ANTS are GREAT INDICATORS of...

[@spsmith1965]

If your yard is full of fire ants, it's a strong indicator that you might be living in the southeastern United States.

[@BittyBooBrown]

The fire ants have been trying to take over here the last 3 years. I hate them things man they hurt like heck.

[@roxanamadalina-dimian6043]

hahaha. yes. The Little Fire Ants are a whole other story now...

[@persephoneszeliga]

They are horrible in Hartwell GA!!

[@worddunlap]

I live in TN and the agricultural experts claim we have no fire ants. They didn't look by my sidewalk, out by the trees, near the underground telephone and fiber distribution boxes....

[@jennamakesbugs]

Fire ants are the enemy.

[@MsWatchdog]

I subscribed to this guy's channel when he was talking about Dandelions, The quality of his videos is second to none. I have learned so much about nature by watching his vlogs, and I like to show off to my children what I know. Thank you, Stefan

[@stuartdelamare4072]

Same as 👍🏼🇬🇬

[@VGV0]

Same here. The information can be found in text form online but he makes it quick and interesting and without a ton of shitty ads .

[@vktravellog1242]

Exactly how I got here! Love the content and very educational!

[@snivanacar63]

Me tooo. Dandelions ❤️❤️

[@davidlane777]

Sames here. That dandelion video was everything

[@neville3151]

Ants in the yard are ok....but invasions of the little mothers in my kitchen is a declaration of war.

[@ephecarrey5177]

Hahaha

[@RJisBack24]

Neville agree!

[@cmw7916]

Neville ...happens to us every year. When we start seeing a couple, we set off a few bug bombs in the cellar, especially near pipes, and they’re usually gone for a year. Helps to spray the pipes mid summer too.

[@neville3151]

@@cmw7916 Totally agree but the crawl space under my house is only 18". Much too little for this old knuckle dragging biker.

[@cmw7916]

Neville ...maybe you could just turn ‘em on and throw ‘em under?

[@MidnightSunshine27]

I dunno if you ever gonna read this but I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU! Your videos have helped to be less scared of nature and be more outdoors. I even have a garden now. I really appreciate you TONS. Thank you thank you!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

So glad. You’re welcome and continue to learn and discover nature.

[@jujubeethatsme]

Me too.

[@johnham8824]

YAH is the NAME or our CREATOR, i see your name is yeah,did you know that?

[@B30pt87]

@@johnham8824 THE name? Our creator has only one name? Seems unlikely.

[@GameTimeWhy]

​@@johnham8824maybe it's the name of your little g god but you are the minority. Prove your assertions

[@amyr505]

In New Mexico, the size of an anthill indicates the amount of snow we will get in winter. It is usually fairly accurate.

[@jeanard4240]

My grandmother could tell when we were going to get a "severe" thunderstorm by watching ants..amazing. Texan.

[@roddwayne8792]

NEVER stack firewood against your house.

[@jesuschristislordoflordsan427]

what? if i made my house of the Rock, and use hay as an protection against the elemtents in the winter?

[@JessieJussMessy]

​@@jesuschristislordoflordsan427well, that's different

[@pixie3393]

Makes so much sense. We had ants coming in years ago. Learned the root of the tree was coming up through our floor and destroyed the bottom floor foundation and flooring. We're getting it replaced this week. We learned of water damage as welll

[@IndySigur]

I stumbled into your channel and can not stop watching. You teach the things that everybody should know and are such a pleasure to listen and watch. Thank you so much, I look at my garden in a completely different way. Happy gardening!

[@cruella8501]

Diatomaceous earth works really well. I noticed that since starting a compost bin recently the ants have mostly migrated there instead of chewing through the back door.

[@fredsasse9973]

Borax mixed with sugar works well too.

[@IndigoMystik]

That's what I'm using.

[@robinmoser7343]

It’s a no fail, even for wasps on my hummingbird feeders. I keep powder on the bottoms of the feeders and the wasps detect it and fly off, get the word out and don’t show up anymore.

[@aletamekvold8005]

Thank you! This explains why I have so many!! Where I moved to last year has soil that is very sandy. I've found a few earthworms this year where I've added some compost but still lots of ants! I noticed another interesting thing with the ants last week. When I harvested my mustard seed there was a lot of seeds on the porch. I noticed the ants were carrying the seeds, so didn't sweep the porch off. A few days later almost every single seed is gone! So they're also 'cleaning' your garden of dropped seeds. Found that super interesting. I'd never thought of that side of it.

[@ZaneMedia]

Aleta Mekvold that is quite interesting! Natures always surprising haha

[@StefanSobkowiak]

And those seeds germinate well wherever they take them

[@aletamekvold8005]

@@StefanSobkowiak Yep! I'd imagine!! In this case they were going into a hole that was in my concrete patio so it'll be interesting to see if anything tries to grow in the cracks! But then who knows where those tunnels go!!! Had just never thought of that side of what they do in the garden, although it makes sense.

[@waterbird91]

Our brown/black ants come out sometimes in the cracks of the cement sidewalk. They congregate in a swarm. THAT is when I know it's going to rain. And it does. I call it "The ants are re-arranging the furniture' below & they don't want their tunnels flooded" . They also clean our peonies before they bloom. .

[@jennifercarriger6168]

I like to forage on a regular basis in the summer. One time, when I was picking wild field strawberries, I would find some of the berries were buried under the sand even though they were still connected via a stem to the plant. This was always near to an ant hill. I have a sneaking suspicion that the ants are burying the berries, then eating their flesh, leaving the seeds behind. I wonder if that means that they are actively cultivating the strawberries?

[@a_diamond]

Wow.. well maybe.. cool!!

