[Cob] Ant challenges

[linda royles]

Dear Bill

Thanks for the question. I would also be interested to hear from anone with experience of ants.  

You have got me thinking as as we are part way through a community build (5.5m circular structure) here in a meadow in north London, UK, and we have numerous ant hills of the meadow ant (Lasius flavus), as near neighbours. 

Some ants - like some builders,  make use of the thermal properties of earth. Yellow meadow ants build earth mounds to collect and store warmth from the sun, and to regulate the humidity of their under ground living quarters.  I think to get to our answer, we need to find out about the ants in our hood and what conditions they like.

 Based on this email, we will be testing the ph of our ant hills - and the surrounding meadow which I ASSUME is acid, but it would be a smart move to do some top soil tests. 

 I am thinking whether the use of lime - which is alkaline,  is a good choice - both as a sacrificial coat on our building, and to possibly manage any ants with ideas of moving in. I too would like to encourage these amazing creatures to self build elsewhere. 
Linda Royles

Cob in the Community 
T0208 3741033 
M07971881229


On 19 Nov 2011, at 20:30, William Milmoe <wmilmoe at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ant challenges
> 
> I am interested in building with cob here in the Northwestern part of USA.
> One of my friends built a cob bench a few years ago and had to do major
> restoration this year because ants hollowed out the bench for living
> quarters.  Has anyone else had this challenge?  Any modifications required
> in our mostly wet then mostly dry climate to prevent ant move ins?
> 
> Thank you so very much.
> 
> Bill
> _______________________________________________
> Coblist mailing list
> Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist

Linda Royles
T0208 3741033 
M07971881229


On 19 Nov 2011, at 20:30, William Milmoe <wmilmoe at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ant challenges
> 
> I am interested in building with cob here in the Northwestern part of USA.
> One of my friends built a cob bench a few years ago and had to do major
> restoration this year because ants hollowed out the bench for living
> quarters.  Has anyone else had this challenge?  Any modifications required
> in our mostly wet then mostly dry climate to prevent ant move ins?
> 
> Thank you so very much.
> 
> Bill
> _______________________________________________
> Coblist mailing list
> Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist