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As homeowners, you might be alarmed by the colony of ants in your
yard, especially for starters. Are they good or bad for the lawn? Actually,
ants can be useful. However, there is a degree to how ants are beneficial
for your garden. Read on to find out about various ant killer options.
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Ants can be your garden’s friend
Before discussing how you can get rid of ants, let us know first how
it can help your garden.
Ants are a natural repellent for pests. They often help control
pests, just like ladybugs, green lacewings, and other beneficial bugs. They
control pests by eating their eggs and young.
Secondly, ants help improve pollination rates. Many gardeners would
struggle to get a consistent harvest, but ants can assist them! They act as
pollinators since they search for food from flower to flower. Lastly, ants can
help you have a healthy ecosystem.
They can quickly aerate the soil by digging tunnels carrying water, oxygen, and nutrients. Furthermore, they can speed up the decomposition of leaves and dead insects, which can help fertilize the plants.
Ants can be your garden’s foe.
While ants can help you with many things for your garden,
there are also reasons why ants can hurt your garden. Ants can develop pest
populations. As ants can repel pests, there are also some pests that they love.
Ants love sugar, and one of the pests they like to farm is aphids. Aphids
naturally produce a sticky liquid substance called “honeydew,” which
ants really love. Other pests include whiteflies, scales, and mealybugs.
Ants also come in different species. Some of these are fire ants and
carpenter ants, which can ruin your gardening experience more than your yard.
Fire ants can be difficult to deal with because they sting when bothered. Their
venom can be challenging to get rid of as it lasts for several days. Carpenter
ants develop their homes inside the wood. They would build it in any type of
would you have. Carpenter ants may not be poisonous like fire ants, but they
have strong jaws that can bite and create a burning sensation.
Recommended Readings:
6 Common Pests In Any Lawn And How To Get Rid Of Them
How can you get rid of ants
both naturally and professionally?
When getting rid of ants, you must go straight to the source. Here
are some natural and professional remedies that are certified to kill those
ants in your lawn.
Boiling water
This is the most widely known extermination method. Find as many
entrances to the nest as possible and pour hot boiling hot water into it. Do this
again until all the ants are dead.
Ant killer gel
You can easily find ant killer gels in any garden store near your
home. Ant killer gels are sweets, and like as discussed, ants are suckers for
sweets. This sweet gel will attract ants to carry it to the rest of the colony
to their queen. Shortly after they have feasted on the gel, they will begin to
die. Though this may pose as a poison to ants, it will not affect your plants.
Dishwashing liquid and oil
This natural method has a high success rate as the mixture of
dishwashing liquid and oil will soak into the ants’ exoskeleton, leading to
suffocation.
Ant killer poison
Poison powders are useful ant killers. It is best used indoors or
near your home as it affects your plants and soil. However, ants can also build
resistance to the poison.
Ortho
Ant B Gone
Boric acid and sugar
Mix boric acid and sugar to create a paste, then put small amounts
of it on the entrances to the nest. Like ant killer gel, this creates a sweet
treat for the ants to carry to their nest to their queen. Shortly after
feasting, the ants start to die due to the boric acid. This method is a perfect
alternative to ant killer gel.
99%
PURE BORIC ACID AKA Orthoboric Acid, Boracic Acid (2 lb)
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