[@greystonesgardens7931]

they are but the strawberries plants are in charge of the situation

[@TheMistyBlueLounge]

I was just out yesterday shaking dirt off my strawberry plants that are just flowering! The ants had built an impressive column of dirt up several plants. These little black ants seem to eat anything sugary.

[@JamminClemmons]

@@greystonesgardens7931 Agriculture is destroying the planet. It is very frustrating how much miss information there is on this topic. Grazing can actually sequester far more carbon than forests at a much, much faster rate. If we grazed animals on a large enough scale, we could actually mitigate all human emissions. Growing plants can not do this. Plant agriculture uses massive amounts of fossil fuels and unlike grazing cattle, it doesn't mitigate its own emissions. The soil microbiome is killed with chemicals and that dead soil is lost rapidly, causing complete land infertility and desertification. Grazing animals is the fastest way to replenish these lands, bring the microbes back, give nutrients back, rehydrate, break up impaction, and build soil faster than any other process. It would take nature decades to build the amount of soil made in a couple of yrs of Grazing.

[@jaenmartens5697]

See?!! If Entomologists taught like you, we could have a solid Ecology movement or, maybe no need for one 🙂

[@jesuschristislordoflordsan427]

perhaps working for the state rulers is not the same as working for the people, for most

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

We had a colony of super-tiny leafcutter ants that indicated too much Kale! Any leaf put on the ground in the pathway was dissected within a few hours and pulled underground, along with the leaf stems (of giant kale leaves)! It was such an amazing sight to see (barely, as they were super tiny!)

[@maryglo1]

I had never seen these either! My friend walls them pi $# ants! Leaf Cutters ! They live cat food! Hard to see! Different from sugar ants. As he said, there are 12,000 kinds!

[@missbeans]

The quirky editing is half the joy of these videos 🤣❤️

[@jefferyleaver2847]

This video alone changed my whole outlook on Horticulture & gardening

[@splash4891]

for someone "who doesn't know much about ants" you know a lot about ants...great info, thanks...people are so quick to dismiss ants, kill ants, hate ants, etc., yet we have so much to learn from them, they are such hard workers, team workers, determined/never give up on their task at hand

[@owenbanks3675]

In Texas we have fire ants everywhere, we are an organic farm, so the mower is the only way we slow them down, but it does not do much to keep them down. I must admit I smile every time the mower hits another ant mound!

[@JamesThompson-ol3eu]

I got a recipe off the internet some 15 years ago or more. Said to be safe and "environmentally" sound. I am not much of a environmentalist but hate the smell of the most effective powder. I could smell it across a half acre yard! Anyway it is a mound drench - 5 gallon bucket of water and 1 cup of pinesol and about a cup of ammonia. That may not be perfect measures - water should turn milky white to work best - about 2 gallons per mound. Doesn't always destroy but shuts them down for a while and they will move. Also the grass will green up in the area of the drench - like fertilizer! I moved to the country recently and don't have as much problem except in my large gardening pots - this will immediately make them evacuate! That way I don't feel like I am poisoning my tomatoes and peppers. Only use about a quart or 2.

[@GeoffsSousChef]

I’m from tax too. now I’m up in the Northeast and marvel at all the lightening bugs each summer. My brother down in Ft Worth says they rarely see a lightening bug because they’re ground nesters and freggin fire ants are killin ‘em all!!!!!! 😡

[@bonchidude]

@@GeoffsSousChef Use something to repel them.

[@sjr7822]

I unknowingly brought carpenter ants home in some lumber I was given. I had them coming into the house, what I used was borax with sugar they carried back to the nest and I have never seen them again.

[@ZaneMedia]

SJ R hmm very interesting

[@honeybadger8942]

Does this work with fire ants?

[@sjr7822]

@@honeybadger8942 I have no idea, borax doesn't cost that much to give it a try

[@honeybadger8942]

@@sjr7822 Thanks.

[@cmoore6131]

@@rodarywindsorcleveland8506 that's how the borax works, just as an fyi. Borax + sugar + water makes a paste. Put it in a few lids, in their path. They bring the mix back to the hive. Then you have to wait for the queen to eat it. But then, no more colony. This method takes patience, and you have to allow them to be present while they collect the 'food.' [Ps Don't judge me: I've only had to use this method twice as we had huge colonies attempt to move into our house when the seasons changed (CA). They were relentless, and laughed at any barrier we constructed.]

[@christikulczyk1439]

Carpenter ants and sugar ants have moved into our house. I do love watching them protecting the roses and peonies. They’re the ultimate protector of flowers, my house not so much

[@JamesThompson-ol3eu]

I fought sugar ants for the better part of 30 years in the city in the house n garage. Moved to the country have not seen them here. I went through EVERYTHING I moved with a fine tooth comb to ensure I didn't haul a nest to the new house. They absolutely will nest ANY where! Opened the case around a music CD and found a colony in it more than once!

[@KJV7154]

@@JamesThompson-ol3eu boric acid and sugar will kill carpenter ants. Took me two weeks but they are gone.

[@johnc206]

@@KJV7154 Apparently there are species of mushroom that will kill carpenter ants. I don't know for sure if that's *all* they kill though, so it'd be good to look into that before you kill off beneficial stuff.

[@KJV7154]

@@johnc206 Oh wow didnt know that will look it up thx.

[@jlynn2053]

Just curious, how do they protect your rose bushes? I see ants around my rose bush too, but I thought they were a nuisance 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@mariyaatanasova1556]

My garden is concrete and I have all my plants in pots. No clue where the ant nest is but one is for sure they herd both aphids and scale. So in my garden ants are clear indicators for pests trouble brewing. Not only they herd them but also attack their natural predators.

