How to eliminate ants from the garden

Ants are one of the pests most feared by most gardeners and gardening enthusiasts, and in large numbers they can be terribly harmful. That is why there are many who are looking for the best home remedies to eliminate ants from the garden . Before starting, of course, it is very important to remember that ants, regardless of their specific species, are only harmful when it is a really large pest and 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 they help aerate and remove the soil, in addition to providing organic matter.

In this article we will explain how to eliminate ants from the garden , focusing on those that are ecological and natural and leaving aside chemical pesticides that are harmful to the earth and the environment.

How to kill ants with rice

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

1. Put on gloves to work with the rice without leaving your smell impregnated so that the bait works well and, if the ants in your garden are small, use a mortar to break up the rice grains and make it easier for them to take it away.
2. Fill the bottle with rice and put some wooden tweezers or a stick on the spout so that turning it over and sticking it into the ground helps keep it stable.
3. Leave the nozzle a little less than 1 cm away from the surface and in a shady area about 1 or 2 meters from the anthill, so that the grains fall as the ants carry them away.
4. Once in the anthill, the starch in the rice will absorb all the moisture, killing the fungi that support the ants. In addition, if this were not enough, when the rice ferments, the gases released will kill many of them, significantly reducing their population or even causing them to move.

How to eliminate ants in the garden with vinegar

Eliminating ants from the garden with vinegar is very simple.

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

Diatomaceous earth to kill ants

The so-called diatomaceous earth is actually microscopic algae fossils. 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 on the leaves of plants to protect them from both pests and intense sun.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is another of the most common ant killing products , as well as another totally harmless for plants.

To use cinnamon to get rid of ants in the garden , simply sprinkle it along the paths that ants use to get around and at the entrance to their anthill. It takes time to work, but it will eventually force them to leave.

Lemon juice

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

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

Coffee grounds

What remains in the coffee pot after boiling the coffee is also an excellent repellent for insects , 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 end up leaving.

In addition, the coffee grounds act as a natural fertilizer, providing nutrients to the soil.

Water to eliminate an infestation of ants

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

Prepare at least one liter of water and pour it very carefully in the area around the anthill, this will flood the area 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 mixture of baking powder with sugar and water near the anthill. The sugar will attract them and they will carry the mixture into the anthill, where the sugar and yeast will ferment, causing the gases to deplete them.

Garlic infusion

To use the garlic infusion to kill the ants in the garden, follow these instructions:

1. Let a head of garlic soak for 48 hours.
2. Then boil it in that same water for about 20 minutes.
3. Strain the result and apply it with a spray on the areas to be treated, always first thing in the morning or late at night.

With a cork seedbed

The so-called carpeto method consists of placing a cork seedbed or a similar material upside down, in the area affected by the pest. Water it two or three times a week and it won’t take long for 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 do not interfere with us.

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.
• 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 ant hills.
• Cotton, tied with wire, prevents them from passing through where it is fixed.
• Rue, infused and powdered.
• The roots of the tagetes patula plant are killed or driven away, so you can cultivate it.
• Cabbage or purple cabbage near the anthill of cutter ants.
• Crushed peppers and sprayed with water on the affected areas.
• Dish 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.