Ants are extremely useful insects, digging up the soil and carrying the seeds of rare plants. They are also valuable food for many animals. Nevertheless, they are among the rather uninvited visitors in the garden and house. They squirt painful venom to defend themselves and are drawn to sweets. Ants don't have to be a nuisance, however, because there are various ways to combat uninvited lodgers in the house and garden gently and in an environmentally friendly manner.
Ants can be easily repelled with herbal remedies
How do you get rid of ants gently?
The first question here is:
- Where can the insects be found?
- Are they individual animals that keep coming back or
- for a whole ant colony?
While individual animals straying into the house or crawling across the patio aren't a cause for concern, an entire state or an ant trail running straight through the kitchen should take appropriate action.
Get rid of ants in the garden
The little crawlers are often found in the garden where aphids have also settled. The ants harvest the sweet honeydew excretions of these pests and the aphid colonies from their natural predators. In this case, it is often enough to fight the aphids to get rid of the ants permanently.
relocate ants
Alternatively, you can put an empty flower pot over the ant nest. The sheltered space suits the animals and they move their nest right under the vessel. After a few days, you can dig deep under the flowerpot with a spade, take out the entire ant colony and move it to a place where the little creatures won't disturb you.
Strong smells drive ants away
These insects have a very sensitive sense of smell. You can use this to persuade the uninvited guests to look for a new home with environmentally friendly means. Since, unlike in the house, you can temporarily avoid the unpleasant smell yourself, you can certainly bring out strong-smelling artillery in the garden.
Have proven themselves:
- vermouth broth
- nettle manure
- garlic broth
- Strong scented perfume.
These odors are so repellent to the little creatures that after just a few hours you can usually see them carrying their brood out of the nest and hurrying away.
Ants prefer a dry place to live
Ants in flower pots or window boxes can be easily driven away with water. If plants can tolerate it, simply water them so well for a few days that the liquid collects in the flower pot. The little animals don't like this constant flooding and they quickly run away.
settle predators
If ants settle in your garden more often, you should create a habitat for natural predators in it. Primarily these are:
- birds of all kinds
- centipedes, beetles and spiders.
Fight ants in the house
The garden ants, which are also often found in the garden, and the notorious “termites of the north”, the carpenter ants, settle here in the first place.
The preventive measures listed below help to keep the little animals out of the house:
- Always store food in tightly sealed containers.
- Don't leave any leftovers lying around.
- Empty the miller bucket at least once a day, and not just in the summer.
- Dispose of leftover pet food promptly.
- Inspect potted plants that have been outside during the summer months and that are going to overwinter indoors for ant nests before putting them away.
Gently drive away ants
First, trace the path of the insects back to the nest. If the animals only come to visit and if the burrow is outside your home, it is sufficient to interrupt the ant trail and keep the insects away with scents.
Ants hate the smell of cinnamon, just sprinkle the ant trail with this spice and you can be quite sure that the little creatures will no longer come into the house voluntarily.
But not all animals avoid this fragrance. Alternatively, it is worth trying:
- Diluted tea tree oil or lemon juice. Drop these remedies on a cloth and place it in the ant trail.
- Thyme, chervil, juniper, lavender or chili also have a deterrent effect.
However, you should repeat this after a few days, as the scent dissipates quite quickly.
Also seal all cracks through which the little crawlers could get in with silicone, plaster or acrylic.
Sometimes only the pro can help
However, if a whole ant colony has settled in the house, you should immediately entrust an exterminator with the elimination. The actually useful animals can cause massive damage here, especially if the nest is under the expensive parquet floor or in the roof truss.
tips
Ant poison works quite reliably, but it should only be used in an absolute emergency. It also contains substances harmful to humans. Such substances do not belong in households with small children or pets. Even if natural remedies don't work as quickly as the chemical club, with a little patience you can use them to drive away the little buggers reliably and in an environmentally friendly way.