[Lilu]

sometimes the very hard clay soil attracts ants because they’re able to create nest-pathways and canals that don’t collapse. A nice fertile soft soil that crumbles is not a good environment for them to build nests.

Borax/sugar mix can create issues for the soil balance so don’t sprinkle it in your soil but rather poke holes in a plastic container with a tight lid and make traps. But, fasten traps cause the opussoms can haul your traps away and eat the poison and die. This business with the ants it’s kind of a balance. Although they farm aphids, the lady bugs love to eat aphids and the “aphid ant farm” can attract them. So there’s always a big “depends “on anything you do in the garden.

If they’re not causing harm, I just let them be. What I do before I put a raised bed is work the clay soil about 3 feet under my raised beds and it seems to help prevent nesting.

You can buy a cheap small plastic insecticide duster in Amazon, one of those that people used to dust pesticides in home environments, and use food grade diatomaceous earth to dust your plants. only food grade….. but again the diatomaceous earth can kill the Friendly bugs.

Really, my strategy is to leave them be if my plants don’t mind them. Nature has a way to balance itself if you keep the plants well fed and with strong immune systems. just like humans, good nutrition = string immune system.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Lilu.

[Lilu]

I would like a seed exchange.