Gardeners annually spend a lot of energy to grow a rich harvest, but all plans can be destroyed by insects that damage the fruits and leaves of plants. Colonies of ants that have settled on the site cause significant harm to plantings. The constant use of chemicals from pests can lead to soil poisoning. In this case, you can use such a folk remedy as ammonia, from ants in the garden.
Why are ants in the country harmful?
Despite the prevailing opinion about the benefits of ants, insects that reproduce uncontrollably can fill the entire territory in a short time, bringing more harm than good. They settle under any stones, decorative figures or boards, where they cannot be immediately noticed and sprayed with a solution of ammonia.
The center of the colony's life is the uterus, which lays thousands of eggs. Working individuals spend whole days doing home improvement and looking for food. Insects love sweets, so food supplies and berry harvests are threatened. When extracting material for the construction of an anthill, pests gnaw on wooden buildings, as a result of which holes are formed.
Insects in a country house
Having made their way into the room, the ants settle under the baseboards and in other secluded corners. They are often noticed after the consequences become obvious:
- Pests crawl on trash bins, kitchen counter surfaces, food left behind. In this case, pathogenic bacteria spread throughout the house.
- A bitten person, even in the absence of infection, may develop an allergic reaction.
- Pets become restless in the presence of insects. Pests bite animals, leave eggs in their wool.
- The reason for the fight against ants is also the spoilage of food, which after the invasion of insects can only be thrown away.
Aphids can get into the room together with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The fight against insects must be started as quickly as possible, since one individual is capable of producing about a hundred larvae. Gluttonous pests can lead to the complete destruction of indoor plants and move to the garden, and not everyone will decide to use chemicals indoors. It is safer to use ammonia, which will not harm the flowers or poison the air.
The pungent smell when the window is open disappears after 10-15 minutes, and the effect lasts for a long period.
Insect damage in the beds
There are practically no obstacles for ants. Digging tunnels underground and crawling along the soil surface, they can cause considerable damage to plantings:
- gnaw on the leaves of plants and seedlings;
- damage sugary fruits, making them unsuitable for storage;
- gnaw holes in wood, leaving trees defenseless against other pests;
- destroy lawns and flower beds, digging deep tunnels in the soil and eating up plant roots;
- when extracting nectar, they damage flower buds, which after that cannot fully open;
- The ants are interested in increasing the aphid population, so they spread it around the garden, which soon becomes a serious problem.
Methods for getting rid of ants
For the safe extermination of pests, time-tested folk remedies are suitable. Ammonia against ants and aphids has a characteristic smell of ammonia, but it effectively repels insects.
100 ml of ammonia mixed with a liter of clean boiled water will help to block the ant path in the country house. The solution is used to wipe furniture and places of the most active movement of insects. The smell felt by the human sense of smell will disappear after 10-15 minutes, and the pests will feel discomfort for a long time and leave the house.
To get rid of ants in the greenhouse and greenhouses without harming the plants, you can use an ammonia solution prepared at the rate of 2 tablespoons of the product per 5 liters of liquid. The mixture is poured over tunnels and anthills.
It is important to remember that the concentrate of the product can cause burns and suffocation, so the door must be open during processing. A face shield, goggles and gloves must be worn.
Anthill processing
Piles of ants in the garden increase the acidity of the soil and destroy nearby plants. To maintain plantings, you need to know how to get rid of pests with ammonia. There are several ways to deal with insects:
- soak a piece of cloth with a working solution of ammonia, put it on top of the accumulation of passages and cover it with a film;
- A vial of ammonia (100 ml) is combined with a liter of boiling water and poured into an anthill, from which you can first remove the top layer.
Treatment of beds
Ammonia solution in the beds enriches the soil with nitrogen. Knowing how to remove pests from the garden and at the same time feed the plants, you can achieve a good harvest:
- for root irrigation, a solution of 10 ml of ammonia and 10 liters of water is prepared;
- you can spray the affected leaves and treat the trees with the same composition with the addition of 3-4 tablespoons of sugar;
- ammonia in the garden is widely used against aphids, which ants feed on. Places where aphids and insects accumulate can be sprayed with a mixture of 50 ml of ammonia, 10 liters of water and 10-15 ml of liquid soap.
