Control Ants - Treatment

How to control Ants in the garden


Ants are rarely welcome on a summer’s day picnic but these little tough guys can also be too smart for their own good when it comes to our garden plants. Here’s how to know when they’ve overstepped the line and how to stop them in their little ants trail track...

Ants can cause many problems in the garden. They will build unsightly mounds in lawns and contribute to soils becoming water-repellent — a particular problem in pot plants.

Ants are also known to be responsible for the spread of other insect pests such as scale, aphids and mealybug, which feed by sucking the sap from garden plants. Ants feed on the sugary secretions made by scale, aphids and mealybugs and will defend these insects from natural predators. They will also deliberately spread them from one plant to another as a means of securing this food source. While the damage caused by small outbreaks of scale, aphids and mealybug is often negligible, the partnership of ants can soon cause serious plant damage.

If you observe ant activity on plants and shrubs, have a closer look to see if there is other insect pest activity as well. You may need to apply a treatment to get rid of these other pests as well as the ants. Conversely, if you see scale, aphids or mealybugs on your plants, keep an eye out for ants and treat all insects at the same time.

Ants are very easy to keep under control. Sprinkle Dead Ant Granules around the garden and lawn — wherever you notice unwanted ant activity. If you see ant trails or nests, be sure to apply around these areas. Repeat application may be necessary depending on the amount of ant activity in your garden.