate.

shredded paper????

build the moat. then put a beer trap up in the castle. but just in case the ants don’t like the view, put in some shredded paper and stuff. the prince shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve got some taddies.
enough…..just bought and watched “3 non blondes”….nothing like a good laugh.

in full sun the strawberries will go over-ripe quickly with black plastic under them, emanating the heat. so the ants and pill bugs are coming in to clean up. black plastic is used by commercial farms on very convex rows of strawberries that are planted very high, off the plastic. that way the black plastic suppresses weeds, warms the soil, but doesn’t scald the strawberries, which are collected very promptly. also the variety of strawberry grown in such operations are ones that produce strawberries up high. typical strawberries available to home gardeners produce strawberries quite close to ground level.
you could paint the plastic white (now that it’s quite warm) with lime water mixture, which will stop it getting hot from the sun. or you could try lay down some straw or even shredded paper over the black plastic, once again to prevent the sun rays hitting the black plastic. you could also spray regularly with pyrethrum in the evening (so as not to kill bees) which is non-toxic to humans but, i don’t fancy myself eating strawberries regularly sprayed with pyrethrum. so thank god it’s only you (and not me) eating the strawberries — only kidding. the basic problem is black plastic heating up lots in sunshine, and causing the strawberry fruit to start going off…which ants will go for.

D’oh, I had it in my mind that it was slugs that were the problem…forgot about the ants…

I’ll look up my Encyc of Organic Gardening later today, see what they have to say…ants (if it is them) would be going for the sugar in the berries, so what Aquarium says makes a lot of sense…perhaps you could pick them when semi-ripe? Surely they will keep on ripening? More slowly if put in the crisper in the fridge…I pick my tomatoes (with a great deal of pride, I might add!!) when they have a blush: they continue to ripen in the kitchen but I leave a few on the bush for the birds…

Here we go, from my Encyc of Organic Gardening (full citation below)

Control (of ants): repellent plantings of mint or anise help somewhat. a sticky substance such as roofing tar can be wrapped around tree trunks..” (Page 574)…whoops, no “trunks” on strawbs…

Also:

“Ants build nests or mounds in the garden, and often spread aphids to plants, but few speces actually eat vegetable plants. They can be kept off plants by banding the trunk or stem with cotton batting painted with a sticky preparation, available commercially. Ants will back away from lines of bone meal or powdered charcoal poured on the ground. To keep ants from carrying aphids into the house, squeese the juice of a lemon at the point of entry and leave the sliced peel there” Page 45

Citation: The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. new revised edition by the staff of Organic Gardening ® magazine. Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsyvania. Copyright. 1978.

Dinetta said:

Here we go, from my Encyc of Organic Gardening (full citation below)

Control (of ants): repellent plantings of mint or anise help somewhat. a sticky substance such as roofing tar can be wrapped around tree trunks..” (Page 574)…whoops, no “trunks” on strawbs…

Also:

“Ants build nests or mounds in the garden, and often spread aphids to plants, but few speces actually eat vegetable plants. They can be kept off plants by banding the trunk or stem with cotton batting painted with a sticky preparation, available commercially. Ants will back away from lines of bone meal or powdered charcoal poured on the ground. To keep ants from carrying aphids into the house, squeese the juice of a lemon at the point of entry and leave the sliced peel there” Page 45

Citation: The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. new revised edition by the staff of Organic Gardening ® magazine. Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsyvania. Copyright. 1978.

If bone meal or powdered charcoal is hard to come by, I think talculm powder works as well…