[@1Thedairy]

A simple analysis of this video for children would be fascinating for my 4 year old grandson who is obsessed by insects. They are so receptive to learning at this age.

[@voxintenebris6367]

They have disproportionally large appetites and come in strength of number! They find any weakness in your render. They love the fine tilth of my covered carrot beds - but insects rock and I love them! I have six metal ant sculptures in my garden, I use them in a seasonal theme - try to get the local kids to appreciate insects, our unsung heroes! Can't wait for the video!

[@portiaholliday8741]

I was amazed at watching one drag a larger wasp than itself and it was DETERMINED:-) Some black ones have a route up and down my deck probably going up to the wood. They seem selective in the food that they forage. I put some selections out for them. I don't remember which they chose but I'll do the experiment again.

[@MelliaBoomBot]

We have been living in Creuse, France for six years. Im from the UK so the comparison of nature around me is quite interesting. We had a mound of wood ants outside our window and my other half worried incase they got a liking for his guitars but they NEVER came in the house. We had the ordinary little ants in the house which liked the kitchen best but the wood ants stayed put. The wood ants have now disappeared because we had some fir trees near us that they cut down, so what the odd rotten tree that the wood ants liked have gone and so have the ants. Feel quite sad about that, we were co-existing quite nicely. Hope they found a new home and have not just died.

[@judylloyd7901]

...in case*...

[@MelliaBoomBot]

@@judylloyd7901 Fank u 😉

[@B30pt87]

@@judylloyd7901 Guitar case?

[@claudiapastor]

We have some ant colony, that red type, coming from the soil to our stone pavement every summer... we have laid some flat stones in our back yard patio, over a layer of sand and gravel stones and the ants come out of the sand in between the stones every year and they make a mess spreading sand all over the stones... I don't really mind the ants, if they DON'T climb my feet, something they do sometimes. It is an area of our yard which was prepared with sand, laid with the flat large stone and gravel stones so it makes sense that the ants like it drier and compact as that is exactly how the area is... great video. Thanks

[@RaveBabyFuu]

Lizards feed off ants, so only destroy ant hills that are close to the home. if you have a large field, leave some hills alone or say goodbye to the local lizard population.. also, dont use poison on ant hills. flooding the hole till the soil is compacted and that will work just as well. Think of the lizards. =(

[@ZaneMedia]

Good point!

[@stevengonzalez27]

Thomas Jefferson Little lizards eat pests and do no harm at all. Lots of those in warmer areas of the world, thank goodness. Some people have a lizard for a pet. They are very quiet creatures, and they are cute too.

[@iambecauseweareonelove8211]

@Thomas Jefferson sorry my friend, but the fukin lizards are every fukin where, there your controllers, your owners, sorry to point that oot, wake up people. :):)

[@laurieparis2203]

@Novy Honza I left "my" fire ants alone, they had two large hills in my front yard. Live and let live until they decided to move inside and wouldn't take no for an answer. Then it was war. Boiled two large stock pots of water, added boric acid and dishwasher detergent and nuked both hills. Best done when the soil is at its driest. Do not stir the soil, let their tunnels carry the boric acid/dishwasher soap water deep into the nest.

[@laurieparis2203]

@Novy Honza Novy, I used dishwasher detergent, the stuff you put in your dishwasher. It won't foam up when you add it to the boiling water the way dishwashing soap will. Also be aware the boiling water will kill any grass or plants you are pouring it on. But the Boric acid will stay in the soil, poisoning it so that they can't rebuild their nest there... and you don't need to use very much. Best of luck, watch your feet and legs when you pour! 🌱

[@brandonberg7703]

Another fun fact about ants, they are attracted to electrical fields and they will follow the source. This usually happens when you have a fixed ac unit outside. I lived down south and had ants short out my ac unit.

[@FloridaGirl-]

Yup 👍

[@cherylanderson3340]

One of tbe most fascinating things re: ants having a symbiotic relationship is that of an insect which has a biological need to be in the stomach of a particular animal. This insect zombifies the ants & literally make the ant do their bidding, by causing them to craw up the stem of a plant which grows where this particular cattle grazes. Thusly, this critter gets the ants to be eaten,& along with this particular plant, so delivers it's eggs, growing inside & controling this particular type of ant, into the stomachs of this particular type of cattle. I think the infestation ends up killing the cattle. I read it a long time ago & now my old brain feels a bit vague on the specifics,but I promise, if you research this, you might find the same, riveting article I read! Thanks for another great video, sir!

[@darrelllee7946]

Cheryl Anderson sounds like a liver fluke from snails to ants ,they use mind control on the ants, so far as my understanding there has only been one documented case of a human being sercome to a liver fluke , but that might be what the gov. Wants me to say. I digress any how "Consider The Ant" is a biblical quote. I myself was looking for info on why they cut down the cherries off my tree.i sure hope it dosent have any thing to do with our prez. Lol

[@1945pappy]

Maybe Cheryl, you have ants growing inside of you! Have a great day Luv!

[@sanjeeva311076]

@@darrelllee7946 they have done the same to my cherry tree, seem to cut the small unripe cherries and take them to the colonies to feed the grubs or something. They farm the blackfly too. Not one single ripe cherry in the 5 years since I planted the tree, little bastards! Oh well, all part of life's rich tapestry I suppose, at least their waste is feeding the tree which is growing like f...Hopefully one day I might get some cherries.

