Ants are very hard to deal with from your home, your garden, or your lawn. It is true that ants have a significant role in the ecosystem, but they can be so annoying. They go to our food, water and destroy our plants. Aside from aphids, ants are also among the worst enemies of gardeners. Ants often defend aphids from predators for the honeydew they produce.

So, how do you deal with ants in the garden without destroying your plants? There are various ways on how to get rid of ants in the garden naturally. You don’t have to use chemicals or insecticides that can be damaging to your plants.

Here are 5 natural ways of dealing with ants in the garden.

1. Diatomaceous Earth

DE should be strewn throughout your yard in locations where there are a lot of ants. Pour DE on the ants’ nest if you discover it. When using DE, don’t forget to wear a mask.

When dealing with ants in the garden, diatomaceous earth is an excellent option. It kills ants by suffocating them, drying the moisture in their bodies, and cutting through their exoskeleton and spiracles.

2. DIY spray

• Making your own natural spray is another technique to deal with ants in the garden. You will need 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, 1 1/2 tbsp. Canola oil, 1 quart of water, and a clean empty spray bottle. Mix all together in a dish with a whisk, then pour the mixture into the bottle and shake it vigorously.

Spray the parts of your garden where there are a lot of ants, and if you notice an ant nest, pour the solution in there. The soap and the oil will go through their exoskeleton and spiracles, paralyzing them and suffocating them.

• Another spray solution that you can make to get rid of ants in your garden is a mixture of liquid dish soap, cayenne pepper sauce, and water. Mix 3 tbsp. of cayenne pepper sauce, 1/2 tsp. of liquid dish soap, and 1 quart of water in a bowl. Fill a spray bottle with the combined solution, spray it in an area with a large ant population, and pour it into their nests. This solution will suffocate and burn ants to death.

3. White vinegar

White vinegar is also a viable option for ant control. Pour a quart of white distilled water in the area where you can see the ants and pour a 5% concentration in their nest. Ants will die as a result of the acid in the vinegar.

4. Boiling water

You may use boiling water to get rid of ants in the garden if you don’t have time to make natural sprays. You should first open up the ants’ nest with a shovel or a spade before pouring the hot water in. The ants will be exposed if the nest or anthill is opened. Pour hot water into the nest to kill the ants, then repeat the process until all of the ants are gone.

5. Cucumber and orange peelings

You can use cucumber and orange peelings to get rid of ants in the garden. Place the peelings around areas where there are a lot of ants.

Dealing with ants in the garden in a natural way is still the best. It is less damaging and harmful to the plants, less expensive, and you don’t have to use insecticides and other chemicals that can also be harmful to your health. Use these methods to get rid of ants and enjoy gardening.