Get rid of ants from potted plants - tips

Video: How to Remove Ants from Potted Plants

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Ants are annoying, but they don't really harm potted plants. Ants are often attracted to the sweet secretions of other soil insects, such as aphids and aphids; Fire ants love to nest in trees and shelter in the foliage. There are many ways to get rid of ants from potted plants. You can kill ants with insecticides or baits, drown them with a water solution and disinfectant soap, or repel ants with common household chemicals. If you can't get rid of the insect, replant the plant in fresh soil and clean the pot.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Use insecticides and ants

Use the insecticide permethrin. When ants eat permethrin or come into contact with it, their nervous system becomes paralyzed and ants die. Permethrin comes in many forms: concentrated solution, fine powder, powder, and spray. Before using permethrin on plants, carefully read the directions on the product label. If not used properly, this medicine can be harmful to humans.
- Use the medicine in the form of a concentrated solution for potted plants. Follow the product instructions for making an effective permethrin solution and use as directed.
- If you, a family member, or a pet accidentally get or ingest permethrin, call your doctor or veterinarian right away.
Use ant baits to destroy all ant nests. Ant baits contain a number of slow-acting insecticides along with sugar, oil or protein to attract ants. Worker ants bring these poisonous foods to their nest and pass this poison directly through the mouths of other worker ants as well as larvae and queens. Poison poison spreads from ant to ant and from ant to larvae, so the nest will be gradually destroyed.
- You can purchase a rod-shaped ant bait and stick it directly into a pot plant that was infested by the ant.
- You can also use a disposable bait box. This type of trap can be reused many times, so it is a good way to eliminate large numbers of invading ants. Pour the selected insecticide into the bait box, close it, and place it near the base of the plant. Check the box as often as needed for spillage or add more ant baits as needed.
- Ant baits are considered the safest form of insecticide. However, you should still read the label before using it to ensure it can be safely used in the home with children and pets. Look for ant baits that have one of the following active ingredients: hydramethylnon, fipronil, boric acid, or avermectin B.
- Do not buy bait with cyfluthrin or permethrin.These fast-acting insecticides will kill the worker ants before they reach the nest.
Cover the ground with diatoms. Diatom soil is also an organic mineral insecticide. Squeeze is the safest means of spreading diatoms. Use a squeeze to sprinkle this chalk-like powder on the ground of the plant that has been infested with the ants. Within 30 minutes of coming into contact with diatoms, the ants on the tree will die.
- This product is ineffective when wet. You need to re-sprinkle the diatom soil after rain, heavy dew or after watering the plants.
- Do not inhale diatoms.
- Store the remaining diatom soil in a plastic bag with a sealed zipper to minimize contact with this product.
Mix 1 tablespoon of peppermint with 2 cups of water. Spray this solution on the foliage.
- Get rid of the ants by spraying them with a hose on the foliage.
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Method 2 of 4: Soak the potted plant in water

Mix the solution. If the pot is completely invaded by this tiny insect, soaking the soil in a pesticide solution can cause the ants to leave their nest. Ants that come into contact with the pesticide solution will die from the drug or drown. How to prepare the solution as follows:
- Find a clean bucket.
- Pour 4 liters of water into the bucket. (For large pots, you need to use double or triple the amount of water.)
- Dissolve 1 cup of disinfectant soap or dish soap per 4 liters of water. Some dishwashing liquid and detergent are softer, cheaper, but not as effective as antibacterial soaps. Branded dish detergents and soaps include: Dawn, Palmolive, Dove, Ivory, and Joy.
Divide the amount of the solution. First, you need to set aside about half of the solution to soak the pot. Find a bucket or pot large enough to place the pot and fill it with half of the solution; Next is to pour the solution into a small spray bottle - you will use the spray to kill any ants that have escaped. Finally, you will pour all of the remaining solution into the soil in the plant that was contaminated with the ants.
Pour half of the solution into the soil. Take the pot to a shade in the yard. Slowly pour half of the pesticide solution into the soil in the potted plant. Spray the solution on the ants that run out of the pot. Soak the pot for 1 hour.
- The sanitizing soap is mild and safe to use in organic gardens. These soaps contain potassium fatty acids that are specially formulated to kill insects on contact but are not harmful to humans or animals. Due to its low mammal toxicity, this soap is considered safe for use in the presence of children and pets, and is also allowed on organic farms. Although the solution is not harmful to your yard, you should still work on concrete grounds or driveways to reduce any risk of harm.
Soak the pot completely submerged in the insecticide solution. After you've poured the pesticide solution into the soil and catches the runoff, soak the pot in the solution and let it sit for 15 minutes. Spray any ants that are coming out of the pot with the solution. Remove the pot from the solution and place it on the ground.
Wash plants and pots with clean water. Use running water to flush all the plants in the pot with clean water. Clean water will wash away any remaining pesticide solution. Allow the plants and soil to dry completely before returning to a sunny location or watering again. advertisement

Method 3 of 4: Replant the tree

Wash the roots of the plants. To get rid of the ant nests, you need to replace the infested soil. Carefully dig up the plant with a shovel to remove the plant from the pot. Throw away any soil in the pot. Use a hose to gently spray the roots of the plant to dislodge any ants or contaminated soil.
- This step will stain - work where you are not afraid of getting wet or dirty.
Wash the pot. After you've discarded the soil, you need to clean the pot. Clean the pot to ensure that any traces of the contaminated soil are removed. Use a rag or sponge to scrub the inside and outside of the pot with a solution of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water.
Replant the tree. Fill the pot with fresh, clean soil. Plant in clean soil and fill in any remaining areas with soil. Water well after planting.
- If the root system is too large for the pot, plant it in a larger pot.
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Method 4 of 4: Use household products

Sprinkle coffee grounds on the ground. Ants hate coffee grounds very much and try to avoid them when they can. Spread the grounds on the plant's soil in a small circle around the base of the plant.
Sprinkle household products that are toxic to ants or repel ants around the plant. There are many ingredients in your kitchen cabinet that can kill or repel ants if you don't like using pesticides, especially if you have kids and pets. These products include baking soda, pepper, cinnamon, chili powder, and peppermint. You can sprinkle one of the ingredients in a small circle around the base of the potted plant.
Making ants is not poisonous. If you don't like using chemicals to kill ants, you can set up a non-toxic sticky trap. Place self-adhesive paper around the plant instead of placing ants. When the ants try to crawl through the self-adhesive paper, they will stick.
- Cut the self-adhesive paper into a tight circle around the base of the pot.
- Peel off the protective paper and place the non-stick surface on the ground.
- Place the plant in the center of the circle (onto the sticky side of the paper).
- Replace as needed.
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Advice

The pyrethrum spray is also effective if you irrigate the plant lightly. To use this method, you need to water the plant and let it sit for 10 minutes. Dilute pyrethrum with water (10 ml of pyrethrum with 90 ml water) and water the plant. You can use the cup to measure the correct ratio (10 ml of pyrethrum to 90 ml of water).