Ants are considered beneficial insects in the garden, but the insects have nothing to do in raised beds. A colony can promote an aphid infestation and dig up the soil in the bed in such a way that the plant roots lose their support. To ensure that what you have planted does not dry out and die, you should drive away the insects. We explain what you should do if you suddenly find a lot of ants in the raised bed.
Lots of ants in the raised bed: are they harmful or beneficial?
Ants themselves do not eat the vegetable plants in the raised bed. But they can still cause major damage. A large number of insects means more and larger underground passages that can drain water. Despite diligent watering, the soil remains dry and the crops wilt. To prevent this, you shouldDrive away insects.
Anthills in the vegetable patch: what should you do?
If the anthill is located directly in the raised bed, then you can simply relocate the ants. Put some sheep's wool in an old pot and place the pot right next to the anthill. Then water the pile several times a day and soon the ants will colonize the pot. Then carefully move the pot to another place in the garden.
Lots of ants in the raised bed, but no anthill visible
If there are a lot of ants in the raised bed, but the anthill is somewhere else in the garden, then there is only one thing that can help - disrupt the insects' sense of direction. The goal – to permanently drive away the ants. To do this, you should first check all plants in the raised bed for signs of aphid infestation. Ants are not attracted to the crops themselves, but rather to the aphids on the crops. If you fight the aphids, the ants in the raised bed will have no food and will look for another food source in the garden. Only then can home remedies such as tea tree oil or cinnamon be used.
What really helps against ants? Tea tree oil
Ants have a complicated communication system. The insects that find a new food source in the garden leave a pheromone trail, marking the path for the rest of the workers. This is how the so-called ant trails are created. Certain plant oils can help and neutralize the pheromone trail. This also includes tea tree oil. Simply add 5 to 10 drops of tea tree oil and 100 ml of water to an empty spray bottle. Then shake the bottle vigorously so that the two mix well. Then spray all walls of the raised bed, as well as the ground around the bed, with the tea tree solution. This will drive away the insects. It is very important to spray the raised bed as carefully as possible. Otherwise, the ants will soon find a detour and infest the raised bed again.
Cinnamon neutralizes the pheromone trail
Cinnamon proves to be a good alternative to tea tree oil. The spice can easily be stored inFight against insectsbe used. You can use both ground cinnamon and cinnamon oil. The powder is not only on the ant trail, but also between the plants in the raised bed. By the way, cinnamon has another positive effect - it can supposedly kill mold and thus help with fungal infestation.
Lots of ants in the raised bed? Dispel with vinegar
Vinegar is also a solution if you have ants in raised beds. It's best to fill four bowls with vinegar and place them at all four corners of the raised bed. Additionally, you can mix apple cider vinegar and water in a ratio of 2 to 1 and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the walls of the raised bed with it.
Ant plague, what to do? Under no circumstances should you use baking soda!
Sometimes it happens that the ants stubbornly continue to find their way into the raised bed (or don't want to leave it at all) despite all attempts. Then at some point you come up with the idea of fighting the ants. Baking soda is often recommended - you sprinkle it on the ant trail, the insects eat it and die. We strongly advise against this - firstly, it kills entire colonies, which in the long term can disrupt the balance in the garden and lead to more problems. The wild ants are also an endangered and legally protected species that cannot be controlled. Second: ants want thisDo not leave the raised bed, because they find a food source there. Even if you destroy one colony, a new one will soon establish itself there. To solve the problem permanently, you should find the food source. Take a close look at where the ants go. Often you look for the green aphids and then miss the little black “flies” on the crops. But these are also aphids that multiply and attack new plants. The ants may also find rotting roots and eat them. Check the soil for waterlogging. Sometimes the raised bed is the perfect home for the ant colony - it is in the sun and is well protected from predators. In this case, the insects are not harmful to the plants as long as they are small in number.
Also read:Ants in the apartment: Which home remedies help against the ant plague in the house or apartment?
