Insecticide For Ants In Garden

1. Beneficial ants prey on caterpillars, termites and beetles. In some cases, they till the soil for you. Unfortunately, some ants protect harmful insects such as soft scales, whiteflies and aphids or deliver a painful sting like that of the red fire ant. Observe your garden and consider whether ants are causing harm before treating them.

Spray

1. Spraying insecticide is a quick solution to kill roaming ants. When choosing an insecticide spray for a garden, opt for a formula that is safe and organic. The most common and reliable solvent is citrus oil, which can either be purchased or made at home with citrus peels. Citrus oil is toxic to ants but not to humans and does not affect the garden harvest. It can be sprayed on the soil around the garden — or even better — doused directly on the nest. Other concentrated food-based oils that deter ants include peppermint, rosemary, clove and thyme.

Baits

1. Baits are more effective than insecticide sprays as a long-term solution. Bait is a mixture of food and insecticide that forager ants recognize as food and take home to the colony and the queen. Ideally, you can identify the ants’ nest and sprinkle baits or place bait stations near it. If you cannot identify the nest, sprinkle the bait on the ground where ants have been spotted, avoiding contact with the vegetables so that the produce is not directly affected. Certain species tend to be more attracted to different food blends in baits. For the highest efficacy, identify the specific type of ant in your garden or try a mix of different attractants.

Safest Baits

1. When selecting baits or sprays, read the instructions on the package, as percentages of active and inactive ingredients affect the toxicity after use. Look for baits with small proportions of insecticide. They’re more effective, because they allow time for foragers to spread the food within the colony, and they are safer for humans and your microenvironment. Insecticides with the lowest toxicity ratings include silica gel and borate-based baits, which can be listed on labels as borax, boric acid, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, sodium borate, sodium octaborate and sodium tetraborate. Hydramethylnon and pyrethrin — also listed as pyrethrins and pyrethrum — have low toxicity ratings for humans but higher risk for the local environment in terms of water runoff.

Maintenance

1. To prevent further invasions, keep a vigilant eye on your garden. Treating one nest or mound is relatively easy. Avoid ant-welcoming situations. Fallen fruit, leaky faucets or sprinkler-heads, leftover crumbs from outdoor meals and honeydew-producing insects can all attract new colonies.