Aphids: RHS gardening expert gives tips for dealing with pests

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Ants are among the most common pests known by homeowners, lawn care experts, and gardeners. The biggest reason gardeners have ant populations removed is that they attract other pests. How? Well, ants love sugar. Sap-sucking insects, such as aphids, naturally produce a sticky substance called “honeydew” that ants love to feed on. If ants are present in a garden where aphids or other sap-sucking insects are around, the ant colony will work to protect this other little pest so that the population grows and the ants have more of that honeydew substance to feed on. In other words, if gardeners already have an aphid problem, ants that appear will only make that aphid problem worse by helping it grow. 

So for those who aren’t interested in an even larger pest population using their garden as a feeding ground, they may want to consider having the ants removed and here’s how.

Pest control experts at Fantastic Pest Control said: “Knowing how to get rid of ants in the garden will spare you the need to use pesticides. The latter will not only kill ants, but also useful bugs and other animals. There are a variety of natural pest control methods that will remove the insects from your garden, without inflicting more damage.”

Boiling water 

According to the experts, hot water is the most widely known treatment. They said: “Most gardeners know how to get rid of ants in gardens naturally without damaging their plants. They pour boiling water to exterminate them. 

“After locating as many entrances to the nest as they can. You can apply boiling water to the nest entrances repeatedly until you kill all ants.”

However, it may take a couple of attempts and gardeners will want to wait until the ants are mostly asleep for the night – same as you would do with bees before spraying the nest.

Washing up liquid 

A dishwashing detergent can be quite useful for exterminating ants. The experts said: “The best part is that it is harmless to both plants and grass. Mix two teaspoons of dish soap with four tablespoons of baking soda in one gallon of water. 

“This solution is deadly to pests. You can use it to spray and/or flood their nests, eradicating the whole ant colony.”

Cayenne or cinnamon powder

Those who notice only a few ants, they can put some of these ground spices near their plants to help deter the ants from making a home there. 

DON’T MISS
Aluminium foil dishwasher hack – ‘silverware comes out sparkling’ [COMMENT]
‘Most power-hungry’ kitchen appliances – ‘significant’ tips to save [EXPERT]
GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins’s quiet life with her husband in Surrey [INSIGHT]

The pest pros noted: “These ingredients don’t kill the crawling insects but it is effective – it simply repels them, which is much more humane than other methods.”

All gardeners need to do is spread these spices in a line around their garden to keep ants at a distance and re-apply after rain and every time the line gets damaged.

Borax and sugar

For more severe cases, the experts said that it’s good to know how to kill ants nests in the garden “fast and effectively”. 

They advised: “You can use a combination of borax and sugar. It eradicates ants within a week. Mix borax and sugar to create a gel and drop small pieces near the ant nest in the lawn and close to the ant trails.

“The worker ants will eat some of the mixtures as the sugar attracts them. They will also take the rest of it to the nest for the queen and other ants. 

“The boric acid will kill the ants after some time. This borax mixture is safe for applying around the garden and plants, however, beware that it is toxic to both humans and animals.”

Orange peels

Orange peels are very useful when dealing with an ant infestation in gardens. Believe it or not, “they are deadly to ants”, according to the pest control gurus.

They explained: “The organic components they contain are toxic to the favourite meal of ants – fungi. Since ants will search for fungi, if they can’t find them, they will choose another garden. Collect the peels from the oranges you have eaten and spread them in your yard.”

White vinegar

Typically known as an effective cleaning product, white vinegar can also be used to rid gardens of ants.

The experts said: “A five percent concentration of distilled white vinegar exterminates ants without damaging the plants. 

“It kills these insects as ants can’t stand the low pH acidic ingredients of white vinegar. Pour one litre of this type of vinegar into the ant nest to destroy it.”

If all the natural methods of ant removal fail, gardeners can try using an insecticide that’s effective on ants or calling in pest control for extreme measures. However, it is recommended to try the natural methods first, both for prevention and removal, to keep the rest of the garden as safe as possible from any harmful chemicals.

Source: Read Full Article