Ants are one of the few critters that can be listed on both the “good” and “bad” list. Generally ants are considered beneficial, but they can truly be a pest as well! Not only can they bite you if you get too close, but they also keep aphids alive and protect them in order to collect their honeydew! Most ants create their homes in the ground by digging tunnels which supply air and moisture down into your roots. Many ants are also predators that attack smaller pests in the garden. Ants can also pollinate flowers and distribute seeds around.
Treatment Options:
- Get rid of aphids in your garden!
- Sprinkle cinnamon or cayenne pepper over the areas of issue
- Pour boiling water over the anthill
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth over areas you want to protect. Be careful though: DE can harm beneficial insects as well if they come in contact with it.
- Try making a DIY borax and sugar poison trap
Plants to Especially Watch:
- Young seedlings
- Weak plants
- Plants that are infested with aphids already!
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4 thoughts on “Garden Pests: How to Manage Ants in Your Garden”
Blocking access into trees and shrubs in which plants cultivate aphid or scale helps too. Natural predators tend to control the aphid and scale deprived of the protection of ants, and the ants lose their source of food.