There are a lot of tips on how to get rid of ants in the garden on the internet. If the insects have built a large heap in the garden, the question arises as to what measures are appropriate. Here’s how to successfully relocate the ants.
Table of Contents
The Anthill
An anthill is a retreat for the small insects. The heap consists mostly of the soil material. In addition, the other materials appear regularly:
- Sand
- pine needles
- leaves
- branches
Different types
The following three types of ants are common in our region:
- the black road ant (Lasius niger)
- the yellow road ant (Lasius flavus)
- Waldameisen (Formica)
In most cases, these are black road ants, also known as garden ants. The state consists of about 500 workers who can reach a size of 5 mm. The insects feed on various lice and other insect species. The adaptable animals can settle on different surfaces and even penetrate into the interior of the building. Whole nests are often found on the lawn. The yellow road ant builds its nest under the lawn, creating mounds that can reach the size of a molehill. On the other hand, you can find the wood ant on properties that are close to the forest.
prevention
House and garden owners preferably take preventive action to prevent the formation of ant nests. When laying out new paved paths or patio areas, you should use split as the grouting material. With a special seal you prevent the infestation of ants, although the grout lets rainwater through.
Remove anthill
The removal of the ant nest is possible in different ways. Here are five ways to get the bugs out of your kingdom:
- relocate
- smells
- enemies
- orientation
- home remedies
relocate nests
First you can simply move the anthills. This is a gentle chasing away of insects. It is important that the queen accompanies the ant colony to ensure the survival of the insects. First, fill a bucket with wood shavings. Place this over the ant hill and wait a few days. At best, watch the hard-working insects carrying their offspring into the pot. You can then use a board or spade to close the pot from below and transport the anthill to another location.
use smells
You can also fight the insects with smell and chase them out of the garden in the long term. The small insects have a sensitive sense of smell. If the smells are strong, the columns of ants voluntarily decide to leave the green oasis and settle elsewhere. For example, the following herbs are suitable if you want to drive away the ants permanently:
- Knoblauch
- alcohol
- medicinal plant oil
- Essential Oils
Natural enemies
The insects of the genus Formicidae have various natural enemies. By mobilizing the predators, you can fight the ants. In a near-natural garden, natural opponents often settle voluntarily. If necessary, you can help and settle predators in your garden:
- dragonflies
- be crazy
- toads
- Beetle
- ant lion
disturb orientation
In the ant nest, the workers depend on their sense of direction functioning. The efficient insects use their body scent to mark the paths. You can thus fight the ants effectively by masking the scents. With tea tree oil or vinegar, you can drown out the body scent so that the ants can no longer find their way around. As a result, they leave the lawn.
Appropriate home remedies
It is also possible to use popular home remedies to combat ants . With baking soda and sugar you put an irrevocable end to the anthill. The ammonia in this mixture means the end for the insects. You can also place a beer trap on your lawn to kill the ants. The insects are attracted with beer and honey and ultimately drown on the plate.
Benefits of Insects
Many home and garden owners perceive the ants as pests. These are hard-working helpers in gardening. The insects are extremely useful and fight other pests, since aphids, for example, are the preferred food. In addition, the ants spread seeds and maintain the health of various plants.
