Skip to Content
sitenum=259
Home Gardening Tips
Comments:
by Bill Crouse
on March 25, 2016 at 11:59 AM
Thanks for you post on ant control. All are effective but borax mix is the best.
by Margie
on April 6, 2016 at 4:14 PM
Thanks for your solutions. .much appreciated! ! :)
by Amy
on April 16, 2016 at 6:41 AM
Thank You! I will try the Borax today!
by Candra
on April 22, 2016 at 3:08 PM
Will these 3 methods work for fire ants?
Reply by Kamille Hammerstrom
on April 27, 2016 at 5:39 PM
I'm not sure if these methods will work for fire ants, but here's a link to the Texas A&M Ag extension, where they do research on fire ant management. Good Luck! https://fireant.tamu.edu/controlmethods/
by MaryAnn Orsary
on April 26, 2016 at 4:50 PM
Hello,  
I have aphids on my milkweed plants (Davis Showy Milkweed), that I think the ants have encouraged to be there. What can I spray on the leaves that won't hurt the monarch caterpillars?  
Thank you!
Reply by Kamille Hammerstrom
on April 27, 2016 at 5:37 PM
Hello,  
 
One thing you can try is to spray the milkweed plants with a strong spray of water to wash the aphids off. You can also try growing plants that host beneficial insect such as lacewings that will eat aphids.  
 
Kamille, UCMGMB '14
by Gene Rinderle
on May 1, 2016 at 11:01 AM
Thanks for the suggestions,  
I planted acorn squash, potatoes, hot peppers, and cukes. The tiny ants are eating the potato leaves. What can I spray on the leaves without hurting the plants. Will the plant veggie absorb the taste of the borax.  
Thanks....Gene....Vincennes In.
by G
on May 18, 2016 at 8:49 AM
I have ants in my potatoe raised bed. The queen is definitely somewhere in the center. Will the borax the ants bring back me harmful to the soil/ vegetables when they absorb them?
by Wendy Drake
on May 21, 2016 at 7:10 PM
Which of these methods is best to remove ants but does NOT effect bees & butterflies?
by Joe DeGraw
on May 28, 2016 at 11:57 AM
I have tried the borax in jelly and it works for a little while, then dries out! I am trying DE in a little powder atomizer! It seems to be working, and it kills cockroaches too!
by kathie adamson
on June 6, 2016 at 9:08 AM
Thank You!....my garden is loaded with teeny tiny red ants....on my way to buy some Borax and try that method.
by Angela Thomas
on June 8, 2016 at 1:41 AM
Thanks mate. The borax mix is indeed a life saver. I was getting harassed with these ants constantly munching on my confectionaries and biscuits. But with the borax mixture, I got rid of them within a week. And the best part is that I don’t need to constantly shift my sugar and cookie jar from their respective places. http://nycitypestcontrol.com/
by Rhonda Green
on June 15, 2016 at 9:46 AM
Thank You. I have a porch garden . Love it.
by Alika Babino
on June 15, 2016 at 4:00 PM
Is borax safe to use in the vegetable garden? I Have an issue with a colony of little black ants, seems like they are under or inside my water barrel cactus.
by Karen Steiff
on July 7, 2016 at 6:55 AM
for MaryAnn Orsary, You can order ladybugs form Gardens Alive or any other distributor of ladybugs. Ladybugs love aphids and are ferocious eaters. Release your ladybugs in the early evening after watering. They will first drink from the water droplets then feast upon your aphids. I have been doing this for 6 years now and within days, the aphids are almost completely gone.
by Mina Sady
on July 31, 2016 at 11:07 AM
While sweetened Borax works, be aware it is harmful to pets. I can't use this method in my garden because my dogs can get into it.
by David
on August 2, 2016 at 6:16 AM
Hello Paul, I very much appreciated your "Ants in the garden" solutions. Although i have not tried any of the solutions yet because it has been raining, I believe one or more of the recipes will do the trick on my small infestation of ants in my newly made small backyard garden. They seem to be focused on my Cilantro! Which was growing very well at first! Then we noticed the buds slowly disappearing! I am going to try the viniger and water treatment first as it is readily available to me right now. If that doesnt work well enough I will search out the Borax and hope that does the trick! Thank you again! I will try to get back to you with my results soon!
by Glenn
on September 1, 2016 at 5:34 AM
I live in north central Pennsylvania. Have been organic gardening for 45 years. Have developed a very serious ant issue the past couple of years. They eat the hair roots off the plants and the seeds I plant. Two months ago I mixed equal amounts of borax and white processed surgar and spread it on my garden. I also spread some on the ant hills in my lawn. With in two weeks the grass around the ant hills was stone dead and still shows no signs of life. The plants in the garden did not die but became very sickly. Yield is 10% of what it should be. I assume it was the borax that caused this issue.
Reply by Kamille Hammerstrom
on September 5, 2016 at 9:30 AM
Glenn, I haven't used borax as an herbicide but a quick Google search yielded many links to DIY herbicides made of borax or borax in combination with other ingredients. While plants need boron, too much of it will kill them. Perhaps try the borax-sugar mixture only on the ant hills and as a perimeter treatment around your garden where it won't get watered in? Ants are a tough one!
by Cindy
on June 5, 2017 at 11:21 AM
Thanks for this post! I began seeing ants in my garden about 4 years ago. We built 6 raised beds from poured concrete in molds, 4X27 feet. Because they're 1' high I sit on the edge to plant & weed. These tiny buggers are inside gloves & shoes, sometimes clothes before I realize & they bite! Even if I stand they'll come out & get in my shoes! Ive set traps but there are just too many, in several areas of the beds & even in my flower beds under mulch, & in my herb garden. Often they win & I just have to avoid certain areas. I think I'll try the borax where I've already seen them & pray for victory!
by Julie
on June 7, 2017 at 7:05 AM
I have used the borax treatment with good results. However, as a beekeeper, bees and other beneficial nectar eating insects are drawn to the sweet concoction too. Simply cover a few cotton balls with the mixture and set on top of mound. Cover balls with a can or jar to keep beneficial insects from reaching it (as well as curious little puppies- lol). Re-bait as needed.
by Alex
on June 15, 2017 at 7:41 AM
Yes Im going through the same things in AZ! After having an exterminator come by, seems like he missed a spot and now they have gathered in masses in a corner of my backyard where 1 of 5 of my 6x3' garden beds are. It has gotten to the point where I cant even pick any of my peppers because these troopers are always on the attack! Constantly have to watch my feet/legs. Relied on my wife to get the exterminator back out, but population mass doesnt come out until late afternoon, so he only left some ant pellets-NOTHING! So, from reading this, Im shopping for some borax now... and also plants to attract more lacewings that will eat annoying aphids!
by john nguyen
on July 1, 2017 at 6:33 AM
i try borax with sugar and maple syrup  
the ants dont even come near it they smart
by Teresa
on July 1, 2017 at 5:24 PM
Is borax safe for the plants and the people that eat them?
Reply by Kamille Hammerstrom
on July 2, 2017 at 8:40 AM
Hi Teresa,  
 