Preventive measures
To prevent the appearance of insects in a country house, you need to follow the rules of hygiene:
- store sweets, meat products, cut fruits and drinks in tightly closed containers;
- do not leave crumbs and unwashed dishes after eating;
- take out the trash in a timely manner.
By the time the gardener understands why the plantings began to die, the insect dwelling can go deep into the ground so that neither frost nor poisons can reach it. Therefore, it is important to carry out preventive measures that facilitate pest control.
Against aphids and ants in the garden, insect-repelling odors are used. To do this, twice a month, plants are watered with water with the addition of a tablespoon of ammonia.
Some summer residents resort to insecticidal preparations, while others use ammonia for such purposes. Ammonia, as one of the folk methods, is acceptable at a price, and in terms of its effect on ants, it is very effective. He has all the necessary characteristics in his arsenal that can destroy ants and other pests.
What harm do ants do to plants?
Interestingly, the biggest danger comes not even from ants, but from aphids, which they use for food. Insects feed on the sweet secret that aphids secrete, so they protect it, promote its reproduction, which allows them to increase the amount of food (after all, the population is constantly increasing).
The symbiosis of aphids and an ant even reaches the point that in the fall, when the first cold weather sets in, insects carry it to the anthill, place it on the roots of plants, and in the spring take it back to the foliage.
Symbiosis of two types of insects
When deciding to engage in an active fight against ants, the first thing to do is to get rid of the aphids, thereby depriving them of a source of food for insects. After that, black ants, as a rule, leave the site themselves, and it is easy to deal with the remains, using, among other things, ammonia in the garden and professional insecticides.
Some experts believe that the fight should be the opposite - first you need to remove the ants, and the aphid itself will disappear. In practice, neither one nor the other species will completely disappear by themselves, therefore it is necessary to systematically destroy both species in order to save your site.
You can also fight black and red ants in safe ways.
In search of a solution to such a problematic situation, you can resort to the help of folk remedies. Ammonia from ants is also an excellent plant fertilizer that can be used almost without restrictions. But how to poison the ants on the site, you will learn a little later.
VIDEO: Hellish mixture against diseases and pests in the garden and vegetable garden
How to get rid of insects with ammonia
Ammonia is an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide (ammonia) with a very pungent odor. Ammonia is used not only to bring a person to consciousness, but also to induce vomiting, as a disinfectant for washing hands, to anesthetize the site of an insect bite, etc.
Ammonia is used in everyday life and medicine
But even in everyday life, such a remedy is very useful, in particular, ammonia is useful in the garden, for a summer cottage, and even in a house where there is a winter garden and where aphids and ants have settled.
You can eliminate the ubiquitous harmful insects using the following recipes:
- The easiest way to use ammonia in your garden. We take 1 liter of water and half a glass of ammonia. Mix these two components thoroughly. Water the entire anthill with the finished liquid. Before adding the ammonia solution, experts strongly recommend removing the top layer of the anthill (at least 50 mm). Our task is to get to the egg-laying and uterus of the ants. Thanks to this, it will be possible to quickly and efficiently carry out pest control.
Dilute ammonia only in boiled or filtered water. This will avoid the reaction of ammonia to all kinds of impurities, which, in turn, will reduce its effectiveness.
- Preparation of a solution for treating the plant itself in order to eliminate aphids. To do this, combine 8 liters of water and 1 tbsp. l. ammonia. Pour the working fluid into a spray bottle and irrigate a plant or tree damaged by aphids. The infusion time of the solution is 20-30 minutes. Thanks to this, it will be possible to achieve uniform distribution of the active substance in the total water mass. Do not be afraid that ammonia water will harm your plant. Such a small dosage of ammonia acts for plants even more as a fertilizer.
- Ammonia against ants can also be used for prophylaxis. Once a week, treat trees and vegetation in the garden with a solution at the rate of 10 ml of ammonia per 10 liters of clean water. Plants are watered directly under the rhizome.
After and during the application of this remedy, a pronounced ammonia "amber" will be felt. But it won't last so long. After a few minutes, the "aroma" will disappear, but the effect will persist for a long time.
Where can I buy?
