How to Get Rid of Ants in the Garden

Not only are ants annoying, but a type of small red ant can ruin a vegetable garden. These ants are called leaf cutter ants and they invade by the thousands. Many people protect their garden from rabbits, gophers and deer, but a great many forget about protecting it from ants. In fact, ants can do just as much damage or more, than any other pest. If you need help getting rid of ants in your garden, follow these steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Borax
• Sugar
• Jar lids
• Hot cereal of your choice
• Mint plant

1. Mix 1/2 cup Borax with 1/2 cup sugar. The sugar is used to attract the ants and the Borax will eventually kill them. When the ants bring the sugar back to their mounds, they will also carry Borax. The Borax acts as a poison to the whole colony.

2. Pour Borax mixture into jar lids and place them discretely around your garden. The lids of jars are barely noticeable in a beautiful garden. Place them in corners and throughout the garden to attract ants.

3. Sprinkle a hot cereal brand of choice over the ant hill or mound. Hot cereal, before it is made, expands in the stomachs of the ants and kills them. This takes only a couple of weeks to kill an entire colony.

4. Plant mint in your garden because it is a natural pesticide. Mint has a distinct, pungent odor. Humans love it, but ants hate it. Planting mint not only eliminates your current ant problem, but prevents future infestations from occurring.

5. Wait and see if your attempts have worked; it may take weeks for these methods to work. Don't jump to the conclusion that natural methods don't work if you have only waited a few days. If you have waited a few weeks, however, and still have an ant problem, contact a professional.

Tips & Warnings

• Mint plants can be overbearing to a garden. Be sure to keep a close eye on them so that it doesn't overtake your other plants.
• Be aware that if a professional uses pesticides, you will need to properly wash your vegetables before eating.