Here's some information on borax as a pesticide: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/PNAI/pnaishow.php?id=16. Borax is safe for people and plants. It's actually a micronutrient for plants. I think the biggest concern for people is to be careful to avoid breathing in the dust when handling borax. Once it is applied in the garden it is not a concern, except for the pests!
by Louisa
on July 4, 2017 at 5:05 PM
Help! I found out that my other half has been putting ant killer around our veg. Surely this will poison the food we're growing. Wish he'd read this before reaching for the chemicals :-(
by Simone
on July 5, 2017 at 2:55 PM
I have a 2 acre ,Sandy yard. It's wall to wall ants, hills everywhere. This is creeping me out.  
In my veggie garden I was almost covered with 3/4 "red ants. We're under cardboard I laid down.  
I'd like to eliminate all these ants and not harm bees or other beneficials. No pets outside, but bunnies, which I don't want to harm....deer and frogs too.  
Thanks.
Reply by Kamille Hammerstrom
on August 8, 2017 at 10:11 AM
Hi Simone,  
 
Check out our IPM website on ants at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html. It will help you identify the ants and figure out the management strategy that will work best to control them. Good luck!
by lise
on August 10, 2017 at 9:03 AM
i have just recently notice the leaves on my tomatoes and a couple nearby wild flowers curling then browning. it is really hurting my tomatoe plants as entire leaf branches, flowers and all, are dying! i havent a problem with aphids, i check my plants daily. at first i noticed a leaf branch or two dying, then curling and browning branches. i didnt check for a couple days and today, oh my! when i pluck a curling leaf branch, tons of ants!! i did not realize ants would destroy veggies and flowers, will they destroy them? and, what can i use besides the borax as we have lots of wildlife and a little wild kittie i have grown fond of who follows me around the yard! thank you, i will appreciate any help you can give!!
Reply by Kamille Hammerstrom
on August 10, 2017 at 10:03 AM
Hello Lise,  
 
This pestnotes http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html has some information about ants in the garden. It states that they are usually a problem when they are attracted to honey dew producing insects such as aphids or soft scales. You state that you don't have an aphid problem, but perhaps you have scales? This website has more information about tomato pests: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.tomatoes.html. Once you have figured out the pest then you will be in a better position to figure out how to treat your plants. Good luck!
by Sarah
on August 24, 2017 at 4:22 PM
If you can't use borax due to pets or are worried about bees and butterflies get Terro traps. These co rain basically the same mixture but are enclosed so it's safe around pets. They have all kinds now to fit all ones needs.
 
Leave a Reply:

You are currently not signed in. If you have an account, then sign in now!
Anonymous users messages may be delayed.
 

Security Code:
MZQRTS