Get rid of ants living in your garden

Generally, we do not like to see ants in our gardens. Some people may be afraid of ant stings but that’s not all. Ants can also harm your plants by spreading aphids from one plant to another. If they live under the roots of plants they can destroy them completely and fast. Simply put, we do not like ants in our garden and definitely not in our homes. But cay you get rid of them?

Ant paradise

Human dwellings are full of goodies. Garden or house – people always have something ants really like. Sweets, fruit, crumbs and various food scraps – all this attracts ants and other unwanted visitors. It is simply too big attraction so they do not mind living with humans. Anyone who had to fight ants knows that getting rid of them is not easy, especially if you cannot trace the path they get into your home.

Photo: Pixabay

Brute force vs. chemistry

If you find an anthill in your garden, tearing it down and razing it to the ground will not help. Ants will simply build a new anthill and they will do so rather quickly. So, what should you do? If you have ants at home, you probably will not be able to find their nest. You have to go for more insidious approach and use chemicals. The good news is that ants don’t like certain smells. For example, the aroma of cinnamon or clove can deter them (just make an extract of these herbs and apply it where ants live or roam.

Chemicals may be unavoidable

If you were not able to deter ants with odours you have no choice but to use chemicals. Do not worry, many chemicals are no longer poisonous to humans or pets or to the environment. Carefully read the manual to make sure you have the right product. If you have children or pets at home, choose save products only.

How to get rid of an anthill?

If you have discovered an anthill or nest in your garden, there are several ways to get rid of it.

1. The first thing you must do is to dig the nest out. It usually requires a lot of effort, because ant nests are deep, and if you fail to remove it completely, you will soon have a new nest of the original size in your garden.
2. A slightly better approach is to use ant baits. In this case, you give them something good … well, mixed with poison that only starts working after some time (for example, when the ant is inside the nest and so it will infect the entire nest. Unfortunately, ants are smart and communicate with each other and will know where the poison came from, so after some time the bait becomes ineffective (ants will avoid it).
3. The last option is to use chemicals (sprays, gels and powders). Always use chemicals in accordance with instructions. Chemicals are effective, but they do not always hit the centre – the ant nest. So, even though you may manage to eliminate a significant number of ants, you will need to repeat the process over time or apply it directly in the nest.     

Preview photo: Pixabay