Ants vary in size from a fraction of an inch to an inch or more.
They can be black, brown or red; some can bite, some can fly. Many
will house insects such as aphids, scale insects and mealybugs
because these insects suck the sap from plants and then excrete a
honeydew that the ants collect to feed their colony. They take the
aphid eggs in during the winter and fly the insects from plant to
plant during the summer.
Prevention and Control
There are specific insecticides developed for the many specific
types of ants. There are different strengths and applications, and
it is necessary to identify the ant type before applying any kind
of control.
Affected Plants
Garden or potted flowering plants are at risk of being attacked by
the aphids that the ants bring to them.
Damage
Ants are scavengers that travel in great masses invading the home,
picnic areas or garbage dumps for food. They raid the plants where
they left the aphids to eat the honeydew, and this seriously
damages the plants. Carpenter ants do serious damage inside the
home by eating away at the wood.
Predator Insects
Lady bugs and lacewings often attack the aphids, at which time the
ants gather in hoards to defend them.
Natural Insecticides
Spraying bleach onto the colonies that appear on your doorstep is
one fast way to get rid of that particular colony, however,
spraying the soil or the garden might seriously damage the nearby
plants.
Other Methods of Control
Ants can establish scent trails leading into your home, so getting
rid of them is a three-step process. First, you need to set ant
baits inside the home, then set up ant treatments in the yard with
either ant baits or insecticides, and then finish with a foundation
spray treatment around the home. This should be done several times
a year.
