Controlling Ants In Your Garden.
Ants are social insects which are related to wasps and bees.They are easily recognisable given their distinctive body shape and and elbowed antennae. Their sociable nature means that they live in groups called colonies,with each ant having a role within the group which is must fulfill in order to keep the colony operating effectively.
Ants,in some cases,can be a welcome addition to an area due to their propensity to eat other pests such as fly larvae,termites and fleas.Usually, however,it is the general consensus among gardeners that ants are a pest in their own right,and as such,effective ways to control and eliminate population is something which is greatly sought after.There are several ways to control ants without pesticides(note control,not eliminate;Your aim is to control the local population as,due to their adaptive nature,eliminating an entire colony is difficult.Solutions are therefore generally temporary,and the situation will need monitoring regularly to prevent re-infestation.Dried polenta(cornmeal for anyone in the US!)is fatal to ants as they can’t digest it,so leaving some for them to eat will help somewhat in solving the problem.Smearing pureed citrus peel or sprinkling cinnamon,hot chilli powder,or drawing a line of chalk around the boundaries of where you don’t want to ants is effective-ants hate these substances,and generally won’t cross the barrier to get to the other side.Spraying an area with a vinegar solution is also effective.
If ants have ventured indoors,they will likely have done so in order to forage for food,and are by no means dangerous,simply unpleasant.In cases like these you need to seal up any and all cracks in the walls,as well as ensuring corners and the inside of cupboards are crumb free.As mentioned earlier,the use of a vinegar spray kills ants as well as cleaning surfaces-double bonus.If ants have ventured into your pets’bowls,coating the rims of the dish with petroleum jelly is a great way to prevent them from entering.
There are other,more toxic ways of getting rid of ants-poison laid on sugary bait which the ants will then take back to the nest,killing many individuals quickly and in one go is one way,and to be fair,is very efficient and effective.Whether or not you want to use harsh chemicals in your garden and potentially risk pets or children coming into contact with these pesticides is your choice and one which must be made on an individual case basis-sometimes it’s the right thing to do,but often population can be controlled using the above,safer and more green methods.
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