You can buy ammonia both in a pharmacy kiosk and in specialized stores where goods for disinsection are sold. There are many varieties of this drug, depending on the quality. In addition, the country of origin also affects the pricing policy.
On average, the price of an ammonia tincture is 20 rubles. There are, of course, samples for 14 rubles, as well as for 30 rubles. When choosing such a product, it is imperative to look at the concentration of the active substance. This will allow organizing the correct preparation of the working solution for pest control.
Other uses of ammonia
If after pest control you still have such a remedy against ants, then you can find another use for it:
- To protect yourself from the attacks of mosquitoes and midges, you need to process the space next to you with a light solution of ammonia, using a spray bottle. And not a single midge, not a single mosquito will "dare" to fly up to a place treated in this way.
Ammonia and mosquitoes copes with "excellent"
- Salmon is used not only in the garden, but also in the house. After washing the windows, you must wipe them with ammonia tincture. This will facilitate their subsequent cleaning from contamination. Moreover, thanks to such actions, it will be possible to create a certain film on the windows, which will prevent dust from settling on the glass.
- A mixture of ammonia and glycerin (in equal proportions) is an excellent remedy for cracked and dry soles of the feet. If you rub the sole every day in the morning and in the evening with a glycerin-ammonia solution, then it will very soon become smooth and soft.
- Use ammonia when washing linen, cotton and woolen items. If, before washing, soak things in water with the addition of 5 tbsp. l. ammonia solution, it will be possible to clean them of old stains. Also, with the help of this drug, you can whiten darkened things.
Why ammonia is useful for plants
Most often, it is recommended to use it for plants, since ammonia contains nitrogen molecules that the soil needs. Lack of nitrogen fertilization leads to the blanching of the deciduous seedling system, its yellowing and wilting.
If you use such a tool in the garden, you can enrich the soil with the necessary nitrogen minerals without using other fertilizing preparations.
Salmon is used as a fertilizer not only when the first signs of nitrogen deficiency appear, but also as a preventive measure.
Knowing how to use ammonia, you can not only protect your land from the encroachments of harmful insects, but also make up for the lack of nitrogen in the soil, providing the plants with adequate nutrition.
VIDEO: Ammonia from pests. Recipes
All summer residents want to see their plants on the site healthy. But problems often arise in the form of ants and aphids. If the colonies of the second feed on the juice of the upper shoots of crops, sticking to them from top to bottom, then the first - black ants - make holes in the leaves and roots during the period of active reproduction, as a result of which they lose moisture and the plants die. From this material you will learn why you still need to fight aphids, what are the features of the destruction of goose bumps, and how to use ammonia against all these insects.
For the same reason, you need to get rid of aphids as soon as possible in the area - a vegetable garden or a summer residence. There, pests prefer to eat shoots and leaves, young flower buds. Moving in whole colonies, they leave behind plants from which the juice is sucked. Finding her at home is also a risk of exposure to harmful germs and bacteria. The appearance of pests can be suspected by yellow deformed leaves, poorly developed flower buds.
The subtleties of fighting aphids
To fight against aphids at home or on a personal plot, prophylactic, mechanical, technological, biological, chemical methods are used. The choice of a method that will help get rid of insects takes place with an eye to a specific case. The degree of infection of crops, their characteristics, the possible reaction of plants to a particular substance are taken into account. The above methods are radical, since most often there is a massive infection of plants.
To prevent its appearance on home crops, you should periodically inspect them. Provide optimal temperature conditions, humidity level, illumination. If prevention has not had the desired effect, you can first try to get rid of insects using folk methods. A certain effect is given by the use of potassium soap, tincture of celandine leaves, orange or lemon peel. They also use onion tincture, flea shampoo, cigarette smoke, scented pelargia (to scare away), kerosene and any detergent (diluted in water), the presence of ladybirds.
On the site, you can get rid of aphids with the help of insecticides. The drugs "Decis", "Inta-Vir", "Aktar" and others have proved to be excellent. In case of damage to rose bushes, you can try the mechanical method. That is, peel the flower by hand. A soapy solution is also used to spray the bushes. It is also permissible to dip the buds into it, since it is they who most often suffer from attacks of pests. Tincture on garlic arrows and tomato shoots helps well. To prepare the product, they are soaked overnight, then filtered and used to spray the bushes. It is customary to process the ground parts of rose bushes with onion peel tincture.
