The ways on how to get rid of ants without killing them are easy and need no special skills.
Having ants in your garden is a common problem. It is similar to other pest problems that aggravate both beginner and experienced gardeners. Most people opt to kill these creatures using insect sprays. However, it’s best to remove them without killing or using any noxious chemical. Using natural methods and preventive measures not only is good for the environment but also protects your crops and your family from chemical hazards. Here are some of the basic, safe, and effective approaches on how to get rid of ants without killing them.
The most basic way on how to get rid of ants without killing them is by utilizing preventative methods. Read on to know more about ants and their common characteristics.
Things To Know About Ants
Before learning how to get rid of ants without killing them, you need to learn some basic information about them.
Ants have three jobs in their colony. One of them is the queen, and the rest are either soldiers or scouts. Scouts are the ones that find food sources. When they find a source of food, they will return to their colony and recruit other ants to gather food with them.
Argentine ants are the common type of ant found inside a house.
It is also helpful to know the types of ants you might encounter. Argentine ants, carpenter ants, and fire ants are some of the common types of ants.
Ways To Safely And Naturally Remove Ants From Your House And Garden
1. Do Not Give Food To Them.
It is known that ants generally want sweet, tasty, and sticky foods. Therefore, ant problems are commonly seen in the kitchen. One of the easiest ways to prevent ant infestation is to maintain cleanliness and wash all the dirty dishes before going to sleep. In addition, you ought to wipe all the food items such as condiments and food containers to ensure that there is no residue left. Wiping all the food spills immediately is also helpful so that ants will not be able to smell any food scent.
You can use vinegar to wipe surfaces since it is inexpensive, effective in repelling ants, and environment-friendly. To make a vinegar solution, you can combine ¼ cup of vinegar, 2 cups of water, and 10 to 15 drops of clove, eucalyptus, melaleuca, or peppermint essential oil. The fumes from the vinegar and essential oil will cause the ants to be confused.
How to get rid of ants without killing them in the garden? Just make sure they don’t have any food source in your garden. Avoid drinking and eating food while working in your garden so that no food residue is left behind.
Also, use the same mixture of vinegar and water to conceal any food scent and prevent the ants from attacking your garden. Take note that it is advised not to spray vinegar directly on the plants. This is because the high acidity level of vinegar could kill them. You can spray the vinegar on your garden fences and pots instead. This way, you do not need flea foggers or flea bombs which give off unwanted odor.
2. Conceal Their Scent Trails.
Ants emit a scent wherever they are. Therefore, when scouts find a food source, they leave behind a trail in order for the other ants to find the source of food. You can prevent this from happening by pouring soapy water on these trails.
One of the effective and fragrant ways on how to get rid of ants without killing them is by using peppermint essential oil.
Aside from soapy water, you can also use a mixture of borax and water and some essential oils. One of the essential oils that you can use is the peppermint oil. Peppermint is known to have an excellent smell that helps cover the scented trails of ants. You just need to use a cotton ball and drop a small amount of peppermint essential oil on the trail. You can also wipe some oil on the possible places that ants usually go to or areas where the ant colonies are located.
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3. Prevent Them From Getting Inside Your Home.
Another tip on how to get rid of ants without killing them is to know the point of entry. Once you identify their entry locations, you can search your nursery and greenhouse for any cracks and seal them with putties, glue, caulk, or plaster. You can also replace your boards and upgrade the construction. If you do not have any sealer, you can use vaseline or modeling clay temporarily.
Modeling clay can be used as a temporary option for blocking an ants’ passageway.
4. Gather The Ants And Dispose Of Them.
This is another method on how to get rid of ants without killing them yet the most tedious one— collect and discard them outdoors. In order to do this, you need to find the areas where the ants are located. Then, put something that ants cannot resist like honey or sugar water on a plate or any flat dish. Place this plate on the ground near them.
Honey is one of the surprising food items you can use to make ants go away.
5. Use Natural Repellents To Prevent Ants From Coming Back.
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Discouraging Them From Returning By Using A Cucumber.
Cucumbers have a compound that repels insects, particularly ants. Because ants detest cucumbers, you can slice a cucumber or use cucumber peel scraps to help deter them from entering. Place the cucumber slices or scrapings near the area where they gain access to your garden.
How to get rid of ants without killing them.
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Using Essential Oils And Herbs.
Citrus oil, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, and lemon juice can be used as deterrents against ants. Leave a few bags of mint tea in areas where ants are likely to gather. If you place these at entryways, ants will likely return where they came from.
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Flashing Light On Them
After you find the places that ants use as entryways, place a small light bulb that radiates on this area. The change in light may disturb and prevent them from foraging in your home.
Conclusion
There are many methods on how to get rid of ants without killing them. These natural remedies are gaining popularity, especially to most organic gardeners, because they do not impose a threat to their plants and crops. From the information given, you can now say goodbye to pesky ants inside your house and garden without worrying about the chemical hazards caused by toxic insect sprays.
Which method have you tried in your garden so far? We love the vinegar and water mixture as it can be used both inside the house and garden. Let us know what you think by commenting below! 🙂
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