How to Get Rid of Ants in the Garden Without Killing Your Plants

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Your garden is a sacred place. Don’t let an ant infestation ruin your garden. Let’s learn how to get rid of ants in the garden without killing your plants!

Having a beautiful garden and enjoying it with kids feels amazing until garden ants take over or begin to bite. Ants aren’t all bad – they can actually have some benefits for your garden, but too many ants could be bad news for your garden, plants, and guests.

Getting rid of ants from a garden that is full of beautiful plants can be a great challenge. After all, no one wishes to lose their longest-living plants while trying to exterminate ants. Therefore, methods that use natural ingredients should always be preferred for such gardens.

If you have an ant problem in your garden, here are the natural methods you can use to get rid of ants in the garden without killing your plants.

Common Species of Ants Found in Gardens

Ants are one of the most common insects in the world. They are found almost everywhere but are most prevalent in tropical forests.

Today, there are above 10,000 ant species in the world. If you are tired of ants growing in your garden and want to get rid of them, it is important first to find which type of ant is present in your garden.

Below is the list of the ant species that occur more commonly in gardens.

Common Black Garden Ants

Common black garden ants are the most common type of ants present in the garden. These ants usually make ant hills in the corners of gardens, and one colony can have around 5,000 ants.

Common garden ants are small, up to 1/4th of an inch long, and they are typically black or dark brown in color. Black ants are omnivores, meaning that they eat both plant and animal material, and they often nest in or near the ground.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants look very similar to common black ants, except they are usually a bit larger. Carpenter ants are black, red, or yellow in color, and their size can range from 1/8th of an inch to 1/2 of an inch long.

They have a thorax that is either completely black or has a black band, and their antennae are either completely black or have a black band. They also have a waist that is either completely black or has a black band.

Fire Ants

Fire ants are an aggressive garden ant species. If you’ve experienced an ant bite while working in your garden, it’s most likely a fire ant. They are a true pest in the garden, and they can inject venom when they bite.

There are many species of fire ants. Based on your location, you may have European fire ants or South American fire red ants in your garden. They are popularly known for their reddish color and very sharp stings.

Acrobat Ants

This species has aggressive worker ants that raise their abdomen as a defense mechanism, giving them the name acrobat ants. They form ant nests in moist wood found in gardens.

Yellow Meadow Ants

The scientific name of yellow meadow ants is Lasius Flavia. Having small molds in the garden is a sign of detecting the presence of yellow meadow ants. 

How to Get Rid of Garden Ants Naturally

Keep in mind ants are completely bad for your garden. In fact, they can provide a few benefits. However, you’ll need to look at removing them if an infestation has taken over your garden.

Below are the natural solutions describing how to get rid of ants in the garden without killing your plants.

1)     Use Diatomaceous Earth

We love this option, and it is the most effective natural solution to getting rid of ants.

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder-like substance obtained from the remains of diatoms (a form of algae found in water bodies). It is insecticidal but harmless to plants since it is obtained from plant-like algae.

Diatomaceous earth contains several minerals such as magnesium, sodium, iron, and calcium that plants need to grow. So, when you spread this substance in your garden to kill ants, you help garden plants have more nutrients.

Sprinkle it on an ant infestation sites and around flower beds in your garden. Dust it on grass and put some in an ant mound as well. It will cause dehydration in ants and kill their entire colony in a short time period.

Make sure you buy the harmless food-grade diatomaceous earth, and not the other kind that can kill grass as well. Try this great brand at a great price: HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade.

2)     Use Boiling Water

One of the best natural ways to eliminate ants in gardens is by pouring hot water into the entry points of every ant nest you find in the garden.

Killing the worker ants on the ground will not be as beneficial because if the queen ant is still in the nest and laying eggs there, you will soon find more worker ants in the garden.

So, keep pouring hot water into the ant hill until the whole ant colony gets killed. This method needs several attempts and may make boggy areas in your garden.

3)     Create A Paste of Boric Acid and Sugar

It is another useful method of killing ants without affecting the growth of plants. Mix sugar and boric acid and make their paste. Spread this paste around ant nests. Ants will instinctively get attracted to sugar.

