Ants are insects that normally do not cause damage to plants, but sometimes we will have to keep their population under control, especially if we have had or are having problems with aphids.
For this we can use both homemade products and insecticides bought at a nursery or garden store. But how to get rid of ants quickly and effectively?
Index
- 1 Home remedies to eliminate ants
- 2 Insecticides to kill the plague
Home remedies to get rid of ants
As long as the plague has not spread too far and the plants are not showing too weak yet, it is highly advisable to use home remedies. These products are things that, as their name suggests, we have at home and, furthermore, they are not going to harm the environment .
Before going directly to insecticides, it is convenient to try the following remedies first:
- Lemon :
- We will cut one in half and pass it through the trunks of the plants.
- We will squeeze it to extract its juice and fill a spray bottle with it to spray it wherever there are ants.
- Cinnamon : either in powder or in oil. It is applied where the insects are, it can even be sprinkled on the surface of the substrate.
- Diatomaceous earth: or diatomine, as it is also known, is composed of fossilized algae that are used as fertilizer. But it has also proven to be very effective at repelling ants, and you just have to spread it where you don’t want them to go.
- Vinegar – Combined with water and used to clean the floor. Do not use on plants.
Insecticides to kill the pest
When the ant plague is great we can use any universal insecticide. It is convenient to read the labels well since there are products that can be applied to plants and there are others that cannot. These last ones are the ones that are sold in supermarkets (yes, also the Home and Garden) and can cause a lot of damage to the leaves and flowers.
In addition, it is convenient to observe the plant and see if it has any other pest . As we mentioned at the beginning, ants usually appear when aphids are damaging plants.
This way we can have our plants free of these insects.
