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Ants In My T Rex Trough!

Do I need to worry?

I went out a while back to check on my huge T Rex Trough and I  found ants! They were running by the hundreds when I pulled up a plant stake! Now what do I do?

ants invading hypertufa

Deja vu!

I was just watering and thought “Oh, I should do an update post since it is looking so nice.” So I started clicking pictures. I picked up a plant marker so that wouldn’t show in the photo, and ants started pouring out!  I could not believe it! AGAIN! Remember that spring I had them in a smaller trough? Post here.

I planted this large hypertufa landscape planter with high hopes that the plants would all do well. And it looks so good! All the plants seem to be doing well and I think it is due to the fact that this hypertufa  is very deep. But maybe that also makes it attractive as a home for ants.

toomanyhypertufas

It’s not the same trough as I found ants in earlier, but I am so horrified that I would have this to do over again.  And as you recall, the last time I finally dumped it and started over! I absolutely will NOT do that with this Huge Monster.

I call this hypertufa trough my T Rex Hypertufa because of its size. It is looking really good and has filled in nicely. In fact, I have a lot of plants to separate out and put into new troughs for the spring. Especially the wooly thyme. It is just wonderful. I want to pull off some cuttings and make more starts. It is a nice plant and I want more of it. 

Four Feet Long Hypertufa
Four Feet Long Hypertufa

So I will try with the remedies again. Hydrogen peroxide?  Cinnamon? Pepper? Corn meal?  I had no luck last time, so I am not hopeful.

Gardening is so frustrating sometimes!

But I can’t help myself!  I must garden!  And I must make and plant more hypertufa!  I guess my best option is to learn how to peacefully exist with the ants.

After all, they outnumber me, so they will win any battle.

The-Hypertufa-Gardener

4 Comments

  1. Thank you for braving the storms of gardening. I believe in “Each One Teach One”.
    My Planting Zone is 7b and I would love to hear/read your post. Thank You and Have a Beautiful Day!

  2. Kim, your troughs are gorgeous!

    1. Thanks, Carol. Aren’t we having such wonderful weather? I shouldn’t complain about ants, when we could be in a drought this time of year.

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