They will eat some of the paste and take the rest to their nest to feed the queen and store the remaining paste. Soon all ants will die due to the negative effects of boric acid present in the paste.

Try this great brand at a great price: Duda Energy Powder Boric Acid.

4)     Spread Brewed Coffee Grounds

Many people enjoy having coffee every day. If you are one of them, then, instead of throwing brewed coffee grounds, use them to repel ants.

Ants hate sharp smells, including coffee smell. So, spread brewed coffee grounds in your garden in all areas where you see ants. They will soon leave your garden and take residence in any other place.   

Though this method is not as effective as other methods mentioned in this list are, it will still help you repel ants.

5)     Control Aphid Growth

If your garden has aphids, it will certainly attract ants. So, controlling the population of aphids in your garden can help you control the ant population.

Aphids are insects that release a substance known as “honeydew.” It attracts ants, and they start feeding on it. So, reducing the aphid population can help you reduce ant food from the garden, which may further assist you in eliminating ants from your garden.

6)     Spray White Vinegar

Vinegar has a strong smell that is excellent for eliminating ants from your garden. Tae white vinegar or apple cider vinegar and mix it in water to make its dilute solution. Pour this solution in a spray bottle and use it wherever you find a colony of ants.

Keep spraying it around ants to force them to leave your garden and live elsewhere.

7)     Make A Mixture of Sugar and Baking Powder

Sugar and baking soda are two common ingredients available at home. Mix them in a 50:50 ratio. Then, locate ant nests and spread the mixture around them.

Ants will come to eat sugar and will end up eating baking soda as well. Baking soda will damage them internally and lead to ant death. You will soon have only a few ants left in your garden.

8)     Use Soap and Water Solution

You can easily find the ingredients you need (soap and water) in your home for this method. First, mix eco-friendly soap in the water. Next, fill a spray bottle with this cleansing solution. Spray this solution on ant trails and pour it into the nest until the whole ant population comes out of it.

You can also buy an insecticidal soap to make a soap water solution. It will be more effective in killing insects like ants.

9)     Prepare Water and Cayenne Solution

Cayenne has a certain chemical compound known for its insect repelling qualities. So, take advantage of these compounds and prepare a cayenne solution in water.

To make this solution, get a spray bottle and pour one cup of water into it. Add three tablespoons of cayenne pepper sauce and ½ teaspoon of liquid dish soap to the spray bottle. Mix these contents thoroughly. Spray the solution on every colony of ants you see.

Alternatively, you can create a similar mixture using actual cayenne peppers. Slice some cayenne peppers, put them in a glass jar, boil some water, and pour the water into the glass jar to let it sit for a day. You should use approximately one full cayenne pepper for each cup (8 oz) of the solution you plan to make. Remove the peppers and mix with liquid dish soap in a spray bottle as described above.

Only have dried cayenne pepper powder? No problem! You can sprinkle the powder right into your garden or make a solution and pour it in.

Cayenne pepper will not kill the ants but it will surely make them go away. You can also spray or pour the solution on plants or flower pots with ants.

10) Spread Orange Peels

Orange peels can come in handy in repelling ants. So, instead of throwing them in the dustbin, keep them safe for better use.

Orange peels contain organic compounds that can kill the fungus that ants feed on. When there is no fungus in your garden, ants will look for another place and soon leave it.

Therefore, spread orange peels in areas where you find ants having a party (eating food that you cannot see). Spread it around ant nests as well.

11) Use Canola Oil

You may have been using canola oil for cooking purposes for years. You can use the same oil to get rid of ants from your garden.

Make a solution of canola oil, liquid dishwashing soap, and water. Pour one cup of water into the spray bottle. Then add half a tablespoon of dishwasher liquid and one and a half tablespoons of oil to the spray bottle. Shake the bottle to mix these ingredients.

Now locate ant nests and spray the solution on them excessively. The solution’s ingredients will suffocate ants, and they will start dying slowly.  

