Gardening Tips

How to get rid of ants in the garden

How to get rid of ants in the garden

Ants are one of the pests most feared by most horticulturists and garden enthusiasts, and in large numbers they can be terribly harmful. That is why there are many who are looking for which are the best home remedies to get rid of ants in the garden. Before starting, yes, it is very important to remember that ants, regardless of their specific species, are only harmful when it is a really numerous pest and they are accompanied by other pests and diseases, such as fungi or aphids. By themselves, the ants in the crop are not only not harmful, but also help to aerate and stir the soil, in addition to providing organic matter.

In this EcologíaVerde article we are going to explain how to get rid of ants in the gardenfocusing on those that are ecological and natural and leaving aside chemical pesticides that are harmful to the earth and the environment.

How to get rid of ants with rice

This is one of the most popular, ecological and easy to apply methods. you only need one small plastic bottle and white rice the cheapest you can buy, so that it is very rich in starch.

  1. Put on gloves to work with the rice without letting your smell impregnate it so that the bait works well and, if the ants in your garden are small in size, use a mortar to break the grains of rice and make it easier for them to carry it away.
  2. Fill the bottle with rice and put some wooden clothespins or a stick on the spout so that turning it upside down and sticking it into the ground helps keep it stable.
  3. Leave the nozzle a little less than 1 cm from the surface and in a shaded area about 1 or 2 meters from the anthill, so that the grains fall as the ants carry them away.
  4. Once in the nest, the starch in the rice will absorb all the moisture, killing the fungi that sustain the ants. Also, as if this were not enough, when the rice ferments, the gases emitted will kill many of them, significantly reducing their population or even causing them to move from one place to another.
How to get rid of ants in the garden - How to get rid of ants with rice

How to get rid of ants in the garden with vinegar

Eliminate ants from the garden with vinegar It is very simple.

  1. Mix 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water in a spray bottle or spray bottle.
  2. Use it directly on the affected plants, but not on the land you want to cultivate, as it makes the soil more acidic and many plants can be affected. It is usually used as a preventive, since it repels them.

Here we tell you more about Vinegar for plants: benefits and how to use it.

Diatomaceous earth to kill ants

The call diatomaceous earth they are actually fossils of microscopic algae. It is a white powder, which is used as a popular ecological insecticide, since it is inert and non-toxic, killing insects due to its drying capacity and because it cuts their chitin.

It is applied directly by sprinkling it on the ground, and it is also an excellent supply of minerals and other elements for the soil. It can also be applied to the leaves of plants to protect them from both pests and intense sun.

To learn more about this product before using it to eliminate ants from the garden, here we will tell you everything about What diatomaceous earth is and what it is for.

How to get rid of ants in the garden - Diatomaceous earth to get rid of ants

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is another ant removal products most common, as well as another completely harmless to plants.

For use cinnamon to get rid of ants in the garden, simply sprinkle it along the paths that ants use to travel and at the entrance to their nest. It takes time to give results, but it will end up forcing them to leave.

How to get rid of ants in the garden - Cinnamon

Lemon juice

A common remedy against these black ant pests in the orchard is he lemon juice.

  1. Squeeze the juice of one lemon.
  2. Spray it on the areas of the anthill and its paths.
  3. Another option is to cut the lemon in half or in slices and rub the trunks or areas that we want them to avoid with them.

Coffee grounds

What remains in the pot after boiling the coffee is also an excellent insect repellent, including ants. To use coffee grounds for ants in the orchard or garden, just follow these directions.

  1. Save the grounds every time you make coffee.
  2. Sprinkle them in the area you want the ants to avoid.
  3. Also put them near the entrance of their anthill, so they will eventually leave.

In addition, coffee grounds act as a natural fertilizer, providing nutrients to the soil. If you want to know more about this home remedy, here we talk about How to use coffee in the garden.

How to get rid of ants in the garden - Coffee grounds

Water to eliminate an ant infestation

This is a fairly drastic method that should be applied only when the nest is located far enough away from any plants that we do not want to flood.

Set up at least a liter of water and pour it very carefully in the area around the anthill, so the area will be flooded and the anthill will be dismantled, so the remaining ants will have to go to another area.

Yeast

Another very effective way to kill them is to prepare a baking powder mixture with sugar and water near the anthill. The sugar will attract them and they will take the mixture inside the anthill, where the sugar and yeast will ferment, causing the gases to deplete them.

garlic infusion

For use the infusion of garlic to kill ants in the garden follow these instructions:

  1. Let a head of garlic soak for 48 hours.
  2. Then boil it in the same water for about 20 minutes.
  3. Strain the result and apply it with a sprayer on the areas to be treated, always first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
How to eliminate ants from the garden - Garlic infusion

With a seedbed of cork

The call folder method It consists of placing a cork seedbed or a similar material face down, in the area affected by the plague. Water it two or three times a week and it won’t take long for the ants to colonize and move into it. After this, eliminating them there will be very simple with any of the previous methods or simply taking them to another place where they are not in the way.

Other methods to eliminate ants from the garden

There are many other common methods in the fight against these tireless insects, with different products or strategies. These other home remedies to eliminate ants from the garden:

  • Copper wire to prevent them from passing through.
  • Fruits of Paradise.
  • Borax with condensed milk or sugar. Be careful when using it and if there are small children or animals that are in the garden because boric acid or borax is toxic.
  • Sodium bicarbonate.
  • Vaseline to cover the entrance of the anthills.
  • Cotton, tied with wire, prevents them from passing through where it is fixed.
  • Rue, in infusion and pulverized.
  • The roots of the tagetes patula plant are killed or repelled, so you can grow it.
  • Cabbage or purple cabbage near the anthill of the leafcutter ants.
  • Crushed and pulverized peppers with water in the affected areas.
  • Dishwashing soap, mixed in a small teaspoon per liter of water and sprayed on the plant.
  • Potassium soap, diluted in water at 1 or 2% and sprayed on the area to be treated. Here we explain how to make potassium soap.

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