Video "Aphids: what to do with it"
This video will walk you through the different ways to combat aphids. And also tell about preventive methods of solving the problem.
Features of ant control
Features of the fight against ants are in the competent processing of crops. Otherwise, the uterus will be able to quickly restore the number of insects in the area. The new individuals will have strong immunity to the agent you use, which will complicate the further destruction of pests. A set of activities is recommended that combines insecticide treatment and folk methods.
In the garden or vegetable garden, we see only working individuals, most of them are underground. Therefore, they are not very vulnerable to chemicals. The uterus, which lays eggs, also lives underground. Therefore, specialists have developed preparations for garden ants that will not help get rid of them instantly, but will certainly be delivered by infected insects underground.
Ants feed on honeydew secreted by aphids. Also, black ants enter into symbiosis with these insects - they protect their colonies from enemies, carry eggs.
You can reduce the harm that ants do to plants by blocking their access to crops where the next generation is grown. For this, it is customary to tie the trees with foil in a circle. There are also fishing belts that are sold in the store. To make them realistically and independently - from sticky tape from flies or duct tape, wrapping the tree with it outside.
For berry bushes and vegetable beds, they create a barrier in the form of a water barrier. A groove is made around the beds, plastic wrap or other material is laid on the bottom so that it does not let water through.
Boric acid also acts excellently against ants, destroying their chitinous cover. Insecticidal preparations "Dachnik", "Trinol", "Muratsid", "Thunder", "Anteed" and others help. If possible, dig an ant's nest and take it outside the territory of the site. Chopped garlic, smoked herring waste, ground cinnamon, tobacco dust, which are unpleasant for insects, are often placed on anthills. Reducing their number will allow the cut and spread in the aisles of field mint, tansy, tomato tops, parsley. You can also add a bucket of sugar syrup to the nest. The tree trunks are advised to be sprinkled with wood ash.
Ammonia as one of the best remedies for aphids and ants
Ammonia is a 10% ammonia solution. Ammonia is found in almost every medicine cabinet and helps to effectively get rid of insects. On its basis, poisoned solutions are made according to various recipes.
- For the first, you need to take 1 liter of boiled water, add 100 ml of ammonia. The resulting solution is poured over the anthill. To enhance the effect, you can initially dig it up with a shovel.
- Another recipe is to mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia with 8 liters of pure boiled water. This solution is infused for half an hour. Then it is used for spraying plants.
In order to prevent the appearance of insects, a solution of 10 ml of ammonia added to 10 liters of boiled water is used. Watering the finished culture solution must be strictly at the root. After, and during the processing of these recipes based on ammonia, the smell of ammonia will be felt. It lasts only some 5 - 7 minutes, but the result obtained, in terms of the destruction of insects, will definitely impress you.
Video "How to get rid of an anthill"
The two simplest ways to get rid of an anthill and, accordingly, prevent the appearance of aphids.
If you notice the appearance of ants in your apartment or in the country, it's time to sound the alarm. These seemingly harmless creatures are capable of causing significant harm and irreparable destruction. Therefore, the effectiveness and speed of the fight against these insects depends on how quickly you react and begin to take the necessary measures.
Ants have started up in the apartment. What to do?
The appearance of ants in the apartment is an alarming sign. This indicates that they have already built a nest for themselves and are determined to share their home with you. There are many ways to get ants out. Some are more effective, others less. By the type of impact, they can be divided into several types:
- deterrent;
- physically destructive;
- destroying in the nest.
Modern science has developed special means to combat ants, but they are not always effective. The fact is that insects can get used to and develop immunity to toxic substances. But from time immemorial, people have used various folk methods to get rid of small pests. Fighting ants is a rather complicated matter, therefore it is recommended to use several methods, combine them until the insects disappear.
You will hardly be able to destroy the nest physically. It is reliably hidden from prying eyes somewhere under the floor, in the wall, and so on. In addition, if you notice a line of ants crawling into a gap on the floor, you should not start active. It may just be the entrance, and the nest itself is located in a completely different place.
