Ants are a normal and almost certain part of farming. How can we keep them away without using harsh chemicals?
It seems inevitable: Things look great as we plant our crops and enjoy the rest of spring and summer… until we start to see those red mounds with ant trails that mean they’re taking over. Ants are so sneaky. One day they’re not there, and the next our fields and the delicious food we worked so hard to grow are full of them.
An army of ants that cover everything is not the same thing as a few helpful ants. Even though you can’t stop all the ants that want to move in, it’s important to remember that ants are good for the yard in some ways because they help the soil breathe.
It’s time to look at natural ways to get rid of the vast majority of them so that our plants are safe. This is especially important when there are a lot of ant hills.
What Plants Help Deter Ants?
One of the best ways to protect ourselves is to know what kinds of plants keep ants away. Plus, a lot of these plants may be ones you already want in your yard, which is a bonus. There are many herbs that can keep ants away, and many of them look beautiful in any yard. These are the choices:
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Catnip
- Peppermint
- Mint
- Thyme
- Tansy
In addition to the herbs that naturally keep these pests away, planting garlic in your yard is also a great way to keep them away.
When there are too many ants and plants that keep them away aren’t working, it’s time to try natural treatments that are safe for plants, pets, and people but do work to reduce the number of ants. There are many natural ways to keep pests away from your yard that don’t involve plants.
Ants on Plants: 4 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Them
- Cinnamon: putting cinnamon on your garden works, but it costs a little more than other choices.
- Lemon Juice: Mix 50/50 lemon juice and water and spray all over. Ants depend on scent trails to stay alive, but the lemon kills them.
- Vegetable vinegar: Like lemon juice, a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water will kill ants on touch and destroy their scent trail. First, test a small area. After a day, look for burn lines on the plants. Vinegar can be very harsh on more delicate leaves.
- Cayenne or Black Pepper : You can either sprinkle cayenne or black pepper directly on the soil or mix them with water (2 tablespoons for every cup of water) and spray it on your plant. Like with vinegar, test the pepper spray on a small area and wait a day to see if it hurts any leaves that are more easily hurt.
When you hear the word “diatomaceous earth,” or DE, you should picture a fine powder that looks like talc and is made up of fossilized sea phytoplankton. Even though this might make you think twice, it is a very safe and effective way to keep pests out of your yard. It works especially well for getting rid of ants.
A lot of people are surprised to learn that we eat DE more often than they think. It is found in a lot of grain-based foods because it helps keep bugs from eating the grains while the foods are being stored. It is completely safe for people to eat.
Organic diatomaceous earth of good quality is easy to find online or at almost any yard supply store. To use DE, just put it on hills and trails immediately. Spread DE around the edges of your plant every so often during the growing season to help keep ants away from the start.
Even though pests are one of the most common pests in gardens, remember that they don’t have to be hard to get rid of. Any of these ways to get rid of ants will help you and your plants have a happy, healthier garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Causes Ants In My Houseplants?
However, ants will come into your home to either find a place to nest or, more likely, to find food. Ants are usually drawn inside by leftover food, like in a messy kitchen. This is not what they eat, so how did they get there? An ant problem in your house plants could be caused by two main things:
You brought the container inside from outside, where ants had either made a nest in the dirt or were just moving through it.
There are other bugs on your flowers that make honeydew, which ants love. It could be aphids, scales, mealybugs, or whiteflies.
Are Ants In My Indoor Plants Damaging?
Most of the time, ants don’t hurt plants. If your flowers are hurt and ants are the only thing that can explain it, it’s probably not just the honeydew that the ants are drawn to.
Do Houseplants Attract Ants?
Ants usually don’t come to houseplants. Ants are drawn to pests that make honeydew. If these bugs are on your houseplants, ants might come after them.
Do Coffee Grounds Repel Ants?
You can keep ants away from your plants by putting coffee grounds around them. Ants don’t like the smell of coffee.
Ants are ugly, but they don’t usually do any harm. Clean up after them often to keep them away, and use nest bait to get rid of the ones you already have.