[@darrelllee7946]

@@sanjeeva311076 not to make lite of your anxt of them greedy bstrds eating all the cherries but its nice that some one shares my concerns. Once again im watching the cherries disapear one by one, i keep debaiting wheather to battle against the ants, and the slugs are a problem to the cherries aswell. Last year i was abble to get a couple cherries and thought maybee when the tree is real big there will be enough cherries for everyone but I think im delutional. I tried putting cinnamin around the tree it didnt work maybe the cinnamin was to old. I dont want to use poison, but ive herd mixing borac acid with sugar will kill the ants, I herd same with bakeing soda, im abought ready to battle the ants and slugs. I dont want to exspecially after watching the " back to eden" gardner on utube. But i have a totaly differnt envirment than he does and it seems the pests are from the devil the way they just keep devistating. I thought this was the year there would be enough there were thousands of blossoms well there was alot any how. I just had a thought of using crushed mint around the tree ,ok i will try that, but if that doesnt work then no more mr. Nice guy ! Im fed up on hunger, lol

[@sanjeeva311076]

@@darrelllee7946 leave them to do their thing, the system will balance out eventually. Or get an anteater.

[@mikeburlison5085]

Ground ants love my sand-based golf greens. It's a constant battle keeping them out. I've never seen higher mounds due to upcoming rain storms. Height varies throughout the stages of excavation. As the number of ants, and the size of the burrow increases, so does the height of the mound.

[@cdevidal]

I have a mild Myrmecophobia (fear of ants) so this video was hard to watch. But the fact that I kept watching says you made a great video sir. Keep up the good work.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

I never heard of a fear of ants.

[@cdevidal]

@@StefanSobkowiak when my sister was just a toddler and I was three years old she sat down in a pile of southern fire ants then started screaming. That left an indelible mark. I’ve gotten better-used to not be able to stand anywhere outside without watching my feet constantly. But it’s still there. When that carpenter crawled on your arm I jumped.

[@aaabeverages7152]

I had fear of some weird so called uncle's

[@B30pt87]

@@StefanSobkowiak One of my aunts was fearsome.

[@user-ww8nz5oo2l]

​@@cdevidalthat's not how fear of ants works young one.

[@AwakeningWarrior]

I found carpenter ants in one of my raised garden beds that has not been used or weeded in years and the wood is rotting so I'm guessing they are there killing the rotten wood! This was so informative!!

[@karenberry7143]

So if ants indicate too dry soil can you get rid of them by increased watering and addition of mulch or compost and a starter colony of worms? How do I get the itty bitty ants out of my house plant pots? I didn't notice them, until I watered after a much longer than usual interval, and they came pouring out of saucer as well as the bottom of the pot.

[@frankenz66]

If you feel a need to be rid of them, diametaceous earth really upsets their apple cart. It also doesn't poison the ground water unlike so many pesticides. In a dry setting it will last a very long time as they are fossils already.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Probably with lots of compost and some rock dust.

[@karenberry7143]

What is rock dust? Is it the same as diatomaceous earth?

[@claudettemonty4077]

I have a forest in my backyard with old trees as you show !! But they don’t want to stay in the forest! And they come to see the balcony and my dog, rolling on her back bring them (1 or 2) in the house. But, now, I put the Dia... earth and they die very fast. Thanks.

[@ZaneMedia]

Claudette Monty glad we could help 👍

[@marshhen]

I loved this video. Keep up the great work. I could listen to you visit the spots and creatures in your orchard all day.

[@cefinau]

I am in Western North Carolina and Asian needle ants are spreading in this area. Unfortunately, they can tolerate cold winters. The cold was what had protected us from fire ants. Needle ants can adapt and eat anything, live anywhere, and displace native species. They are fairly small, brownish ants packing a mean sting and are not afraid to use it It was only a few decades ago that we had never heard of or seen stink bugs, tiger mosquitoes or needle ants...

[@AtlasReburdened]

The number one way to dissuade ants from your house is to build a garage apartment style house if you can. The less physical contact area your structure has with the ground, the less chance a meandering ant will encounter a way up, so a house built onto 4"x4"s with no interior finishing on the garage and metal siding that has a small gap between it and the ground is about the cheapest ideal way to do it. My house a little less than 40'x30' inside and has a ground contact footprint of less than 3'x3'. Never had a big problem with any insects, even when it becomes apparent over the winter months that a bachelor lives here.

[@Zack-lq9tb]

I really doubt 4x4 is code compliance more like 8x8 but an outhouse ok that's fine

[@AtlasReburdened]

@@Zack-lq9tb Solid life advice: Don't quit your day job to be a construction consultant.

[@MrMockingbird1313]

Hey Stefan, Here in Missouri maple trees are common. The Acer macrophyllum is the most common. We call it a big weed because it is easily susceptible to disease and insects. Carpenter ants love this tree. They burrow into the middle and slowly eat out the inside of the trunk. Eventually this species will blow down in a wind storm.

[@bettinaeiben7267]

I'm so grateful for this input, honestly. I have a - let's call it a "wild" allotment - in a family gardeners association, and many different species of ants and other insects are at home here. Unfortunately, much to the annoyance of many traditional hobby gardeners. Around 132 ant species are known in Switzerland, of which eight are currently actively protected by federal nature conservation laws and ordinances, and a further 46 are classified as endangered. Personally, I am pleased that at least one of them noticed my garden - the carpenter ant, which is also reported here. It's sad how little we know about the world we live in and with. Thank you, yet again, for sharing. I will make sure that the people in our association get at least a brief insight into the subject.

[@donnamarie4443]

You are so much fun to watch and listen to. Thank you for the great upload. Love the ant weather..... I had a line of iddy biddy black ants going in a hole by the concrete doorsteps. I sprinkled baby powder around the perimeter and they literally stopped entering the hole. Ants are important for peonies, which l did not know until my sister told me.....learning a lot about having my very first garden outside.

