Getting rid of / Killing ants in the garden

There are multiple organic methods of getting rid of ants that are eating your plants.

1. Dust area around plants with baking soda (poisonous to ants).

2. Sprinkle grits, cream of wheat,or instant rice in circle around plants, the ant will eat one grain, drink water and the grain expands and kills the ant.

3. Sprinkle flour or baby powder around plant. Ants will never cross flour or baby powder.

4. Fill spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water and spray on plants. The acetic acid in vinegar kills ants.

5. Coffee grounds, black pepper, chili powder, cream of tartar, cinnamon, andpeppermint all deter ants. Coffee grounds can be poured directly on anthill, they eat the grounds and seem to implode

6. Fold contact paper in half sticky side out and make a circle around base of plant. They'll get stuck on the paper.

7. Mix one-third cup molasses, six tablespoons sugar, and six tablespoons active dry yeast into a smooth paste. Coat strips of cardboard with th mixture. Keep out of reach of pets and small children. You can leave mixture on a saucer outside anthill and they'll eat it and die.

8. Cut off bottom of paper cup and cut slit up the side of the cup and coat outside with vaseline and place around base of plant. Packing tape works too.

9. One cup borax, two-thirds cup sugar and one cup water. Dip cotton balls in the solution and place in areas near your anthill Ants will leave the plants alone and ingest the sweet mixture and the borax will kill the ants.

10. Diatomaceous Earth will destroy the insects outer skeletons, causing the pests to die from dehydration.

Hope some of these help you.

LoreD

_________________
It's not what you get to keep in life, it's what you get to give away.

Often this is a good time to further investigate
other insect density overpopulations that are initially attracting the ants into your Garden for ongoing residency.

Aphids, for example are often harvested by Ants for their secreted *HONEYDEW*, the byproduct found within/of the aphids excrement. If one can control the aphid and/or related cause the ants will often leave on their own accord for lack of an ongoing food/energy source. (*Controlling aphids can often be as simple as hosing-off the densely effected areas of your plants with the jet-propulsion setting on your garden hose when regularily watering your plants)

Other methods of controlling ants that are a little less preventative may be the consideration of using honey sweetened Borax (literally adding honey to borax powder, mixing it up and placing small allotments of it on a small piece of plastic in the direct vicinity of the ants path of travel--again, please use governing caution around pets and children.)

And finally there are sweetened ant poisons/preparations available on the market that are simply irresistible to ants--the ants gorge on said substance and then carry it back to the extensive numbers wherein all consume the product and ultimately the entire populous is then eradicated.

...Good luck and don't give up on that great garden!

~Kelly.