Dry Sandy Soil with Termites.. Advice Please

[itchybromusic]

IMHO anything that requires you to be deep in the trenches fighting will loose you the war 

the only way IMO is bugs , bugs kill bugs & are allot better then us at it 

maybe here http://goodbugshop.com.au/wordpress/

 

 

your termites are chasing cool damp spots like under a well watered pot ,

" i think ",  they like anaerobic conditions , which means things like EM-1 could be good

at pissing them off or do the exact opposite & feed them but either way that moisture is

going to be a prob for you i think so offer alternatives google Trap Plants for termites ,

don't know if there are any but worth a look , lemon scented plants are often pest deterrents

 

you can buy beneficial seed mixes that you could put in pot around the place to attract

bene's , some sort of native seed mix especially local varieties which will have a better 

chance at survival in your area 

 

just found this not sure if this is a Oz site 

http://killtermitesguide.com/how-to-kill-termites-naturally/

There are small worms known as Parasitic Nematodes that feed on microscopic creatures such as bacteria and fungi. Interestingly,

there are a few groups of these parasitic Nematodes that are known for feeding on small insects such as termites. This is a form of

biological control one can use to introduce a natural predator into the termite colony and let nature take its course. Using these small

Nematodes is an extremely effective way to remove a stubborn termite infestation. To find Parasitic Nematodes for this purpose, you

can search online stores or your local pesticide store.

 

Using orange oil can be effective because it contains the active compound known as d-limonene. This compound is powerful enough

to kill termites on contact. Dry wood termite colonies with well defined boundaries are most vulnerable to orange oil treatments. Neem

oil is another effective botanical treatment for ousting termites. It is extracted from the Asian neem tree and must be directly ingested

by the termites in order to have the desired effect. When using Neem oil, it is usually necessary to repeat the application several times

before the entire colony is eliminated.

 

[Train Wreck]

Growing plants in the bush is like a magnet to termites.

You are supplying them with everything they desire, fresh young food and moisture

Termites will usually travel within the top 30cm of the soil.

 

Spraying or killing them when you find them will have little to no effect on the colony unless you are using products designed for them to take it back to the nest and infect them all

You can create a chemical barrier around your site, much like a pest controller will create one around a house.

You need to use a chemical that will bond to the soil, use enough to soak down to at least 30cm and create a ring around your grow area.

This will not be effective if the termite colony live within the boundry

Edited August 1, 2016 by Train Wreck

[Qwobbler]

Just put in 3 times as many to account for losses

 

this has crosses our minds aswell hahahah just dont have enough of the good seed stock, so need to make sure these 10 go well we think alike tho bill

 

IMHO anything that requires you to be deep in the trenches fighting will loose you the war 

the only way IMO is bugs , bugs kill bugs & are allot better then us at it 

maybe here http://goodbugshop.com.au/wordpress/

 

 

your termites are chasing cool damp spots like under a well watered pot ,

" i think ",  they like anaerobic conditions , which means things like EM-1 could be good

at pissing them off or do the exact opposite & feed them but either way that moisture is

going to be a prob for you i think so offer alternatives google Trap Plants for termites ,

don't know if there are any but worth a look , lemon scented plants are often pest deterrents

 

you can buy beneficial seed mixes that you could put in pot around the place to attract

bene's , some sort of native seed mix especially local varieties which will have a better 

chance at survival in your area 

 

just found this not sure if this is a Oz site 

http://killtermitesguide.com/how-to-kill-termites-naturally/

There are small worms known as Parasitic Nematodes that feed on microscopic creatures such as bacteria and fungi. Interestingly,

there are a few groups of these parasitic Nematodes that are known for feeding on small insects such as termites. This is a form of

biological control one can use to introduce a natural predator into the termite colony and let nature take its course. Using these small

Nematodes is an extremely effective way to remove a stubborn termite infestation. To find Parasitic Nematodes for this purpose, you

can search online stores or your local pesticide store.

 

Using orange oil can be effective because it contains the active compound known as d-limonene. This compound is powerful enough

to kill termites on contact. Dry wood termite colonies with well defined boundaries are most vulnerable to orange oil treatments. Neem

oil is another effective botanical treatment for ousting termites. It is extracted from the Asian neem tree and must be directly ingested

by the termites in order to have the desired effect. When using Neem oil, it is usually necessary to repeat the application several times

before the entire colony is eliminated.

 

Always good info from you itchy, always make my mind run round and round with so many options hahaha 

 

Cheers 

 

Growing plants in the bush is like a magnet to termites.

You are supplying them with everything they desire, fresh young food and moisture

Termites will usually travel within the top 30cm of the soil.

