Potted plants magnify the beauty of your house or space, especially if they are lively and green. Most of the time, you will see ants crawling out and about from them. If you have a curious mind, you’ll naturally want to know why. Ants, like most living creatures, are found in these places because of food and shelter. If you are not a big fan of ants in your potted plants, here are some ways you can do to prevent them from residing in your flora and fauna permanently.
Quick Overview
Ants and other pests
Ants and their tunnels
Home-made solutions
Using Soap and water to stop ants nesting in plant pots
Cinnamon as a way to stopping ants from nesting in plant pots
Stopping ants nesting in plant pots using Spices
Citrus can also stop ants from nesting in plant pots
Cleanliness
Ants and other pests
Ants can be seen on potted plants because they found something valuable. And what else do these little fellas live for aside from shelter? Food, of course. If you see ants swarming your plant, it is probably because of other insects that feed on them. Mealybugs or aphids can be the cause, as these insects can damage and kill your plants by sucking their juices from the sap. And while these insects feed off of your plant, they release a sweet substance that, in turn, ants eat. Awesome right? Well, not for you and your plant though.
And just like how science taught us, we need to remove the cause to remove the effect. Once the food is gone, ants will leave your potted plants behind to look for a new location where food is aplenty. There are many ways to remove them, but perhaps the easiest way to stop ants from nesting in plan pots is by spraying the plant with organic horticultural oils. The chemical will kill the pests and effectively keeping the ants away from your potted plants.
Ants and their tunnels
Ants also reside in your potted plants because they think it is very homely. This occurrence happens when the soil is dry. Ants will create tunnels from the bottom of your pots that can cause your potting mix to erode. These tunnels also create air pockets allowing them to just run through the soil instead of getting them wet. And we all know what happens to plants when it is not getting enough water.
The most basic and effective way to remove the ants would be to re-wet them. If you have small potted plants, you can redo your potting mix or re-plant using a different pot or soil mixture. This step is to make sure that the soil will absorb the water. You can also submerge them into a bucket of water for a few seconds so they can soak. If you have big potted plants and cannot remove the potting mix, you can let the soil absorb water more by letting the water run through them for a few seconds longer and make sure to water your plants more frequently.
Home-made solutions
There may be times where plant solutions are hard to come by. But some homemade products and items can be used as an alternative to stopping ants nesting in plant pots. And the best part is, it is easy to make and cheaper too. So before you panic and call an exterminator, you might want to consider these homemade ant repellent solutions below.
Using Soap and water to stop ants nesting in plant pots
A soap solution is one of the best and effective ways to remove ants from your plants. Just put a teaspoon of soap into two cups of warm water and spray the solution on and around your plant and pot in the evening. Remove the soap solution by using fresh water in the morning instead. You might have to repeat it daily for a few days to see the desired effect.
Cinnamon as a way to stopping ants from nesting in plant pots
We might think that ants love cinnamon since it is sweet. Well, not cinnamon. According to research, cinnamon has natural alcohol that can be deadly to ants. Not only that, it has a strong smell that deterred ants from smelling and detecting their food source and communicating with each other. If you only want to make the ants move to a new location, you can sprinkle the cinnamon powder into the pot. However, you will need to spray cinnamon oil mixed with water if you want a more permanent solution by killing them.
Stopping ants nesting in plant pots using Spices
There are also other spices that you may use to deter ants. Note that these spices are known to repel ants and not kill them. But it is effective nonetheless if your goal is for ants to leave your pots alone. You can sprinkle chili powder and coffee grounds on and around your potted plants. Scatter dried mint tea leaves around the base of your potted plant to keep ants from invading it. And the best thing about it is you can easily find these spices inside your house or in the market.
Citrus can also stop ants from nesting in plant pots
Like cinnamon, citrus fruits like lemon and orange can kill ants. These fruits have acidic oils that are deadly to ants. And just like other homemade solutions above, you can find it inside your house, in the market, or even pick from your backyard.
To create a solution, squeeze lemon rinds into a cup of warm water and spray them onto the plant and pot. But if you see a whole bunch, it’s time to level up your game as well. Put lemon rinds on a pot and add vinegar just enough to cover them. Heat the mixture but do not bring it to a boil. Let it cool, strain, and put the mixture into a spraying bottle. Spray on and around your pot and plants.
Cleanliness
Ants and other pests are attracted to foods and food sources. In the case of indoor plants, a little extra effort to clean your house and around it can go a long way. That is if you don’t want to see ants and other insects crawling just about anywhere. Make sure to clean your kitchen, dining area, and living room regularly. Doing this will avoid those crumbs or food spills to attract unwanted guests like ants inside your house. Because once inside the house, they will eventually discover your indoor plants and claim them as their home sweet home.
