Table of contents
- Relocate instead of killing
- Good results with kieselguhr
- Effective barrier with neem oil
- Expel with other fragrances
- baking powder and chalk
- Bait from specialist shops
- Prevent ants in the house
- Conclusion
The ants arrive with the first rays of the sun and immediately start looking for food. Ants usually build their nests outside. However, if they are looking for food, they can also get into the apartment through leaks in the house, windows or doors. They mark their way with scents, creating a so-called ant trail. There are numerous ways to combat them in the garden and in the home, but also preventive measures to prevent them from getting into the house in the first place.
Relocate instead of killing
If ant nests get out of hand in the garden, the animals do not necessarily have to be killed, they can also be moved. It is also important to catch the queen, because ants follow their queen everywhere. For the resettlement, you take a flowerpot, stuff it with wood wool or straw, both best moistened, and put it over the nest. It stays there for a few days so that the animals can move into the vessel. You can then use a shovel or spade to move it to a more convenient location. However, this should be between 10 and 20 cm away from the old location, otherwise the ants would easily find their way back.
Good results with kieselguhr
Diatomaceous earth is a sedimentary rock available in powder form, which consists mainly of fossil diatoms. It can be used in the garden and in the house. In contact with this powder, the animals die in a short time. In the garden spread a thin layer of it on the nests and along the preferred paths. To prevent the ants from crawling up trees, this remedy can also be spread around trees. Indoors, depending on where these insects have been spotted, the powder can also be found in cracks in the wall, behind baseboards or in leaks on doors and windows and of course on ant trails distribute. A fine brush can be used for particularly inaccessible areas.
Tip:
You can even treat an aphid infestation by dusting them with it, because aphids and ants have a very special bond. Diatomaceous earth is also rated very well by Ökotest.
Effective barrier with neem oil
The multifaceted effect of products containing no minerals is well known. Neem oil can also be used to repel ants. It is spread undiluted with a brush along the ant streets, in the entrance area, on the balcony or terrace. A strip 5-10 cm thick is usually sufficient. The neem oil superimposes the ants' scent trails, which they use for orientation, thus creating an impassable barrier. This confuses the animals so that they cannot find their way back. If you want to use this remedy on the balcony or in the house, you can use a few drops if necessary Add lavender oil, about 10 drops to 10 ml of neem oil, then the smell is something for the residents of the house more pleasant. That doesn't detract from the effect. The effect wears off after a few days and must be repeated.
Tip:
Since this oil is sold in its solid state, it needs to be warmed up slightly before use.
Expel with other fragrances
- Ants have a sensitive sense of smell.
- Accordingly, you can use them in the garden and a. fight with plant manure.
- These can be made from wormwood, elderberry, thyme or marjoram.
- To do this, put 300-400 g of fresh or 30-40 g of dried herb in water.
- Cover and let stand for a few days until fermented.
- Then spread the concoction over nests or areas heavily populated by ants.
- Plant strongly scented herbs and aromatic plants in the garden.
- Planting indoors in small pots is advisable.
- Lay out scents on windows, doors or house walls.
- Chervil herb, cinnamon, lemon peel, lavender and cloves are suitable.
- Scented oils can also drive these crawlers away.
- These are trickled onto ant trails and into possible loopholes.
Tip:
According to Ökotest, lavender, juniper and neem oil have a very good effect.
baking powder and chalk
Baking soda is very often mentioned or used in relation to ants in the garden and in the house. recommended. However, it is only true that baking soda can kill ants if it contains sodium bicarbonate. As a rule, however, potassium hydrogen carbonate is contained instead of this substance, which has no effect on these animals. The effect of baking soda with sodium bicarbonate is that when it comes into contact with it, it changes the pH in the ants' bodies, causing them to die. The situation is different with chalk or garden lime, which should not kill the ants but keep them away. Chalk acts as a barrier, so to speak, because the animals will not cross it. For example, a thick line is drawn around a nest, through an ant trail or around an object to be protected.
Tip:
A chalk or lime stripe has to be renewed several times because their effect does not last long due to different weather conditions.
Bait from specialist shops
There is a large number of insect sprays, feeding baits as well as scattering and pouring agents on the market that act as contact, respiratory or ingestion poisons. Bug sprays contain something called contact insecticides that kill ants in minutes. To do this, the preparation must be sprayed directly into the nests or on ant trails. Commercially available bait contains attractants and poison. The ants transport the bait to their nest, where they feed it to the queen and larvae. These then die in a relatively short time. The various scattering and pouring agents are a combination of the properties of eating baits and insect sprays. They are particularly effective against the lawn ant and the black garden ant. As the name suggests, they are either sprinkled or spread over the irrigation water.
Tip:
Even if these poisons work relatively well and quickly, for the sake of the environment you should only use them in an emergency, because they are not only effective against ants, but also against other soil and garden dwellers, including numerous ones beneficials.
Prevent ants in the house
Ants are natural in the garden. So that they do not appear in excess, no leftovers from cups or glasses should be carelessly poured into the garden, as this can be an incentive for ants to settle there. These animals have no place in the house. Cracks, joints and crevices in walls, walls, windows and doors should be sealed here. Windows and doors should be kept closed, especially during the mating season and in the evening when the lights are on. Ants are often attracted to leftover food or food. It is therefore important not to leave these open longer than necessary, to store them temporarily in tightly sealed containers and to remove them from the home every day. Store stocks of animal feed in well-closable containers, ideally equipped with rubber seals. This applies in particular to foods containing protein and sugar, which are very popular with ants and are therefore always kept closed. Dog and cat bowls and other pet bowls should be cleaned regularly. Ants can also be brought into the house with potted plants that have been in the garden or on the terrace over the summer. So before you move into the house, check both the pot and the coasters for ants.
Conclusion
Ways to get rid of ants to sell are diverse. In the house it is always better to prevent the big crawling than to have to fight it. Despite all precautions, it can always happen that ants get into the house. Then you have to react quickly, otherwise there will quickly be more. Everyone should find out for themselves what the best method is and, at best, do without chemicals.
garden editorial I write about everything that interests me in my garden.
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