There will probably never be a garden without crawling little creatures. As a garden lover, you certainly wouldn't expect that either, but still too many ants are sometimes annoying. You can do something about it relatively easily, even without poison!
Ants can certainly cause damage in the bed
What damage can ants cause in the bed?
Even if the ants don't eat your plants, they can still damage them. On the one hand, an ant nest on the plants prevents the roots from absorbing enough water and nutrients to survive because contact with the ground is lost. Instead, small cavities form.
On the other hand, ants like to care for and protect aphids and you certainly do not want them on your plants. Since the ants even drive away natural enemies of aphids such as ladybugs, it is difficult to get rid of the aphids.
How do I get rid of ants?
Ants prefer dry, loose soil with as little direct sunlight as possible. That is why their nests are often found in the forest. In the garden, ants like to build their nests under stones or trees or on the edge of the bed near the border. If you water your affected plants copiously (if they can tolerate it), the ants will become uncomfortable and likely to move.
Dispelling with scents is also quite possible. Strong-smelling herbs such as lavender or chervil are suitable for this, as are spices such as cloves or cinnamon. Also suitable are unpleasantly "fragrant" plant manure or fragrant essential oils. Fighting the aphids will also drive away the ants.
Tips to get rid of ants:
- provide plenty of soil moisture
- Control aphids
- Fragrances: herbs, spices, essential oils, vegetable manure
Can I prevent an ant infestation?
Although ants can be classified as beneficial insects to a certain extent, they should not settle everywhere. To prevent them from entering your house so easily, try to keep the animals away by making your patio and/or garden paths near the house unattractive to ants.
For example, use sharp basalt chips instead of fine sand for paving. There is a special synthetic resin-based mortar for the joints, which is water-permeable but does not allow ants or weeds to live in the joints.
tips
Ideally, you should combine different ant control methods.