Ants: Useful or Harmful?

Ants are a secret world power - you can find them in nature, in the garden, but unfortunately also in the home. We clarify: Do ants help or harm us?

Many people have an ambivalent relationship with ants (Formicidae). With children and grandchildren, the hard-working insects like to be observed under a magnifying glass, the heap of a forest ant colony fascinated on a walk in the forest – on the other hand, every ant is undesirable as soon as one of its six legs is on ours property sets. Ant traps and all sorts of remedies to fight the animals are always sold like hot cakes. This article therefore deals with an important question: are ants more useful or harmful to us?

We would like to open your eyes to the incredible feats that ants achieve in nature - while always remaining hidden. We then discuss the presence of ants in the garden and house or in the apartment and show when it makes sense to fight them. You will also find references to further articles on preventing and fighting ants - for example with our new one

Plantura ant remedy.

ants in nature

According to many scientists, ants play a key role in our ecosystems. They are involved in various cycles without which natural networks collapse. Around 200 of the (estimated) 15,000 species worldwide live in Germany. Because they are almost always underground, their number and importance is regularly underestimated. Unfortunately, the stocks of most species are also declining. With the discovery of this disappearance, the role played by the small crawling creatures has again been dealt with more intensively. Here is what ants do for nature – and therefore also for us.

What do ants do for us and for nature?

• Some species decompose dead wood and thus take over a step in the formation of humus, which is essential for soil and plants.
• Predatory species eat all kinds of insects themselves, so they also regulate the population of pests, for example, so that they do not multiply unchecked.
• In addition to insects, larger, already dead animals are also consumed. In this way, the nutrients contained in it get back into the natural cycles, including the carbon bound in the dead body.
• Ants themselves also serve as prey for higher organisms. Woodpeckers and wild boar, for example, get plenty of protein from their larvae.
• The seeds of many wild plants are spread by ants.
• Ants' underground activities make them even more important than earthworms in some places. Especially in sandy and very acidic soils, the latter are hardly ever to be found. Here ants mix, aerate and cement the topsoil.
• If you completely removed ants from an ecosystem, it would collapse. The result would be radical changes for all parts of the system.

The reason for the decline in ants is the loss of suitable habitat. The different species are often adapted to special living conditions. The creation of suitable habitats is therefore the only way to save these specialists. This can also happen on land used for agriculture or forestry – coexistence with humans is not a problem for most ant species. Myrmecologists (ant researchers) and other scientists say in unison: Our native ants can be saved without creating special protective habitats for this purpose. But the management of our land has to change.

Tip ant farms: Those who are very interested in the social life, building skills and organization of ants can reproduce and observe them in ant farms. These consist of two panes of glass or plexiglass and a substrate in which the animals build their nests. Of course, you also need a good deal of background knowledge if you want to run a farm like this in a species-appropriate and successful manner.

ants in the garden

Ants can also be found in our gardens. Ants in the lawn or in the flower beds are easy for most gardeners to get over. Those who cannot make friends with them there should first consider the great benefit they have from the subtenants. The loosening of the subsoil aerates the roots of the plants, which improves their root growth. In addition, ants are involved in the formation of humus and destroy all kinds of insects that could act as pests on our garden plants. Accordingly, before a possible expulsion, the following must be considered: Are the animals really that annoying at this point? Can you avoid problems with them, for example by simply wearing gloves in certain places when working with the beds?

However, if an ant colony pitches its tents directly on or on your terrace and regularly bothers you at summer breakfast, you should try to get rid of them again. Even if a colony of ants is causing huge herds of aphids on your plants, it's understandable that you'd want to drive them away. Some Home remedies for ants, like planting certain herbs, are well suited for outdoor use. In addition, you have already gained a lot if you do not grout terraces and paths with sand but with grit or with paving joint mortar. No ant colony can nest in these.

Ants in the house or apartment

Ants are usually not a problem in the garden. They pop up in your house or apartment and wander around the kitchen, but something needs to be done. Because some ant species are not only unsavory and unsanitary, some even transmit Diseases, which is why their presence in hospitals or canteen kitchens is definitely not an issue is allowed. Anyone who is affected by an ant plague often fears that it is due to their own behavior - even an unclean lifestyle. But ants can invade anyone, the decisive factor here is the waterproofing of the house. And there is also some bad luck when an ant trail appears in your kitchen. But there are things you can do to Ants in the house or apartment to avoid, as we have summarized for you in this special article. An effective way to combat it is with our Plantura ant remedy possible.

Conclusion: Are Ants Beneficial or Harmful?

Ants are very useful not only for natural ecosystems but also for our gardens and therefore for us. If they appear in our living areas, they quickly become a nuisance and with a massive infestation of supplies and with certain types of ants - such as the pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) – in rare cases they can also be harmful to us. Before the little master builders are ruthlessly driven out and fought against, you should always weigh up carefully whether this is really necessary on site. However, one should be uncompromising in the house and apartment to rule out the establishment of nests.

fight ants

If you have not taken any preventive measures or if these have had no effect, the only thing left for you to do in the house – or on the balcony and terrace – is to fight the ants. The following steps must be carried out in any case.

How are ants effectively combated?

1. removing potential food sources; make all food inaccessible to ants
2. Close entrances into the house, remove any nests or have them removed
3. Wipe all infested rooms with a strong-smelling cleaner
4. apply ant remedy of your choice; we recommend our Plantura ant remedy, so as not to endanger you and your children or pets

If you want to read up on the topic of effective combating, you will find our special article on ant control find the answers to his questions. Saving foxes among you can do that Ant control with home remedies try out. Here you can also find special articles in which we Fighting ants with baking soda discuss and the great potential of Cinnamon as an ant repellent explain.