I determine many nurseryman have the same job as I have . The problem of ant crawling all over the potted plant in the garden . But are ants harmful to our plant and should we do something about it ?
pismire will not kill potted plants because they do n’t snipe the foliage . However , emmet farm sap - sucking insects such as aphid because they raise honeydew that ants consume . They protect these pests from predators while farm them .
I talked to some gardener about emmet in pot plants and I got mixed information from them . Some palpate they could be good but others do n’t desire them in their plants .
Ants in plants: Ants farming aphids on my pepper plants
Here is a chart I created from the survey of a few gardeners . It shows that some get ant good , others find oneself them harmful and a few do n’t cerebrate they do either .
Benefits of ants in potted plants
Ants may pollinate the plants
Some gardeners bump ants beneficial because they help pollenate their potted plants such as paeony . But I think it ’s much better to swear on otherpollinators like beesor romance than ants .
Ants may get rid of pests
pismire would attack some of the pest that approach your potted works . This would facilitate keep your potted plants gratuitous from these pests and the diseases they take .
Ants can aerate potting soil
Ants that move through thepotting soilwill help aerate it . This make the potting soil texture good for aviation and moisture to pass on the beginning of your potted plants .
They ’re not frightful because they aerate the dirt but they ’re also kind of bad because they ’ll fight to protect aphids because they like to eat up the honeydew that aphid make . – Emma
Problems that ants create in potted plants
Ants can harm plant roots
The main problem some gardeners found with pismire is they set on their plant life roots . One gardener ’s lemon trees were destroyed due to the ants . Another gardener ’s Brassica oleracea italica , cauliflower , and Brussels sprout were damaged due to them .
Ants can protect plant pests
emmet make love to consume the honeydew melon that pests likeaphidsand whiteflies develop . This makes them farm these pest and protect them from their predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies .
These blighter will take up the sap out of your potted plants causing a lack of nutrients in them . If you do n’t take tending of these pestis , eventually your plants could go bad .
Ants can attack beneficial insects
I already name that ants could attack predators that desire to eat pests like aphid and whitefly . They will also assail pollinators like bee if they get too close to them .
ant pour down my Brassica oleracea italica , cauliflower and Brussels shoot . They tunnel down the base and it forthwith stunt the growth followed by dead plants . Seems like if I do anything to the flora they are nesting in , they move to the next plant . I just forget the moved industrial plant alone and they stay there . – Frank
How do I get rid of ants on my potted plants?
I prefer to use methods that foreclose ants from reaching my potted plants . I find it ’s more humanist to keep them away . But there may be time when you have to take the drastic measure of getting rid of them .
Here are some of the method you may try in your potted plant . I do n’t recommend using chemicals like insect powder in your pot plant life as it bear upon the plants and animals . So use constituent method if you need to get rid of the ants .
1. Use vinegar spray to get rid of ants
you’re able to use acetum with 5 % density that you find at home .
In a nebulizer bottle , mix three parts bloodless acetum , 1 part water , and 1 teaspoondish soap . Spray the result on the soil of your pot that is infest with emmet .
you could alsospray the vinegarsolution every week on the potting dirt to keep ant away from the plant life .
Ants in plants: Ants farming aphids on my pepper plants
ascertain not to use a high concentration of vinegar because it is acid and could harm your plant . deflect spraying it on the foliage of the works and keep it mainly for the potting grunge .
2. Use peppermint oil to get rid of ants
Ants in plants do n’t like potent odors and peppermint oil is one of them you may habituate .
I recommend diluting the peppermint crude oil before use otherwise you may end up damage your plants . you may mix 5 drops of the peppermint candy oil in 5 oz of water . Mix it well and add the root to a spray bottle .
I suggest you spray it on a few leaves of your potted plants and check them after 24 hours . you’re able to use the spraying if there are no signs of problem on the leaves .
Spray bottle I use to water or spray neem oil
Spray this peppermint gum crude solution on the bear on works and pot grunge to get rid of the ants . you could also spray this solution once a hebdomad to keep ants off from your potted flora .
3. Grits could be used to deter ants
One gardener mentioned using grits to get rid of pismire . She recount me that the ants stock the grits to the queen and it kills her . This cause the ant to move away from that location .
The idea is that you place dry backbone near the home of the plant life so ant will consume them and bear them to their nest . The grit will expand in their stomach make them to decease .
Some other nurseryman mentioned that this does not kill the ants and is a myth . The emmet may enjoy and prefer the grits to your plants .
Whiteflies on my pepper plant leaves
I do n’t acknowledge how much truth there is to this method , but you’re able to sample as there ’s no trauma in it . You must use the older - fashioned dry grits rather than the instant unity .
4. Diatomaceous earth could be used against ants
Diatomaceous earth is organic fabric that is made from the fossilized cadaver of microscopic sea creatures .
This is a o.k. powder that is harmless to humans and darling but kills some insects . The material has sharp , microscopic edges that slue through the exoskeleton of pismire as they move over it . This causes passing of moisture so the ants dehydrate and die after some time .
You need tosprinkle the diatomaceous world on the potting soiland plants where you find the ants . It ’s best to splash this after any rains because the powder will get washed away .
You want to use a mask to protect yourself from inhaling the powder especially if you suffer from respiratory problems . You could unify it in water and spray it in the potted plants as well .
Once the water dries up , the diatomaceous earth will become alive and work towards killing the pismire . You may need to sprinkle this powder a few times every week until all ants are go .
