How To Keep Ants Out Of Your Garden

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Everybody wants to keep their garden pristine and free of pests. Most ants aren't actually considered detrimental by gardeners, because they attack and eat all kinds of other pests that are bad for plants. However, if you're being plagued by ants that are eating your veggies or just generally annoying you, there are tons of options out there for putting an end to the problem.

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Soapy water is great for spot-treating ants you see. Fill a spray bottle ¾ of the way with tap water and squirt in a few drops of dish soap. Shake the bottle up and take it out in your garden with you. Whenever you see any ants, spray them and the area around them. This will kill any ants you mist, and the soapy water will mess with the pheromone trails the ants leave behind, which may keep other ants from following their friend into the garden.^[1]
- This is not a permanent solution, but over time this may have a big effect on the number of ants you find in your garden.
- You can always just keep this spray bottle out with your gardening tools and carry it with you while you're doing any yardwork. Whenever you spot a few ants, spray them with the bottle!

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Vinegar and water will also kill ants and disrupt them. Like soapy water, vinegar and water will kill ants and mess with their pheromone trails. Fill a spray bottle with 1/3 white vinegar, and 2/3 water. Shake the mixture up, and spritz any ants you run into in your garden.^[2]
- The downside with vinegar is that it may harm any plants it comes in contact with. This may be a good thing if the ants are hanging around in a patch of weeds, but probably not ideal if the ants are in your flowerbed.

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Granular insecticide is a low-effort and efficient way to kill a colony. Pick up any granular ant insecticide or dust and read the instructions on the label to apply it. Usually, you just sprinkle it around any mounds you find.^[3] Don't pour an entire bag out either—you just need a few sprinkles to get the ants to pick the poison up. The ants will carry the poison back into the colony, where the poison will start taking effect.^[4]
- Granular bait is generally considered more efficient than traps (liquid bait).^[5]
- Diatomaceous earth isn't the same thing as granular bait, but it will certainly kill ants! Unfortunately, it may take a lot longer for an entire colony to die out if you use DE.^[6]

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Bait traps are a good way to deal with colonies over time. There are tons of different bait brands and compositions out there, but they'll all help combat ants.^[7] Pick up some bait traps and read the instructions thoroughly.^[8] Typically, you just leave them next to any mounds you see and the ants will either die on the spot, or pick the bait up and carry it back to the colony. Over time, the ants will spread the poison around and the colony will die out.^[9]
- It may take dozens of traps and a few months of time, but these will work eventually! So long as you're consistent and you replace the traps regularly according to the instructions on the label, you should get rid of the ants.^[10]
- There are bait gels you can just squirt directly next to the mounds as well. These are great if you don't feel like picking up and replacing traps every now and then.

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Getting rid of their food and shelter may send ants on their way. Get rid of any lumber you have laying around and get a bin for compost. Clean your yard up to get rid of any cover the ants are using to stay safe. If you keep trash outside, store it in an elevated bin with a tight lid. Never leave food scraps or pet food around outside. If your yard isn't appealing to ants, they're probably going to move on and look for greener pastures elsewhere.^[11]
- You can try to attract the ants to another area by setting out a container filled with food scraps in an empty area nearby if you'd like. That might help draw the colony elsewhere.^[12] However, it might also draw more ants or pests to your area, so do this at your own risk!

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Pouring boiling water down the mounds you find may kill the colony. At bare minimum, it will disrupt the ants and keep them from continuing to dig their colony in a given location. Once you find a mound, boil water in the largest pot you have. Put some oven mitts on and take the water out to the garden. Carefully pour the water into the mound to flood it.^[13]
- Be super careful when you're carrying the pot. You don't want to burn yourself!
- This is one of the only options out there if you aren't trying to introduce any other substances into your garden.
- Some pest experts claim that this doesn't work, but since it's a very low-risk option, it may be worth giving it a shot.^[14]

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Ant moats are a great way to keep ants off of specific plants. If you have nectar-producing plants that the ants seem attracted to, buy some ant moats! These are small lightweight cups that hang from branches or stalks. Simply fill the cup with a little water and place it in an area where the ants will have to cross, and therefore fall into the water. The ants won't be able to climb out, and you'll keep them off of that plant you're trying to protect.^[15]
- You can also use a sticky barrier, like Tanglewood, to keep ants from climbing up tree trunks or branches if you'd like.

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If this problem just won't go away, try following an ant for 30 minutes. It's nearly impossible to get rid of ants if you don't treat every colony in the area, and if the ants just keep coming back, you may have a colony hiding under your nose. The next time you see an ant in a hurry, try tracking it. Ants don't spend a ton of time outside of their nest just wandering around, so they'll lead you back to their home eventually. Once you find the hidden colony, you can treat it with bait, insecticide, or whatever solution you'd like to try.^[16]
- If you know you've got a biting ant, just keep a little bit of space between you and the worker you're following.
- It will take longer to get rid of ants if they've had a ton of time to build their colony out. The faster you can find every nest in your garden, the easier it will be to get rid of them.^[17]

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If the ants aren't biting, you can always just stay away from them. The vast majority of ants are good for the environment. They attack predatory bugs, clean up messes, and remove dead insects from your yard. If they aren't biting you, sneaking into your home, or feasting on any veggies, you're probably better off just letting them be. It's a sign you have a healthy garden, so you can always live and let live!^[18]
- Ants aren't considered carriers of any serious disease, so they're really more of a nuisance than a serious pest.^[19]

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If you just can't find the source of the problem, call an exterminator. They'll be able to identify the specific species of ant that's plaguing your yard, and they'll treat the problem more specifically than you'd be able to do.^[20] They also have access to all kinds of industrial pesticides that you don't have access to. Basically, if you want the problem solved as quickly and efficiently as possible, let a pro handle it!^[21]
- Spraying pesticides yourself isn't particularly productive. It won't keep ants out of your area (in fact, it may lock them in) and the perimeter spray is just going to wear off before it does any harm to the ant colony near you.^[22]

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How can I get rid of ants in the garden?

Hussam Bin Break is a Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Operations Manager at Diagno Pest Control. Hussam and his brother own and operate Diagno Pest Control in the Greater Philadelphia Area.

Pest Control Professional

Expert Answer

You can use a repellent and distract the ants. Make them leave and go to some other place. Or you can use a granular bait. They will go to it and die there or take it to their colony, and it will have its effect over there.

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Any insecticide containing bifenthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, or gamma cyhalothrin is going to be helpful at combatting ants.^[23]
Pouring tap water or gasoline into a nest isn't an effective way to get rid of ants.^[24]
Spearmint, pepper, orange peels, cinnamon, and herbs are not going to keep ants out of your garden.^[25]
Lavender and other essential oils are unlikely to be productive when it comes to keeping ants away.^[26]

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