[@jonathanschadenfreude9603]

ive always loved ants......really dont wanna mess with one of earths most successful species.

[@sanjeeva311076]

Far more ants than just about any land animal on the planet and they do an important job of recycling nutrients and building topsoil. I think a lot of land life depends upon them doing what they have evolved to do.

[@justfine8647]

Right?! I don't understand why people hate them. They're not dirty, they don't destroy, an they will leave your house soon enough.

[@backtoourroots3966]

good to know, I must have a fungus problem in my woods because we keep loosing trees and I had been blaming the ants because they were there each time. Thanks for the information, Cant wait until the next video!

[@ZaneMedia]

Back to Our Root's thanks for the great feedback glad to hear it :)

[@b_uppy]

You live in Oregon?

[@terrywereb7639]

On my brother's property, we noticed the poplars break off at about 10 feet up. Yes, there are always carpenter ants...the breakoff point is always enlarged or misshapen, amd of course, rotten at that point. What we haven't been able to find out is why 10 feet up? But, je looks for the trees with the bulgy spots, marks them with colored tape, and waits for the firewood to fall. He normally gets about a cord of kindling and smaller fuel logs every year just from poplats infested with carpenter ants.

[@brettb9194]

there will be frass around the base of the tree (in a wall the frass may fall inside the cavity) as a rule they are more likely to be in live trees - with, as you say, interior decay ants don't like their house falling over any more than we do same woody woodpecker, prefers decaying cavity in a live tree

[@Qetesh777]

I had a wooden window that was rotting and the infested with carpenter ants 🐜. Had to replace the window and the drywall around it. I hope we don’t get them again as we repaired the gutters causing the water issues but they are falling apart again so time for new gutters .

[@HootMaRoot]

Pressure isn't always a great indication of when it will rain depending on where you live, my barometer has been saying it is raining for the last 3 months but in total we have only had around 14 days of rain. So I am sure its more than just pressure that the ants sence before it is about to rain

[@catmandont100]

Apple or Banana placed near an Ant hill. Quail barely touched the fruit, but mowed down the ants attracted to the fruit.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Great strategy.

[@michelifig6356]

😅

[@joellenbroetzmann9053]

We have ant invasions in the winter. This winter it got to 25 below F. here in N WI. The ants invade our kitchen and bathrooms. We are on a slab. The kitchen and bathrooms are heated floors. Must be like a winter trip to Jamaica for the ants.

[@gabriellakadar]

There was a multi-day war between two colonies of pavement ants at my allotment garden. Apparently they fight to the death. One colony has to win. We've had some serious rain over the past couple of days so I have forgotten to check if the war has been stopped for now. This year my garden has not been attractive to European Fire ants which eat the instars of Cucumber beetles, Potato beetles, caterpillars, etc. They wait for the eggs to hatch. Last year I didn't bother to remove the eggs of Cucumber beetles because the ants would eliminate the larvae. European fire ants move their nests to be closer to food sources.

[@ZaneMedia]

gabriella kadar wow super fascinating thanks for sharing!!

[@debbiehanisch2099]

Probably a lot more entertaining than Netflix.

[@bksidhu6437]

I love your every video they r not only informational but also a eye opening on whats really happening with our garden. I have a question for you, I have red ants nest in our little garden and they are farming scales in nearby hibiscus plant, the plant almost lost its leaves but did not die, if scales are also indicators of plant health...if I add compost to it, does it solve the scales problem? I have also heard that scales go away along with change in climate conditions, is that true?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

If you’re talking about scale like Sam Jose scale you can try compost and basalt rock dust. It’s a wonderful combination to restore vital minerals in the soil

[@bksidhu6437]

I'm sorry I didn't mention my location earlier I live in South East Asia region and the scales looks like black scale to me, with hard round shells like tortoise. We used have aphids too on other plant but when I watched your video about them it changed my view and I started watching them patiently without spraying any pesticides and added mulch to it hoping it would get it minerals ( we didn't hav compost back then)..few weeks later somehow ants population had decreased and beneficial insects like lady bug and praying mantis took over and ate all of them, from then the plant is healthy but its not going same with these scales though, ants are continuously farming them and my pesticides aren't working on them as wel and here I'm, seeking ur help.

[@curtisdecoste9345]

😂 "I'm not an ant expert" -a few moments later- "Now this ant has slight depression, sue to the way he is walking... oh! and THIS ant is most likely named Charles, so obvious."

[@jesuschristislordoflordsan427]

◄ Proverbs 6:6 ► Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

[@JessHull]

I wish I could have seen the ants you talked about in closer detail. I could have ID'ed them for you. I have tons of live ants from several genera and many different species in my collection living in formicariums..

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Formicariums, learned a new word.

[@JessHull]

@@StefanSobkowiak Oh cool! You can see some of my ants in a few short videos I've uploaded.

[@conservativetothecor]

How refreshing, a video for problems so many of us actually have. My entire yard is ants. A few different kinds.

[@triumphmanful]

love those sticky traps, !!!!!

[@marjorieboggess6733]

Good information. (breaks out sprinklers and spreads the worms around) -- I know that ants have a purpose in the garden. BUT I'd prefer to not have any. Scene: Harvesting okra growing up to the top of your head, apparently fed with too much nitrogen b/c the aphids were THICK, and being dairy-ed by the ants. Smell ants, look down and see your body covered with them. I think every b;acl ant in the area considered me to be a threat, and came to see what it could do about said threat. We have some red ants too, but it's limited to a couple of areas. Now I know what to do: frequent watering and worms :)

[@EllieChristine744]

Thanks for your always interesting video. I have small, black ants in one of my plant boxes and where my climbing rose is growing. I will get some humus and better the earth in there, and water more regularly.

