Are you bothered by ants in your garden? If yes, don’t worry because there are alternative solutions to your problem. Ants are small insects that have amazing collective intelligence. As summer approaches, you can observe ants walking to and from in your garden, which is quite disappointing.
Meanwhile, before learning to get rid of ants in your garden, let us know more about ants.
Advantages of Ants for Your Garden
You may not know it, but ants have advantages to your garden.
Enhance Pollination Rates
Since pollinator populations reduce, you may find it hard to achieve bountiful harvests from your fruit crops. Fortunately, ants are natural and unintentional pollinators.
Natural Pest Control
Just like other bugs, ants can also help to control pests. They do this by eating their eggs or disturbing them on feeding. Ants are also considered as a great biological control agent that some gardeners use for their Integrated Pest Management technique.
Supports a Healthy Ecosystem
Ants also support a healthy ecosystem. It aerates the soil, which digs tunnels that carry oxygen, nutrients, and water to the roots of the plant. They are also beneficial in speeding up the organic materials’ decomposition, including dead insects and leaves. With that, it can fertilize your plants.
Disadvantages of Ants for Your Garden
Apart from its advantages, ants also have disadvantages for your garden.
Brings Pain and Property Damage
There are 2 types of ant species that can bring trouble to your garden. These ants include fire ants, which sting when triggered. The venom of fire ants can bring you a painful wound, which can last for a few days. Unfortunately, you can have unpleasant harvesting if fire ants swarm in your plants.
On the other hand, your garden can be swarmed by carpenter ants. Even though they can’t sting like fire ants, they have strong jaws and spray formic acid, which can bring a burning sensation to the wound when they bite you. Carpenter ants constructed their nests in wood.
Adds Pest Populations
Ants can add pest populations. They can also move aphids to better plants or nest. Now that you have discovered about ants’ advantages and disadvantages, let us proceed with the ways to get rid of ants in the garden.
Natural Ways To Control Ants In Your Garden
Pour Boiling Water on the Ants’ Nest
If you know the ants’ nest, it is advisable to pour boiling water on it.
Nematodes
These are microscopic worms which are natural ant opponents. These can hunt ants. With that, ants find for new nest since they can’t stand their natural enemy nearby.
White Vinegar
You can pour 1 liter of white vinegar to the nest of the ant. Don’t worry, since it can’t harm your plants or ground, but it can kill the ants.
Sugar and Boric Acid
Sugar and boric acid are among the most effective home remedies to eliminate ants in your garden. You can mix the sugar and boric acid until it becomes a paste. You can place a few amounts of the paste around the ants’ nest. They can be drawn to the paste because they like sweet things. Once they eat the paste, they will start to die because of the boric acid.
Insect-Repelling Plants
Another way to get rid of ants in your garden is through insect-repelling plants. Some plants, especially those who come with essential oils, has a smell that was unwanted by insects.
Oil and Dishwashing Liquid
Oil and dishwashing liquid are effective in suffocating ants and begin to die. Create a mixture of half teaspoon of liquid dish soap and 1 quart of water and 1 ½ teaspoon of cooking oil (canola oil or olive oil) If the mixture is prepared, you can pour it into a spray bottle which you can use on the outside of ants nest. Meanwhile, you can also directly pour it to the nest of the ants.
Cayenne Pepper or Cinnamon
If you want to get rid of ants in your garden, you can sprinkle cayenne pepper or cinnamon around your plants. It can repel ants but can’t injure them.
Avoid Aphids and Sap-Sucking Pests
You must prevent aphids and sap-sucking pests. Thus, it can avoid them from contact with harvesting honeydew.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
The diatomaceous earth (DE) can work well, especially if the soil is dry. You can sprinkle it around the plants or on the ants’ path. The wetter the surface, the more it works to repel the ants in the garden.
Professional Ways to Control Ants In Your Garden
Now, you have discovered the natural ways of controlling ants in your garden. Let us know more about the professional ways to get rid of ants in your garden.
Ant Killer Gel
Ant killer gel can work like sugar and boric acid. Ants can be drawn to its sweet smell and begin to die. You don’t have to worry since it is not dangerous for your plants or garden.
Professional Extermination
If you want to stop ants from bothering you, you can prefer for professional extermination. It can be an efficient way to eliminate the ants in your home and your garden.
Ant Killer Poison
You can remove ants in the garden with the use of ant killer poison. With powder poisons, you can get rid both indoors and outdoors ants. This method is a little bit complicated, so you must take precautionary measures. Keep it away from your pets and children.
Conclusion
There we have it, getting rid of ants in your garden is possible. There are natural as well as professional methods of eliminating ants in your area. You just must choose the best one that can work well for you. If you want to eliminate ants without spending much of your money, you can opt for the natural ways mentioned above.
On the other hand, it is also beneficial to choose professional methods to control ants in your garden if you want professional extermination of ants. With this, you can have a hassle-free experience while harvesting your fruits and vegetables in your garden. What are you waiting for? Apply ant control now!
Source: https://gardening101.net/