Rain, cold can send ants indoors
This is a screenshot from one of UCIPM's short videos on managing ants. Longer ones also are viewable on YouTube. Screenshot from UCIPM video "How to effectively control ants."
The first ones showed up on a shelf in the spice cabinet. They were easily dispatched. Then a few more appeared along the cupboard above the refrigerator, which is next to the coffee bar. They were easily removed, too, but I decided to relocate the just-refilled sugar bowl across the kitchen.
You know what happened next, right? The following day some intrepid ants had found the sugar bowl, and there was a thin line of their colleagues along the edge of the ceiling and down to the counter where the sugar now was. The battle was on.
With all the rain we’ve had, it’s a wonder the ants hadn’t invaded sooner. But these – very likely common Argentine ants – apparently were driven inside by the low-30s temperatures we’ve had this past week.
Fortunately, some quick work interrupted their incursion and they haven’t reappeared. (Knock on wood!) But it’s a good reminder that not every insect is dormant in winter. Pests live among us year-round, and it helps to be vigilant without resorting to overkill, i.e. pesticides.
The University of California Integrated Pest Management program offers a wealth of information on dealing with household and garden pests. UCIPM has pages and pages devoted to ants on the website, as well as several YouTube videos – quick 1-minute hits as well as longer explainers.
Part of the defense against ants indoors should be to remove whatever’s attracting them – pet food, cookie crumbs, (ahem) sugar bowl – then wipe the ants up with a soapy cloth or sponge, or use window cleaner. This destroys the trail being left for other ants. Also, try to find where they’re coming from outside, and caulk or block the entrance. Ant traps left near entrances will slow them down, though IPM experts note that it may take a week or so for traps to work. They caution against spraying for ants inside the home.
UC IPM presents a monthly Urban and Community Webinar on pest topics; past ones are recorded for later viewing. (Ants were discussed in October 2021.)
Here are the pest topics through April, all scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Register at the Webinar link above to view them live.
Thursday, Feb. 16, “Dealing With Pantry Pests.”
Thursday, March 16, “Preventing Pest Problems at Seeding.”
Thursday, April 20, “Aphids, Scales and Mealybugs, Oh My.”
Meanwhile I’m on watch against future invaders – and replacing the sugar bowl with one featuring an airtight seal.
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Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.
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