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

Absolutely true. Carpenter ants come in the kitchen from one spot, the north western window where there is a weak old wood frame that doesn't get sun to dry out from rain. I need to replace the window to fix the problem and not spray chemicals

[@midsouthhomestead9180]

The fire ants here in Collierville Tn eat everything. Blooms and all! They even ate the wiring out of our WELL electric panel. Thanks for your video.

[@wmluna381]

Had that happen with the outside well pump when I lived in Florida. Wonder why they like electrical components so much.

[@amberjay5361]

Question: we have a HUGE oak tree that has been on the property for over 60 years. It’s now dying. We can’t afford to have it cut because it’s SO big. But I’ve noticed ants and termites. I put down termite killer and it helped. Do you advise to have the tree removed to keep them from coming in? We have so many ants on our property. In the trees. Everywhere. It’s wild.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

A dying tree will provide habitat for ants. You can keep your oak alive by doing this. Build or move your compost pile under the tree. Apply a mix of compost and basalt rock dust at 4:1 ratio by volume about 1” thick on the soil everywhere under the tree to the edge of the branches, then cover it with 3” of wood chips. It’s a job but less expensive than removing your tree and worth saving such a majestic tree.

[@RParmable]

Ant weatherman! Never did I imagine I would walk away from this video with that ! Great channel

[@ZaneMedia]

RParmable haha I had fun putting that skit together, glad you enjoyed it

[@sanguineel]

I found you today because of your Dandelion video. You remind me of documentaries I watched as a child. So refreshing and educational. Awesome stuff.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Wow, thank you!

[@jessemeyer3628]

We have mounds of ants all over the feild. It makes a lot of sense after hearing your explanation because it is a drained swampland. Used to be very wet and likely there are lots of decaying wood.

[@mssavedin92]

fantastic info Stephan!!! We've just been noticing Carpenter Ants on the north west corner of our house right beside the wooden gate...and we have older wooden siding on the home...guess we need to DE the area and figure out whats going on in the wood. Thankyou so much, your information is so valuable

[@StefanSobkowiak]

10 minutes that can save you thousands. Start with the outside wood (gate) before DE a wall.

[@18Bees]

an insect exterminator company came knocking on my door selling services to eliminate ants. I pointed to my garden, pond, beehives, worm bins and said , "does this look like I want to get rid of ants?" he walked away empty handed but with a little education on pollinating plants and bees and beneficial insects. 😂

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Wonderful.

[@bonchidude]

Excellent. Ants will only enter if there is damage or food. But there are ways to repel the humanely so they leave defeated but intact. I am sure you know 5 ways to do this for every way I know how. I repelled some ants but it took a year to find out. They never really got a foothold but they tried. They left on their own. There were quite a few of them.

[@beebob1279]

My problem is the mosquito spraying later in summer.

[@bonnie_gail]

ants kills ladybugs and ladybugs eat aphids

[@beebob1279]

@@bonnie_gail cycle of life until man tries to control it

[@L6FT]

I love your way of thinking and observing how every species indicates something about the environment it is in. Your insights have helped my thinking and observation skills a lot.

[@nesq4104]

Ants in Orlando also tell you if its gonna rain and how badly depending on how high the ant hill the create. More rain means high anthill and lots of excavation

[@SuperWhatapain]

No wonder mine are high in st Augustine on the marsh!

[@nesq4104]

@@SuperWhatapain there it is!

[@dudlyrice1409]

I am trying to get rid of the little sugar ants in my garden...i planted 2 cucumber plants. Next morning went out and they was laying over like a blow torch hit them but still green. I pulled up and ants all over root system and they were inside the stem like it was a tunnel...

[@FloridaGirl-]

Wow!

[@pepperco100]

When I was a child long ago, there were many different types of ants. Now, there are only fire ants.

[@1Earl100]

I have a couple of houses that I work in called me about the tiny little ants coming through the cracks in the ceramic tile. Very clean no food they just appeared last month. No ants in the cupboards underneath everything's dry. What would the indication of that be? And I'm curious about what the indicatior of the fire ants, they just move their nests around my yard all the time. I just have to watch when I'm cutting the grass so I don't blast them all over myself. Otherwise I just stay away from them and leave them alone.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Sounds like the tiny ants just expanded their nest and it happens to be extended under their floor. I don’t know about fire ants but presume they play a similar role to aerate the soil.

[@laurieparis2203]

Same thing happened to me. Fire ants inside is a bad deal. Mine I reckon were looking for dry soil, it had been raining hard for weeks.

[@chrissede2270]

What kind of ants do I have? Fire ants How do they bother me? Every way you can possibly imagine. I would terminate every one of the in a 100 mile radius of me if I could.

[@cindylousinn9041]

I’m on your side. In S Florida I patrol my yard weekly and treat every sign of ants I see. My feet and ankles are full of scars from the poison they inject. Irrigation is the best solution to this problem but 2 1/2 acres is too big of an area for lawn.

[@didthatreallyjust]

Right. They just aren't beneficial. They hurt and are aggressive. All the other ants okay. Eh, actually carpenter ants can be a pain too

[@busker153]

I have small red ants here, too. They crawl all over a lot of my plants and trees, but I never see any damage from them, which is awesome. I am sure they have been responsible for a lot of pollination, as things keep fruiting, although many of my flying forces seem to have moved away. LOL

[@Black_and_Green]

I've been watching ants ever since I stepped in a big ant bed when I was 9

[@lemuelh.6050]

Hi Stefan, Thank you for this wonderful video. Do you have a good resource (book) or similar for "Interpreting" animal and insect behavior such as the example you showed of approaching rain when ants start to build their nests high?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yes I do! There is a book by Donald and Lillian Stokes on the natural history of several species, I can't think of the title.

