RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Provincial living: homesteading, farming, gardening, self-efficiency and animal husbandry.
Luigi
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RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by Luigi »

Have a lovely mango tree but always crawling with above. Are they there serving a beneficial purpose for the tree?
If not how can I be rid of them without poisining other life?

Those mofos sting hard & make me sweat.
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frank lee bent
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by frank lee bent »

they are bad. look for a nest of leaves in the tree and burn it with kerosene rag on bamboo.
or show your khmer friends, they like to eat those.
ants are not the friends of plants
taabarang
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by taabarang »

In our village they are called n'kroang; I think the correct Cambodian is angkroang. Since I have no picture of the mofos, I'm just guessing. I've never seen so many different varieties of ants in my life. If it is this ant they roll up the leaves and fold them into a nest which they will protect zealously-be careful not to rub against it.

Are they useful? Well Cambodians eat both the ants and their eggs fried. Beyond that they pollinate the mango flowers. No ants no mangoes!

If it isn't too late make sure to prune the top of the tree to keep the fruit reachable. We inherited 4 mango trees over fifty years old, those little red soldier ants own them. Locals will cover themselves with ashes as a repellent; that technique enjoys a limited success judging from the swearing I hear from the tree tops.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
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frank lee bent
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by frank lee bent »

surprisingly, flies are the champion mango pollinators.
i know this by livving in mareeba qld, a big mango area. they hang lumps of meat on strings in the mangoes at flowering time to attract flies.
bees work them too.
problem with ants is they farm those scale insects to the detriment of the foliage.
Luigi
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by Luigi »

taabarang wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 7:05 pm In our village they are called n'kroang; I think the correct Cambodian is angkroang. Since I have no picture of the mofos, I'm just guessing. I've never seen so many different varieties of ants in my life. If it is this ant they roll up the leaves and fold them into a nest which they will protect zealously-be careful not to rub against it.

Are they useful? Well Cambodians eat both the ants and their eggs fried. Beyond that they pollinate the mango flowers. No ants no mangoes!

If it isn't too late make sure to prune the top of the tree to keep the fruit reachable. We inherited 4 mango trees over fifty years old, those little red soldier ants own them. Locals will cover themselves with ashes as a repellent; that technique enjoys a limited success judging from the swearing I hear from the tree tops.
Don't think I'll be climbing or pruning. Just wanted the green mangoes for the lady of th house. Says there the best. You couldn't tell by the godawful faces she makes while eating! :facepalm:

Anyway am glad there are mo better polinaters. Gonna kill those mofos! :assasin:

Now I search red ant nests for a visual.
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Duncan
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by Duncan »

Mix a 20 l bucket if soapy water. The stronger the better. and throw cupfuls of the stuff into the tree from underneath. You will have to do this on a regular basis . You will also notice the mangoes will be cleaner and not have any black areas on them also. Combine with a mixture of garlic and chilies peppers will also chase them away.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
Luigi
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by Luigi »

frank lee bent wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 7:25 pm surprisingly, flies are the champion mango pollinators.
i know this by livving in mareeba qld, a big mango area. they hang lumps of meat on strings in the mangoes at flowering time to attract flies.
bees work them too.
problem with ants is they farm those scale insects to the detriment of the foliage.

problem with ants is they farm those scale insects to the detriment of the foliage.
[/quote]

Then the scale insects are beneficial to the foliage? How so?:popcorn:
taabarang
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by taabarang »

My wife's uncle, our next-door neighbour, killed off the n'kroang population in her prize mango tree 4 years ago. No mangoes at all since then. They rounded up some red ants to repopulate the tree about a month ago. As my old Cajun bait salesman used to say, I tell you true."
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
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frank lee bent
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by frank lee bent »

they are not. the ants tend them and encourage them in order to get the honeydew they excrete.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaver_ant
taabarang
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Re: RED ANTS/BIGLY ONES

Post by taabarang »

"they are not. the ants tend them and encourage them in order to get the honeydew they excrete."

We agree to disagree. Not my tree and our mangoes are worth the ant bites. Fuck if you hung up raw red meat on mango trees in our village you 'd catch Cambodians.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
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