Ants may look like pests, but they play a valuable role in garden soil health and pest control. Here are some reasons why you can stop worrying and have them do:
If the ants take over the hummingbird feeder in their quest to find sugar, the water moat will stop them.
Why do gardeners want to remove ants?
This article is based on an episode of a podcast.
2 minutes in the garden, garden ants and title: harmful or beneficial?
If you would like to listen to this content, check out the podcast player in the resources below.
Ants tend to trigger automatic “EW!” response. They are small and displayed in large numbers, yes, certain species can be stabbed or bitten. So it’s not surprising to often ask how to get rid of them, assuming that gardeners have to be a problem.
One common concern I hear is “taking over” the peony plant. And yes, it’s normal to see ants roaming all over the flower buds. But take a closer look. It’s just about food. The buds create the sweet nectar that ants love, like a free candy shop. They have not damaged the plants, and their gorgeous flowers still open as expected.
You may also see ants gathering around the albuids of other plants. In that case, ants are protecting aphids from predators and gathering the sweet honeydew they produce. That may seem dramatic, but again, for ants, plants are just stages, not targets.
Like many misunderstood garden inhabitants, the ants deserve a second look. Far from being pests, they play an important role in ecosystems, quietly contribute to soil health and nutrition cycling, and are food sources for many other animals.
And really, their numbers are so vast, it’s a hopeful idea to believe that we can or should control them.
Ali 101
The Basics of Ants: Things you may not know
Ants are insects of the membrane order (along with bees and hornets). All ants are social and live in colonies. Queen ants start colonies and use sperm from one mating flight to fertilize the eggs for years. Most ants are female workers. Men are short-term. There are over 20,000 known species around the world. Researchers, including around 800 species in the United States, estimate that there are at least 20 times more ants on the planet.
What ants do in the garden
While it may not be welcome in your kitchen, ants in your garden are not usually a problem. In fact, they can help in several important ways.
Soil health and structure
Ants, like insects, expand the soil as they pass through it. Their tunnels help improve water penetration and root growth. Ants contribute to the nutrient circulation and the decomposition of organic matter. Ant waste, such as worm castings, adds organic material to the soil.
Pest control
Ants eat many other insects, including some known garden pests. They also eat beneficial insects, but the net results often benefit your plants. They are food sources for birds and other wildlife.
What about ants and aphids?
This is one of the few situations where ants can indirectly cause problems.
Ant “farm” aphids protect against predators for sweet honeydew. In doing so, it may help aphid populations to last longer if not. However, ants also eat aphids under certain conditions. Aphids themselves are often not as harmful as they look, and a simple remedy is usually enough.
Therefore, ants interfere with aphid predators, but do not cause aphid problems. They’re just trying to take advantage of it.
Concerns about the hill of Ants
In some areas, the mounds of ants are very small and rarely noticeable. In others, they can reach heights and become annoyed, especially when mowing the lawn.
Yet, the king in nature contributes to biodiversity by creating unique microhabitats for other soil organisms.
In the average garden, they do not do much harm. However, it slightly changes the landscape.
Factors of stab wounds: When ant is a real problem
Several ant stab wounds. Most notable:
The red imported fire ants (originally from South America) are known for their aggressive stab wounds and spread throughout the southern United States, Australia, Europe and parts of Asia. European fire ants (East Canada and Northeastern US) are also stung, but they are not very aggressive. Carpenter ants have no stab wounds, but can damage wooden structures.
If you live in an area with problematic fire ants and carpenter ants within the building, that is different from the basic garden presence. In most gardens, ants do little harm.
FAQ
Do ants pollinate plants?
Ants do not pollinate plants in meaningful ways.
While some researchers believe that ants are underestimated pollinators, overall they are thought to be neutral or even slightly harmful to pollination. In some cases, presence in flowers can block pollinators like bees.
That being said, they are part of a long co-evolution with plants. Some plants have evolved to evolve the nectar sources outside the flower and seed structure to attract ants for protection and seed dispersion.
While ants may not want to move their seeds in your garden (just like squirrels move flower spheres), this indicates that ants and plants are generally doing well.
If you really want to, can you remove the ants?
If you really need to remove ant colonies, some slowly working baits can help:
The borax and sugar mixture is effective and mimics the old arsenic + sugar method, but is much safer. It can take several weeks for it to work, as you need a slow-moving poison so you can turn around the entire colony before you realize that something is wrong. Commercial bait stations work on the same principle. The sweetener, erythritol, has shown in research that it is promising as an ant insecticide, but plants can also be harmful.
But before you try any of these, do your homework and try not to cause any other harm.
Other popular remedies such as cinnamon, diatomaceous earth, boiling water, or aspartame have limited or exposed their effectiveness. Many are not targeted and can also harm beneficial insects.
And even if you remove the nest, remember: there are 20 Quadriolion ants in the world, so they’ll come back.
summary
Just leave them
Alis are often misunderstood and unnecessarily vilified.
In the garden, they:
Improves soil structure. It helps in decomposition of organic matter. Control insects. Nursing wildlife. It coexists with plants that have been associated with for many years.
Unless you’re dealing with stinging ants from ants that are damaging people or buildings, you don’t need to eliminate them.
In fact, the best thing you can do is simply let them do. They do their part in the garden ecosystem, if not always aware.
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