[@lemuelh.6050]

@@StefanSobkowiak Thank you so much Stefan! By the way I first heard of you from the APSO course by Matt Powers. Also live not too far from you!

[@tiffkungpoify]

The carpenter ants here in Arizona are brutal. The pain of the bite lasts 3 painful hrs and it radiates pain. They are also huge. I was but once as well as my toddler he screamed like life was ending it was horrible. I used ice to help with the pain medicine hardly works

[@palefeathervaldez3563]

Wow, I did not know they bite. Thanks for that info...

[@ZaneMedia]

Artemis Hunts thanks for the info!!

[@christinaribbons4691]

Try tobacco juice on an i sect bite

[@databang]

Ants tickle when running around on your skin, and I’m a serious guy. This conflict of interest cannot be ignored.

[@naletsanaele]

Right? I miss a good ant sting on a good smoldering hot African day. Puts the fire right back into your step. The ants over here don't even bite

[@akeleven]

The kind of ants I have, you would not dare lie on the ground next to. Now I know why staking people on an ant hill was torture. Arizona

[@born4this783]

I’m in Arizona also, it’s those tiny hellish piss ants! 😂

[@dccd673]

I have timber steps going towards the back, I can notice indeed they have fungi and I just recently learned ants love them. If I get rid of the timber, where would they go? Not like in my house, right?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Not in your house unless there is equally rotten timbers in the house.

[@christaverduren690]

Mass invasion of carpenter ants every spring! Sadly, it's our fault. Our balcony was literally ripped off the house by an ice dam, took us a year to get around to fixing it, that was 6 years ago, and a year after that (so 2 years) it was insane!!! Was, ha, still is!!

[@Bambina336]

I have a big tree in my yard and last year found them coming from the inside of it, near the root. Hundreds of them. The tree is still blooming but I did see some dead brunches so I'm guessing its dying from the inside out. The tree is at least 60+ years old and I'd, love to keep it but don't know now if there is a way to save it. :(

[@fromsurvivingtothriving6425]

Have you checked the tree for aphids? Aphids feed the ants

[@missyleonis]

I'm in tx, the most common ants I see are fire ants or army ants. I hate fire ants with a passion because once when I was 5 I got covered from head to toe with them stinging me. I still have some minor scars from that 29 yrs later. Not a big fan of army ants because I spent dome time growing up in the country and had run ins with them as well, though not as bad. Those ants I want to destroy with napalm. We have black sugar ants ant little strawberry ants too, ant those I can tolerate. They're kinda sweet. The fire ants ant army ants are mean sobs. They're as nasty as hornets or yellow jackets in my book. I know they all have a purpose, but they're mean. Kinda like blue jays and grackles. They're bullies

[@grumpyschnauzer]

I noticed some of my potted plants on the deck have an increased aphid population… then I noticed some stray carpenter ants lurking on the deck. I can’t locate the nest and a few years ago they were feasting on our nearby cedar tree. We eradicated them from that tree but I couldn’t figure out why I’m seeing them around the deck again. If the carpenter ants heard aphids could it be because the potted plants and not “damage”? Thank you for the info.

[@richards.9257]

Valuable and interesting information presented in a fun/creative way, as always. You and Zack are a great team. The weather report was hilarious. :) Marsha, Phoenix, AZ

[@ZaneMedia]

Richard S. hahaha thanks Marsha I must admit, I had fun putting that bit together! Also yes I’m extremely lucky to be able to work alongside my father & the fact that were both able to come together as a team and do what we both love is AWESOME!

[@pamelakeller1693]

I wish I had an ant eater here in east Texas, They could eat up all the nasty fire ants. The ants get into my raised garden beds and bite me all the time. No good uses here.

[@coastalncgardeningwithnico5335]

cinnamon works for me on fire ants. I only use it when they are where I need to go. They seek out areas that won't be disturbed, so if you have areas you mow they will travel to the area with the least vibration which unfortunately is our garden beds. I found a large mound in my grass last year and had my kids mow around it. No fire ants in my garden bed near it. I am hoping it works this year too.

[@kimberlysmith258]

put some ants from another colony in a nest and watch the games begin!!

[@1new-man]

Ants are a termites worst enemy. feel extra blessed when you see ant "hills" close to the house. Because they are well fed and you can bet termites are on the menu!

[@autumnsglass]

Supporting evidence? I've read they pose a problem to each other.

[@bettysmith7045]

@@autumnsglass generally speaking Carpenter Ants will in fact attack and eat termites, BUT that is only if they are both competing for territory.

[@madtabby66]

Carpenter ants will destroy a house faster than termites.

[@kmw4359]

@@madtabby66 yep, I used to live in a housing development that was surrounded by a planted forest. Huge issues with carpenter ants and sometimes termites, too.

[@fannylang6525]

Thanks for your informative videos. I watched this one because I built a raised garden bed and there are ants crawling all over the surface of the soil (and wood chips that are on top of that). The various baby plants have been gobbled up by something and I’m wondering if it’s the ants. Do ants destroy vegetables and flowers?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Not usually but the can clear a path.

[@slayer2450]

I used to love playing with ants as a kid. I always had them crawling around on my hand. I'm surprised that I've never been bit by any ants aside from fire ants.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

They and most animals can pickup on our intentions.

