Though ants may seem like bothersome pests, they actually provide essential benefits in a garden. Ants protect aphids and other sap-sucking insects from predators while “milking” their sweet honeydew secretions for sustenance.
To effectively eliminate ants without resorting to toxic chemicals, try these natural and non-toxic solutions:
1. Diatomaceous Earth
If you want to rid your vegetable garden of ants naturally, there are several natural methods you can try. While they may not be as effective, these natural solutions won’t harm the plants, family, pets or the soil and should provide peace of mind for everyone involved.
First, it is necessary to identify which species of ant is invading your vegetable patch. Different ant species inhabit different environments and require various treatments – red imported fire ants and carpenter ants require different controls than garden or worker ants, for instance. You will then have to locate their nest which could be hidden among tall grass or another structure.
One of the most efficient ways to kill ants is with diatomaceous earth (DE). DE is an extremely fine powder made of fossilized single-celled algae with microscopic sharp edges that penetrate ant exoskeletons, leading to their dehydration and eventual death. DE is safe for humans, animals and plants alike and may be used indoors or out.
Apply a thin layer of food-grade DE to protect plants that you want to shield from ants, making sure that it’s applied during a dry day and reapplied after rain or sprinklers have occurred.
Nematodes, or small worms with parasitic proclivities that enter an ant’s body cavity and release bacteria into it, can also help kill them effectively from within. Nematodes are safe options for gardeners as they’re nontoxic to pets, children and plants alike and won’t harm pollinators such as bees.
Natural ant repellents such as ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper are effective natural solutions that can keep insects away from your garden vegetables. Both can be applied by spraying a thick line around the perimeter of a raised garden bed to keep ants at bay.
3. Insecticidal Soap
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Ants are amazing creatures, and can also be great allies when dealing with pests such as aphids, scales, whiteflies and mealybugs in your garden. Ants will typically protect these sap-sucking pests from predators so they can “milk” their sugary honeydew secretions back to their own colonies where it will be shared among queens – an arrangement known as colony interdependence.
However, when the ant population becomes excessively large, they can damage your plants and even cause root rot – particularly with vegetables like potatoes that require deep soil for optimal growth. Ants can also damage soil structure by tunneling through it.
There are various natural and safe techniques for getting rid of ants in a vegetable garden, and those looking to avoid chemicals in their garden will appreciate these non-toxic solutions.
One effective method for eliminating ants from your garden is insecticidal soap. This liquid can easily kill them by damaging their lungs and blocking their breathing holes, and you can purchase or make it yourself at home by mixing liquid dishwashing soap and water together in a spray bottle and applying directly on any nesting ants or the colony itself. You may also use a garden sprinkler regularly to moisten soil regularly, which makes it harder for ants to establish colonies there.
5. Boiling Water
Ants may seem like they can do harm in your garden, but in reality they’re beneficial creatures! Ants pollinate plants and aerate the soil while helping pollinate seedlings with pollen from nearby flowers. Unfortunately, however, their colonies can quickly become out of hand, damaging seedlings, rotting mulches and raising pest populations like aphids. For optimal control against an infestation use natural techniques which won’t harm anyone (you, pets or beneficial insects in the garden).
Boiling water can be used effectively to kill ants. But be careful when performing this method: the hot water could burn any that come in direct contact with it and reach all corners of the colony if used alone; to maximize effectiveness use this strategy in combination with others to eliminate multiple colonies simultaneously.
Borax can also be an effective means of eliminating ants in vegetable gardens. When mixed with lemon juice, it becomes toxic to ants, slowly killing them off over time. Safe for use around vegetables as well as use against other insects like grubs and caterpillars.
White vinegar and neem oil can also be combined to effectively control ant populations in your vegetable garden. Neem oil acts as an effective ant repellent because it suffocates them while stopping their hormones from working properly, so neem oil should work just fine in this regard. You can find it at many home and garden stores or online; alternatively beneficial nematodes may also work very effectively at controlling populations of ants.