• Blog
  • Main Website
  • Contact Us
deBugged
  • Blog
  • Main Website
  • Contact Us
Home  /  Crawling Insects  /  Ants in The Garden – Good or Bad?
11 May 2010

Ants in The Garden – Good or Bad?

Written by Jackie
Avatar
Crawling Insects ant control, ant products, ants, ants in garden, fire ants, how to get rid of ants, pest control 4 Comments

With the weather slowly warming up, I am starting to see more and more ants in my garden – not my house (thankfully!). Nevertheless I am already blaming an ant nest for destroying my Euonymus shrub. And, the other day I saw them crawling on my peony plants, which are just coming into bud.

CaterpillarApparently most ants are actually beneficial to the garden. They can help to aerate the soil through their natural tunnelling movements and the common Garden Ant can kill off caterpillars, which can cause damage to your plants. (I found caterpillars took a great liking to my bay tree last year, virtually destroying all of its leaves!)

But any ant can damage your plants if their colony happens to be directly next to the root system. They can also cause unsightly bald patches in your lawn, as an ant nest can cover patches of grass preventing it from growing properly.

Fire antThe more sinister sounding Fire Ant can do a lot of damage in a garden and destroy plants by tunnelling through its root system or feeding off young buds or even nutritious seeds. These ants will bite you too, which can cause allergic reactions in some people!

Are ants as damaging to a garden as moles?

moleDebatable. Moles probably create much larger tunnels potentially creating a greater mess of your lawn and flower beds. They also feed off worms, which any keen gardener knows are very good for the soil. I would also argue they are more difficult to get rid of…it’s not as if you can use a spray on them!

On the other hand, if ants happen to destroy an expensive plant you have just brought at the garden centre, then you would say that is very damaging too. But if all they are doing is crawling along your plants minding their own business, then they are quite harmless.

How to get rid of ants is seemingly a very common Google search (as covered in a fleas, ants and acne post) and if you are facing an ant invasion, then all of a sudden ants become a major pest. In this case, more professional ant control or DIY products may be necessary. General plant maintenance for the control of aphids and other plant insects will also help, as the natural secretion of aphids is a major attractant to ants.

For a more organic approach, I have read that spraying apple cider vinegar in the garden can act as a deterrent – ants hate vinegar apparently. Who would have guessed it?

Share On
 Previous Article How Not To Do Bird Control – As Demonstrated By The Movies
Next Article   Bed Bugs – Prevention is (Definitely) Better Than Cure

Related Posts

  • Where Do Bedbugs Come From?

    February 19, 2021
  • Image of silverfish and tips of how to get rid of silverfish

    Silverfish! What Are They And How To Get Rid Of Them?

    October 24, 2019
  • bed bugs in hotel rentokil

    Six steps for housekeeping staff to identify bed bugs

    June 10, 2019
  • how-to-get-rid-of-ants-in-garden-rentokil

    How to get rid of ants in the house

    April 4, 2019
Avatar
Jackie

I joined UK Marketing for Rentokil Pest Control in January 2009. What an enlightenment that has been….cheese mites, bed bugs and confused flour beetles, I never knew such things existed but I’ve certainly learnt how Rentokil expertise and experience eliminates them. Now my mission is to use the website to show the population of the UK that whatever their pest problem, Rentokil have the solution. Life outside of work revolves around my husband and kids, so life is pretty hectic!

4 Comments

  1. Avatar ben Reply to ben to ben" aria-label=' Reply to ben to ben'> Reply to ben
    May 26, 2010 at 3:42 am

    Very nice article. Moles have the advantage that they also feed on the larvae of cockchafers, which destroy the roots of some plants, so they are somewhat beneficial. However, I have to agree they can really mess up the lawns 🙂

  2. Avatar webmaster Reply to webmaster to webmaster" aria-label=' Reply to webmaster to webmaster'> Reply to webmaster
    May 26, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    The British Traditional Molecatchers Register is a web based register of British Molecatchers who only use traditional methods. It helps those with a Mole problem in paddock, field, garden or smallholding to find a TRADITIONAL Molecatcher in their area. – Not always easy these days.

    There is no charge for using the website and finding a Traditional Molecatcher in your area is easy. When you have found one feel free to contact them and mention that you got their details from British Traditional Molecatchers Register.

    The arrangement for any work you may wish them to do will be at a financial arrangement between you and the Molecatcher direct. You can, however, be sure that any Molecatcher that is on our register will use only Traditional Methods of Molecatching.

    The website contains much background information on Moles and Molecatchers and also details of our Training courses.

  3. Avatar Ant Guy Reply to Ant to Ant Guy" aria-label=' Reply to Ant to Ant Guy'> Reply to Ant
    November 20, 2010 at 2:23 am

    Responding to: “have read that spraying apple cider vinegar in the garden can act as a deterrent – ants hate vinegar apparently. Who would have guessed it?”

    As odd as it may seem, apple cider vinegar is a pretty common natural remedy… I have heard a 50/50 ratio of vinegar to water or just straight vinegar. Great Post!

  4. Avatar Ants invasion Reply to Ants to Ants invasion" aria-label=' Reply to Ants to Ants invasion'> Reply to Ants
    July 16, 2011 at 3:46 am

    Ant Guy say: apple cider vinegar is a pretty common natural remedy… I have heard a 50/50 ratio of vinegar to water or just straight vinegar.

    Thanks i’m going to try this.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Need some advice?

Talk to one of our experts:

For your Home

1890 666 444

For your Business

1890 555 222

Checking...

Ouch! There was a server error.
Retry »

Sending message...

Quick Form

Fill in the form below and we will be in touch soon


Find us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Find Us on LinkedIn

Rentokil Pest Control

Rentokil Pest Control is part of Rentokil Initial — one of the world’s largest providers of business services. Formed over 80 years ago, the company has grown to become UK’s longest-established, best known and most trusted pest control service provider.

Camberley.
3,500+ employees



Rentokil Pest Control

Categories

  • Birds
  • Commercial Pest Control
  • Countries
  • Crawling Insects
  • Flying Insects
  • Property Care
  • Rodents

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DEBUGGED BLOG


Latest Video

Recent Posts

  • Where Do Bedbugs Come From? February 19, 2021
  • Retail Risk 2021: What are the main causes
    Retail Risks 2021: What Are The Main Causes? November 23, 2020
  • Rentokil Initial Acknowledged by the President for Excellent Work During Covid-19 November 6, 2020
  • How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies? – Top 6 Steps You Must Follow August 31, 2020

© 2020 Rentokil Initial plc and subject to the conditions in the Legal Statement.

  • Manage Cookies
  • Company Information
  • Legal Statement
  • RI Supplier Code
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • eBilling
myRentokil
myLearning
  • Ambius.ie Ambius.ie
  • Initial.ie Initial.ie
  • Rentokil-Initial.com Rentokil-Initial.com