By Victoria Torley

After several years of gardening in Costa Rica, you would think I would know how to rid the area of those... ( insert favorite cuss word here) ...leaf-cutter ants.

I don’t.

At least not completely and not all at once.

They are sneaky little devils with huge nests and lots of workers. But I have developed some tactics to keep them at bay, so here are some tips and suggestions. 

Pick your method of destruction! I am partial to Myrex and Omitox, chemical compounds that kill the fungus that the ants grow in their “gardens.” They have a lot of gardens. For those of you partial to a more “natural” method, I suggest Bimbo White Bread.

Yes, bread. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is “natural” because it is the chemical fungicide in the bread that does the job of killing the fungal gardens. Both methods work and both have the same requirements. The product has to be on an active trail and kept dry. You knew there was a catch, right? Dry in our climate? Here’s how:

Wash and dry several large empty soda bottles. Make a cut leaving a canopy to keep the material dry and cover the ants as they enter and exit.

Fill the bottles with what you hope will be the ants’ favorite “snack.” Set the bottle on an active trail with the opening pointing toward the nest. Tilt the bottom up slightly to prevent water from entering and allow some of the “snack” to slip into the opening.

Place the bottle in a shady area. If you have to place the bottle in the sun, cover it with dried grass and leaves or the bottle will sweat and ruin the “snack.” Make sure the bottle will not roll if it is windy. The main objective here is to keep the contents of the bottle dry and the bottle in one place.

The ants will not take Omitox or Myrex if it is wet. Pieces of Bimbo bread may also be placed in a bottle.

How much “snack” should be used? That depends on the size of the nest. A large nest can take a kilo or more in multiple containers over at least a week. Keep at it until no more foraging ants are coming from the nest.

Now it is a wait-and-see game. I have had ants that were partial to Omitox but ignored Myrex and vice-versa. 

All the ants seem to like the bread but it takes longer for it to do its work. To get control of the marauders, get out there daily to make sure the traps are dry and keep them refilled.

Plant for the week. This is a great little berry from a little ground cover we have growing here and there. Although not edible (no, I haven’t tried it), it does make a lovely natural dye for cloth. Sorry, no name yet.

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For more information on this article, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached by emailing at victoriatorley1@gmail.com