More Methods to Get Rid of Ants in The Garden Without Killing Plants

There are more ant extermination methods that may be more effective but involve the use of chemicals. If the methods mentioned above do not work for you, you can try any methods below.

Below are the chemical solutions describing how to get rid of ants in the garden without killing your plants. While these are chemical solutions, they are safe for your vegetable garden.

12) Use Ant Bait

Ant baits are an effective way to get rid of ants in the garden. When you place it around ant nests, worker ants come to feast upon it and take some for their queen in the nest.

Set ant bait stations in different parts of your garden. They have a chemical that can kill entire ant colonies.

When you install an ant bait station around an ant colony, ants come to feed on the substance present in it and take some to their nests. When they take this chemical to the nest, all ants present in the nest also start dying. This way, the whole ant colony dies.

You can buy 5 to 8 ant bait stations, depending on the size of your garden. Then place it in different parts to kill ants and prevent the formation of their colonies.

Note: Not all ant bait is safe for your garden. Look for ant baits that contain the active ingredient spinosad.

The active ingredient, spinosad, is safe for your garden but is strong enough to kill the entire ant colony completely in a few days.

This product specifically is a great choice and is approved for organic gardening as well: Fertilome Come and Get It Fire Ant Killer.

13) Use Ant-Killing Garden Spray

Another product you can use to kill ants in your garden is garden insect-killing spray. Garden insect spray is fast-acting and is easy to use.

You can use this spray for ant nests situated within your garden, raised beds, planter boxes, and potted plants. Ants will die instantly due to the effects of the spray.

Note: Like ant bait, not all garden spray is safe for your garden. Look for a garden spray that contains the active ingredient spinosad.

This product specifically is a great choice and is approved for organic gardening as well: Monterey LG6150 Garden Insect Spray, Insecticide & Pesticide with Spinosad Concentrate.

14) Hire A Professional

If your garden has several ant colonies and it is becoming hard to handle them on your own, you can always contact a professional to help you tackle the issue. This is by far the best way to get rid of all the ants in your garden.

They know expert methods that vary from one ant species to the other. Their methods will certainly kill ants and prevent the formation of ant colonies as well.

Search companies on the internet that offer this service. Check their customer reviews and the effectiveness of their methods. Then, select three companies and call them to discuss your problem.

Ask them about their rates, then choose any one of them based on their rates, work experience, and efficacy.

Why Is It Good to Have Ants in Your Garden?

Not all ants are harmful to your garden. Having a few ant colonies can be beneficial for your garden.

Ants are natural soil aerators. They dig the soil to make tunnels and transport food from one place to another. As a result, holes develop in soil which allows air to pass. It increases oxygen and water availability to plant roots.

Another benefit of having ants in the garden is their ability to eat caterpillars and help you get rid of them. Caterpillars can cause serious damage to your plants. Therefore, it is better not to let their population grow. Ants feed on caterpillars, so having them in your garden will help you keep the caterpillar population under control.

Ants also help with natural pollination. They move from one flower to the other in search of food. During their movement, they take pollen and spread it in the garden. It encourages pollination and helps your garden grow more.

Why Should You Get Rid of Ants from Your Garden?

Ants aren’t all bad, but there are some disadvantages to having ants in your garden. They can hurt you or your children.

Ants, particularly red ants, have very sharp jaws that they use to prey on others or protect themselves from an attacker. If you ever accidentally sit in the path of ants in your garden, they can bite you, which can cause severe allergic reactions.

Another reason why you should get rid of ants from your garden is that they can enter your home and ruin your food items. Ants can go anywhere in search of food. It means they can go to your kitchen as well. So, the earlier you get rid of them, the better it is.

Conclusion: How to Get Rid of Ants in the Garden Without Killing Your Plants

Removing ants can be challenging, especially if they keep coming back. And when you have beautiful plants in your garden, it becomes very important to protect them while exterminating ants.

All the methods mentioned above are safe and effective. They will work for potted plants too. You can use them to get rid of all kinds of ants and still keep your plants intact!