Talked extensively yesterday with Olinda Rasmijn about various topics, and one of them was the large Army Ants or “Bachaca’s” as they are known locally
These critters have been creating havoc in the yard and the damage they can cause overnight in the garden in inmeasurable. From eating all the freshly formed lemon buds that can grow into full grown lemons, to destroying conpllete Bouganville plants, by biring and taking most of the leaves of the Bouganvilles to their nest that can be more then 200m away.
The trick Olinda says is to go out at night time, around 8.30-9pm after the sun has set and it becomes cooler, and inspect the plants for these Bachaca’s
Then just follow the trail to their nest.
Now here is the difference!!
Everybody tells me, PUT POISON AND KILL THE ANTS!!!
This is completely against my way of thinking, since it is the poison that destroys everything else and all the remaining fauna.
She says, just pour some Apple Cider around the nest. This will disorient the Bachaca’s so that they can not smell anymore. The effect of this is, that they will not forage anymore to the plants and fruit trees in question. The colony will die, without having exposed nature to more poisonous stuff, of which there is enough already.
Will post our progress …
