Too many ants can create problems in your garden.
Ant control is important to maintaining and improving the ecological balance in your garden. Frugal ant control avoids the use of pesticides that harm children, pets, beneficial insects and the drinking water supply, allowing you to manage irritating and damaging infestations while growing safe, healthy, organic fruits, vegetables and flowers. The key to frugal ant control is bringing your garden into balance so that ants' natural predators are attracted to the area and handle the problem for free.
Overall Garden Health
The first step toward dealing with an ant infestation in the garden is evaluating your garden's overall health. In a balanced ecosystem, ants co-exist with other insects and predators that keep one another in check. When the ecosystem is out of balance, ant populations can multiply rapidly, leading to infestations of other detrimental insects such as aphids. Keep your garden filled with a wide variety of flowers, herbs, vegetables and ornamental plants to attract a wide range of insects, birds and other wildlife to discourage the ant population. Clean the garden after working, removing dead foliage and debris regularly, to further discourage infestations.
Plant Remedies
Brightly colored, inexpensive annual flowers, such as impatiens, snap dragons, geraniums, marigolds, 4 o'clocks and morning glories are especially useful for attracting beneficial insects and birds that deter ants. Fragrant herbs such as bay leaves, rosemary, lavender, tansy and chili peppers all deter ants; these herbs are most effective when their leaves are freshly bruised and crumbled. Keep a bay tree near the doorway for a constant supply of leaves to pick and crush; distribute them in areas where you want to discourage ants. Sprinkle crushed chili peppers around plants ants tend to climb; they strongly dislike the scent and will avoid it. Buy strongly scented herbs in bulk to distribute them as needed throughout the garden. Herbs will not harm or inhibit the growth of other plants.
Garlic-Chili Oil Spray
Make a highly effective ant deterrent that is especially helpful in fighting cohabiting ant and aphid populations by blending garlic and chili peppers with a neutral oil. Allow the mixture to steep for 24 hours in a jar. Strain it and add the oil to a spray bottle. Mix in a squirt of dishwashing detergent and a bit of water. Shake the mixture before spraying it directly on the ant-aphid colonies underneath the leaves of plants like roses and sunflowers. Apply the mixture on a weekly or twice-weekly basis, as needed. Don't spray foliage during hot midday sun; do it early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid any possibility of sunburn damage on the leaves.
White Vinegar
Pour white vinegar into anthills to disrupt and kill ant populations that are out of control. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar for the same purpose. Do not expect this method of killing ants to solve your long-term problem; the only way to manage ants on a long-term basis is to create a garden rich in diversity that attracts natural predators.
Tags: your garden, chili peppers, beneficial insects, deter ants, distribute them