[@247Hardworker]

Thanks for sharing.ive tried everything so far and I have had no luck. Time for a new strategy.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Try getting and spreading a load of wood chips in one part to speed up soil improvement.

[@BurtBowers]

Its generally a sign of termite damage in the walls.

[@silverpromidi]

Thank you, I have learnt a LOT about the HUGE nest that is a couple of houses down from us and the ants like to travel across our place in search of food :/ but also about the ants that are in our yard, and yes our soil is pretty crappy - backfill - so time to get the soil nutrition back up and at it methinks.

[@terrywereb7639]

Ants also tell you the ground your home sits on is saturated with water. Those small ants with the mounds..move out of the ground and into your house when the ground is too moist for them!

[@michellelove34]

You are absolutely correct! That's what my problem is. What can be done? Is that bad

[@laurieparis2203]

@@michellelove34 find their nest and when things dry up, heat a stock pot of water, boric acid and dishwasher detergent, pour it slowly on their hill.

[@michellelove34]

@@laurieparis2203 There are MULTIPLE mounds all over my front and back yard and now they are in certain rooms in the house

[@laurieparis2203]

@@michellelove34 oh jeez, ya, you gotta get on it before it gets any worse! It's best when the ground is dry, bc the boiling water, boric acid and detergent gets down deeper in their tunnels. Don't stir the top, or you'll collapse the tunnels entrance. You'll be amazed at how much water disappears into the earth. Best if luck with it! 🌱

[@michellelove34]

@@laurieparis2203 Thanks Laurie!

[@DoesItReallyMatter25]

You are a treasure trove of outdoor knowledge ! So happy to have found your channel. Your videos are so great to watch. Thank you for sharing!! 🥳

[@morethanmortal8362]

Thank you

[@wiezyczkowata]

we have loads of brown-black carpenter ants, they don't go into house even tho it's made of wood but they live in tree stumps that were left, they basically walk all over the garden but not in the house, problem is - 2 of those stumps are in the middle of the vegetable garden so we are looking to have their nests moved somethere else

[@StefanSobkowiak]

They don’t harm vegetables.

[@wiezyczkowata]

@@StefanSobkowiak no, but they tend to attack me when I try to weed, they think i'm going to destroy their nest, their tiny bites don't hurt but it's kind of annoying, but A+ for them for trying :-)

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Aha got it.

[@corithefrugalflower]

I once was renting an upper floor flat of a house (this was late 80's 😉) and was constantly having issues with Carpenter Ants.....I can remember telling the owner that he has a serious structure problem due to those ants and he should investigate. I don't think he believed me! Lol!!

[@tnijoo5109]

As a general rule, landlords never believe tenants. The building would need to collapse first and then MAYBE they would consider there were carpenter ants.

[@secretofsinging]

I love the way you treat the ants. We have TINY ants in our kitchen and we can't find where they nest in the basement. I know that Boric acid and sugar mixed (with a bit of water) kills them..but I just want to make their site sour so they leave...possible...any suggestion, please? ?? Greetings from Ontario.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Diatomaceous earth works well in the house, just spread it and squish it into their holes.

[@secretofsinging]

Thank you. I will try it.@@StefanSobkowiak

[@mssavedin92]

gotta be careful using wood chips too. Certain types of chipped wood, they also love.

[@ZaneMedia]

mssavedin92 thanks for the info!!

[@YSLRD]

I live in a carpenter ant infested swamp. Last winter they ate the paper bags that I stored my cannas in. Today I found their frass under the cats' scratching post ( solid wood). I had to stop using cardboard weed block because they love it.

[@ritachurch6329]

Whenever I repot some plants I find the bottom of the pot alive with very tiny ants. What are they? They seem to carve tunnels through the roots of the plant.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Sorry I don’t identify ants.

[@butchmetzger7023]

Not sure what it indicates if anything but one of the funniest sights I ever saw was a bunch of ants that got falling-down-drunk on over ripe fallen pears. In the days before video games I had been watching this bunch of ants for a while. They started out working together to carry off a grasshopper that was way bigger than they were. They marched in orderly rows all over the area. Until they got their bellies full of rotting pears. Then they started fighting each other and couldn't stand up to do a good job of fighting! Some of them apparently just passed out. I hadn't been feeling good that day but laughing at those creatures made me forget my bellyache at least for the time! Thanks for another great video!

[@ZaneMedia]

butch metzger hahaha good old look back

[@riverunner9978]

🤣🤣

[@ruthpresutti4472]

That’s hilarious! Once I had an apple tree and a crazy acting raccoon. My husband was worried it might have rabies and called the authorities on it! They took one look at that critter and said it was drunk! We were very relieved....and happy for the raccoon! Have fun enjoying nature! There is so much to learn on this planet!

[@honeybadger8942]

You sound like my son.He was always watching ants,spiders,grasshoppers,frogs and other animals.Now he's busy with video games.

[@philam1973]

In the Philippines here we have sections of out property with a very small red ant that bite and sting bad

[@georgettepeterson3442]

Boil mint tea. Put the dry bags near doorways. It keeps the bugs out.

[@tw33ty4u]

Ants in the back garden, take out alot of sand from under the patio and then i have loose paving, using cimamon power helps orange peels cucumber too. When the cones get high, these ants are ready to fly.

[@KawakebAstra]

Love ♥️😎U & ants♥️🐜yes r great indicators .. but .. since my garden is now permaculture I have no more fire ants & lots of worms .. ♥️😂super info about the rain forecasting

[@hope2029]

Stephan, you are so full of wisdom, did you gain all of these insights from pure observation or did you also go to school for this? I am so appreciative of your insights. Thank you! 😊🐜

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Both, spent my 20s in school, observed all my life.