Any tips to reduce the ant population?

julie 7

My garden - the lawn, beds, patio, stone walls, compost bin and wormery - are over-run by black ants. They have been no bother so I've left them over the years but there are so many now and I am noticing a massive increase in the aphid population and never see any ladybirds anymore (I used to get loads). I don't like to use any pesticides in the garden and was hoping nematodes would reduce the population; but researching it, it seems they just make the ant population move on. My worry is - where would they all go (another part of the garden? my house?). Does anyone have any ideas? I am happy to live with some ants, I just feel I need to restore the balance (and get some ladybirds back).

Obelixx

As Edd says, lots of water as they like dry soils and pots.

Failing that, there are smells they loathe and that make them move on.  Ty watering bad spots with a solution of one small bottle of essential oil of cloves in 10 litres of water and pour that over the affected plant or area.

You can get the oil of cloves at pharmacies and health shops.

julie 7

Thanks all. But if I'm targeting the aphids first - any tips on that? I've used an organic product call Bug Clear before (safe for bees and ladybirds) but it made the leaves of my sweet peas crinkle up. I've tried plain old washing up liquid (diluted) on my honeysuckle but that's going the same way.

Re the ants, I saw this supposedly natural product: http://www.neudorff.co.uk/products/ant-killer-granules.html though generally I don't like killing things (aphids always accepted ... and vine weevil grubs). Does anyone know anything about it or had experience using it?

Obelixx

If I do find aphids in great numbers, I squish them with my fingers or blast them off with spray from the hosepipe.  It pays to wait for the ladybirds and hover flies and birds to come and eat them.

Ants do farm aphids for their sugar secretions to feed their own babies so deal with the ants and you'll reduce your aphid problem.

me london

Edd, I find that Obelixx isn't wrong. There's a bit of both - ant's have been known to carry young aphids to plants. Certainly true in my garden, I rarely had aphids but I had a lot of ants. My aphid problem has gone out of control in just a couple of years, and I do think it's because of help from the ants.

 

 

Dovefromabove

Chicken and egg situation

 

We find that encouraging bluetits into the garden has really cut down on the number of aphids - at this time of year the rose bushes, clematis, aquilegias etc are all regularly visited by the bluetit families and we really don't have an aphid problem.  We have  a few ants in the (sandy) lawn in the summer, but never enough to cause a problem - as Edd suggests if there in an area where we don't want them we water them and encourage them to move on

darren636

Ever thought about an aggressive leaflet campaign?



' ANTS OUT!'

simple yet to the point



' YOU GOT LOTS OF LEGS, SO USE THEM!'

A bit of humour to lighten the mood

Dovefromabove

Perhaps we could domesticate them?  They could be very useful ...

 taking stuff to the compost heap

julie 7

Or darren636 I could just sit down and reason with them (maybe discretely mention 'family planning'..) If only ...

I'll try attacking from both ends and see how it goes. Thanks.

pansyface

Rather than using detergent, which is quite harsh, use soapy water made by dissolving the old fashioned bar of solid soap in some water. Just wash your hands with the soap and use that water. The whole aim of adding it to the water is to break down the surface tension of the water so that it coats the insects and stops them being able to breathe. Soap is less toxic to the plant than detergent so shouldn't produce crinkled leaves.

julie 7

Ah thanks - is it any bar of soap or a particular type?