Landscaping and Gardening.info

Fire ants dwell in many of the hotter parts of the world and in the majority of countries and in most languages, from Thai to French and English, the word ‘fire’ is part of its name. This is because the sensation of pain after having been stung, not bitten, by one of these ants is similar to the pain suffered from a burn.

Most ants that cause pain to humans bite first and then spray acid into the cut, but fire ants bite in order to get a hold and then sting with the abdomen. The substance that they inject is an alkaloid venom which is agonizing to humans.

It is also an insecticide and some observers think that the nurse-worker fire ants spray this venom over the eggs to prevent infection. Fire ants are easily distinguished by their red to copper-brown heads and dark to black bodies. They are between two and six millimetres in length and their mandibles or jaws look like serrated garden secateurs.

Fire ants make nests in the soil and often build up large mounds of soil, although sometimes this is concealed by a fallen tree of a pile of vegetation. The nests can be five feet deep and the mounds over a foot above ground. They prefer moist to damp ground, so the nests can often be found on the banks of a river, on the edge of a pond or on a well-watered lawn. The nests are established by one or more queens and can very rapidly grow to thousands of ants.

If you have fire ants in your house or garden, you will almost certainly want to get rid of them. This is not so hard, but if you do not annihilate every colony, then one of two surviving queens can produce a new nest of thousands of ants in about a month. There are plenty of poisons to kill ants on the market, and if you want to try an almost guaranteed chemical ant killer, pick one of those.

Otherwise you may want to try one of the following home treatments.

Nematodes are tiny insects that live in damp soil. They eat other insects including ants. You can purchase nematodes in a garden centre or on line. Mix them with rain, not tap water, because chlorine will kill them, then pour this water into the nest. The nematodes will have killed the ants within roughly two weeks. This is a wholly green method of killing fire ants.

Some people swear by club soda. Pour a bottle of club soda into the colony, the gas that the soda produces is alleged to kill the queen and the reproductive ants.

Soapy water is also supposed to kill ants. Use the same bowl of soapy washing up water and tip it into the colony, the soap is believed to kill them outright.

Boric acid is repellent to ants. so you can spread it around the foundation of your house and around the nest.

There are quite a few organic methods of getting rid of fire ants, if you want to find out more, look on the Internet.

Tags: landscaping, gardening

If you are someone who would like to do a tree removal on that thick tree that's practically knocking on your windowpane, you have likely already listed the things you have to do for that Large Day. Let me help you out by listing the three things I needed when I determined to cut down the tree outside my bedroom.

You need a ladder for tree removal

Unless your tree is just your height, you want a good, robust ladder to get to the top. Try getting a chrome steel one instead of a shaky wooden one, so you will not have to fret about falling flat on your face. A tree removal can be dangerous, so make sure you are safe when trying hard to take the tree down. Don't go down with it.

Get a good electric chainsaw for your tree removal

You need really good equipment to take down a tree. Dependent on the thickness and height of your tree, you may need more than a chainsaw for your tree removal. You could need tree clippers, anvil pruners, and stump grinders. But one thing you have to never be without is a good electric chainsaw that can slice down the tree simply. Just make absolutely sure you keep a watch on the tree so that you can tell where it falls when it is going down. Don't, under any circumstances, be at the unpleasant end of a falling tree trunk. You will not live long enough to regret it.

Chuck in a tree removal party

If your tree is thick or tall or both, you could require help apropos manpower. You can't bring down a tree alone, after all. You might want to invite your kin and neighbours over, so they can lend a hand in your tree removal search. Of course, that means you want to throw in some food to keep them happy. Perhaps that would include a barbeque in the yard, complete with some cool lemonade, and some country music. That would make it a great day to remember. And, you get your tree removal done with a lot of prepared hands to help.

Nevertheless if you suspect all three of these ideas are too much of a hassle to work out and get ready for, save yourself and get an arborist instead. That is what I did. They require less effort on your part, and they get your tree removal done professionally.

Tags: landscaping, garden

Taking advantage of a Prickly Pear or other drought resistant plant can add color and variety to the garden while keeping costs low. Almost all plants and cacti that are found in the desert region of the US are plain in color. Xeriscaping does not have to be bland. It actually allows more creativity and individuality than a boring turf yard ever could. No two xeriscapes tend to be the same.

The high demand for water and the declining levels of the earth’s aquifers are great motivators for new, green gardening. The cost of well drilling can be a financial burden in a region that has limited supply and demand for the water to begin with. Using Xeriscaped plans a home owner can save a tremendous amount of money on water bills and maintenance fees. If you get lost or overwhelmed with the concept call a friend or a professional.

Jade plants are indigenous the equatorial climate of South Africa and a favorite by xeriscaping gardeners. Most cacti and drought resistant plants thrive with high concentrations of sunlight, and that makes them ideal for water deprived climates suitable to xeriscaping. Large rock walls or concrete casting can highlight a Xeriscaped garden quite nicely. Mix and match rust and orange colors for a fun outdoor theme.

One of the amenities that a Xeriscaping offers is the limited amount of maintenance it requires to flourish. Once the garden is established it will need very little, if any physical labor to thrive. Xeriscaping does not need the typical attention of pruning weeding that a traditional garden needs. The basic concept of implementing a Xeriscaped garden starts with planning and design. The blue prints for the garden need to be well thought out and specific to the nature of the water supply available.

The combination of planning, engineering and labor will get your Xeriscaped garden up and running. You will need to review designs and have a list of needs that you want met. Deciding how much or little water you are able to provide as well as what the overall purpose of your garden will be is the central topic to keep in mind when planning. Each time your friend visits your property they will know they helped you create it!

Tags: gardening, garden