 

Spraying or killing them when you find them will have little to no effect on the colony unless you are using products designed for them to take it back to the nest and infect them all

You can create a chemical barrier around your site, much like a pest controller will create one around a house.

You need to use a chemical that will bond to the soil, use enough to soak down to at least 30cm and create a ring around your grow area.

This will not be effective if the termite colony live within the boundry

 

Used to be a pestie, back in thew day of crawling around under houses digging trenches around every pillar and boundry hahaha what a job ay! This is also on the cards, maybe digging a trench around my fence line and praying they arnt inside... cheers for your thought TW

 

 

 

we've also considered diging a large hole and filling with saw dust and watering every time the girls get watered, hoping the termites like this a bit more than the girls..

 

We really want to just get them in the ground, as explained in the first post, we did have some success, and i guess having good drainage there wont be too much water sitting under the plants constantly.... thinking of flood irrigating the whole area so say a 10 x 10 area is evenly soaked, that way they have to find the plants roots rather than be attracted... im sure there are nicer pieces of bark/wood under the sandy soil which they will find more appetising? 

 

Cheers everyone

[itchybromusic]

Neem oil & neem cake are both here in Oz 

Top dressing neem cake will help protect & feed your plant NPK+ & worms love it 

Kelp Meal & neem Cake teas & neem oil we all know about also rosemary oil is a good pesticide 

Aloe vera to increase your SAR systemic acquired resistance in your plants , malted barley top dressing

will add lots of enzymes to the soil one of those being Chitinase which helps increase plant health ,

non of these things could do anything to stop termites but will increase the health of the plant to try & defend itself 

the first plant that gets attacked is the most unhealthy one  

def need a IPM plan of regular protection measures regardless if you see probs or not , protect anyway 

 

Don't use chems , think what your leaving behind , easiest option is not always the best option 

i know it's a tough gig but cropping at any cost is not cool IMO

[brick]

There are some sharp stones that can keep them away. You will just need to dig a 40cm trench and then lay these rocks/stone in  and back fill. Cant remember what type they are but I have read about them. They are very sharp for the soft bodied termites and they apparently don't like them. You will have to research them on google. There is also a stainless mesh called termi mesh that builders use and is only sold to builders. But if you ring them up and say you are building a chicken coop or something similar they will sell it to you. Not sure what it costs but in some states it is now compulsory to use this stuff under the house frames. It is not cheap bit it does work.

Edited August 2, 2016 by brick

[Qwobbler]

Brainstorming still..... How about Pots with the bottoms cut out and dug into the ground... if they only travel in the top of the soil they wont dig down and under the pot right? or old car tyres buried? deep enough ya's think? or 20lt oil drums with the boom cut off?

 

Really dont want pots for these girls, they need to show me maximum potential!

[itchybromusic]

geopots wouldn't need anything cut off , if buried ,

i would think , roots would grow straight though the sides 

 

not that i'm an expert in termites but the little reading i've 

done says they like cool damp spots with little air so i think

if you build it they will come , they don't really like roots but will eat them 

 

 

what about this , from here http://homeguides.sfgate.com/termites-potted-plants-64474.html

 

Potted plants at risk from termite damage should never be in direct contact with the ground.

Most termites will enter these pots from the bottom. The moisture that potted plants leak into

the nearby soil attracts many types of termites, especially during the height of the summer.

Move any uninfested potted plants to a cement patio or a rock garden with several inches of

rock or sand between the pot's bottom and the ground. Even placing at-risk planters on bricks

or cement blocks can prevent termites from tunneling into them.

[billygoat]

The last plants I grew outdoors were only 5m from a massive termite mound... And they were not attacked by them... Perhaps I was lucky ? Saw a few posts on here with big plants getting destroyed by them... It's a tough one, but for all the hassle of trying to stop them getting to the plants, I would just run the risk and increase numbers. Unless the pot is completely sealed when you bury it, I doubt you will keep them out without chemical use.

[itchybromusic]

The last plants I grew outdoors were only 5m from a massive termite mound... And they were not attacked by them... Perhaps I was lucky ? Saw a few posts on here with big plants getting destroyed by them... It's a tough one, but for all the hassle of trying to stop them getting to the plants, I would just run the risk and increase numbers. Unless the pot is completely sealed when you bury it, I doubt you will keep them out without chemical use.

 

But your not or weren't using chems right 

so biology at your joint is diff to that of Q's being he is in a dry sandy

soil so any excess moisture round the place is going to attract lots of

things good & bad so chems might get rid of one lot but that constant 

moisture in a dry environment will continue to attract the good the bad

& the ugly 

[billygoat]

True. No Chems used here.

 

And while my soil isn't sandy, was still very dry most of the time.