Diatomaceous earth might get rid of them . I ’d be afraid that eat my roots . I had huge Meyer maize Tree . All of a sudden they both died . When we went to remove them , the entire theme systems were destroyed by ants . – Sheila
5. Soak the potted plant in water to get rid of ants
This is a simple method acting to get the ants out of your potted plants . But it will mould for small commode that you may overturn and place in a bombastic one .
You fill up a larger pot or tub with pee and place the potted plant inside it so the potting soil can soak up the water . The ants will get along out of the potting grime as they commence to drown .
A gardener friend advise I spray bug spray as the ants come in out to kill them but I ’m not a big fan of using such chemical substance on my works .
depend on the size of the plantation owner I fill a bigger bucketful with water and speedily place the one with ants in the water . When they occur to the airfoil I spray them with microbe Orcinus orca . I only do that if the settlement is enceinte enough to kill the flora , or they are being aggressive . – Deborah
6. Dispose of the potting soil and sterilize the pot
This should only be used as a last repair if you struggle to get the emmet aside from your potted flora . you may remove the flora and potting land from the pot .
you may sterilize the mint by fleece it in a solution that contains 1 part bleaching agent and 9 division pee for an minute . Then rinse the pot with light water and let it dry out in the Sunday before you’re able to use it .
hold forth ( or recycle ) the old potting soil and impart a clean batch to the pot . you’re able to now place the plant back into the potting soil .
7. Use insecticidal soap or neem oil to get rid of ants
you may mix 1 tablespoon of insecticidalsoap with a dry quart of water supply in a spraybottle . shake off it well and spray it on the emmet to get disembarrass of them .
You could alsouse a neem oil solutionto do the same . merge 1 tablespoon neem oil with a quart of water . tote up 1 teaspoon of dish soap .
Add this solution to the spray bottle and shake well so theneem oilmixes with the pee . Spray this on your potted plant to get rid of ants and other pest .
Read more :
How to prevent ants from reaching the potted plant?
Sacrificing a plant to keep the ants away
If you do n’t want to kill the pismire you could still keep them off fromyour cute potted plants . you may grow some sacrificial works that emmet can boom on .
you may keep some of their favourite foods like love or sugar in these plant to attract the ant . And you keep your other potted flora far off from these sacrificial plants .
The estimate is that the pismire will be happy on the sacrificial industrial plant and not put out to reach your other potted plants .
Use citrus to keep ants away from the plant
Ants do n’t wish the sourness of citrus and you could apply this to protect your potted plants . The well-fixed direction to do this is to spray some stinker succus on the potting soil .
I would suggest you be careful not to spray a draw of it because this is acidic and can affect your plant . Mix 1 - 2 tablespoons of the succus with a dry quart of water and put it in a spray nursing bottle . Spray this on the potting soil to keep the ant away .
Put some spices near the plant
Ants do n’t wish the scent of strong spice and you’re able to use this to keep them away from your potted flora .
you’re able to apply spices likecinnamon , white pepper , cayenne , cloves , or garlic powder . Sprinkle this around the base of the plant to organize a circle .
You may need to do this every week if you have a common occurrence of ants in your potted plants .
Add natural deterrents to the potting soil
Some essential oils could be used to keep pismire away . People suggest peppermint oil , thyme fossil oil , or lavender oil . You could mix 2 - 5 dip of the rock oil with a quart of water in a spray feeding bottle and spray it on the pot soil as well as plant life .
I would evoke you essay this atomizer on a few leaf before spray it on the entire plant . Spray it and allow it sit down on the leaves for 24 time of day . verify if your plant is having any matter with the essential oil or not .
Only employ the atomizer on your industrial plant if you observe no reaction of the plant to the essential oils .
you could utilize other innate material like bake soda , java grounds , or strained tea leaf leaves to protect your potted plant from ants .
Sprinkle the material around the base of your potted works so the ants will stay away from the industrial plant .
Grow herbs together with the potted plant
emmet tend to avoid flora such as herb that have a strong odor . So you cangrow herbs either near the potted plants or together with themto keep the ants out .
Some herbs you may grow with your potted plant include lilac-colored , thyme , sage , Mentha piperita , catnip , androsemary .
Why are ants attracted to your potted plants?
Warm and comfortable environment of the plant
emmet look for a warm and well-to-do place to build their nest and your potted plants may be just the environs they need .
Food source near the potted plant
If there is a food source near your potted plants , emmet will be pull in to it . void keeping any food for thought materials near the potted plants . And keep the place clean and innocent from rubble .
Pests like aphid andwhitefliessuck the sap out of the farewell and deposit honeydew melon on them . Ants are attracted to this as a food source and will accomplish your potted plants .
So prevent such pests from get to your potted plants . Take care of them as before long as you find them start to overrun the leaves of your potted plant .
Brought home with transplants
If you tend to purchase organ transplant for your container garden , ant or their eggs may be present in the seedling you purchase and brought home .
Fact learn , Written , and Published by Kevin Rodrigues
Kevin is the founding father of Gardening Mentor , a website that aims to learn mass to develop their own intellectual nourishment in a limited space . As a self - teach gardener , Kevin has spent several years growing plants and create horticulture content on the web site . He is licence in Home Horticulture and Organic Gardening from Oregon State University . He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Horticulture and Landscape Gardening from Mumbai University . Read more