Chemicals
If insects have taken over you, and you have tried all the known methods, but to no avail, then you should use chemicals. They protect more effectively from ants and are suitable for dealing with a large colony. They can be made in the form of aerosols, gels or granules. Aerosols are not very effective. They destroy only a small part of the insects that appear in the area of action. Others, including the larvae, remain alive. The baits have a higher degree of destruction. They contain special substances that attract ants. Then he carries this poison to his nest, which poisons the rest of the insects. But it is better to use environmentally friendly methods, therefore it is important to know how to get rid of ants using folk remedies.
Sugar water
One of the simplest and most primitive methods of dealing with ants is a trap made with honey or sugar placed in water. Insects will react and crawl to eat sweets. But in this case, they will simply drown. This method is ineffective, since it can be used to lure and destroy a number of worker ants. The nest, uterus and other insects will not go anywhere and will disturb you in the future.
chamomile
A folk remedy for ants is chamomile, for some reason ants cannot stand it. Maybe it's the smell - these insects do not like pungent odors. Therefore, ordinary chamomile, which is sold in abundance at the pharmacy, can serve as a means of fighting insects. The advantage of this method is that the chamomile can be placed in the closet, among clothes, in the kitchen near dishes and food. Unlike various poisons, it is not harmful and toxic, therefore it can be used without restrictions. The disadvantage of this method is its low efficiency. In some cases, the ants develop immunity; chamomile may not work on them.
Garlic
A folk remedy for ants is garlic. It can also scare off ants. They do not like him, like chamomile. Therefore, try to rub garlic on the spots and routes of insects. Garlic repels ants well. But it is effective at the beginning of their appearance. In addition, the disadvantage of this method is a strong persistent smell that will stand in your apartment. If this does not bother you, then you can try.
Boric acid
If the ants have already settled in your apartment and feel like full-fledged owners, then the above methods will not be effective. You will not be able to overlay every corner of your home with deterrent substances. In this case, it's time to move on to drastic measures. People have always used boric acid to fight various insects. Ants are no exception. This acid must be mixed with something edible: dough, potatoes, egg yolks, and others. Next, you need to mold balls from the resulting mass and place them in places where ants congregate. In this case, hardworking insects take the “treat” prepared for them to the anthill, where they eat it by the entire colony and, accordingly, die. This method is quite effective. Its great advantage is that not only random insects that have found a poisonous bait are destroyed, but the entire colony from the inside (including the uterus).
Soap
A folk remedy for ants is soap, it contains substances that negatively affect the insect. They destroy the waxy layer on the carapace, leading to dehydration and death. It is enough to grind the soap and scatter it in places where ants congregate. If you find their nest, you can clean it with soapy water.
How to deal with ants in the country
In addition to our apartment, ants can cause a lot of trouble if they appear at your dacha. Here they will show themselves as real pests. The fact is that they enter into symbiosis with aphids, contributing to its reproduction. They feed on its secretions containing sugar, therefore they actively "graze" it. Also, ants like to arrange their nests under the root of trees, their burrows disrupt the normal circulation of moisture in the soil. Therefore, if you want to have a good harvest, you will have to start a war against the ants. To get rid of them, you need to know how to treat the area with ants.
Ammonia
Very often they use ammonia from ants. It is very effective. To eliminate them, it is necessary to make a solution that consists of ammonia and water. The anthill is treated with this solution. You should not be shy, the more abundantly you water it, the stronger the effect will be. If insects harm plants, then you can make a solution of low concentration and treat the plant itself - leaves, stem with it. This method of processing will not harm the plant, but it will be harmful to ants. As a preventive measure, you can water the plants with a weak solution of ammonia. This will help you prevent these insects from emerging. At the slightest appearance, use ammonia from ants. This is a simple and affordable way, because ammonia can be found in every home in the first aid kit.
Lime
Until now, it is a popular and effective method of treating the lower part of the tree trunk with a lime solution. This method is simple and effective. Lime is mixed with water and applied to the bottom of the trunk and the ground around the tree. This scares off ants, they do not bother such a tree. Sometimes tar is used instead of lime.
Boiling water
If the ants have already settled densely in your area, it's time to turn on heavy artillery. In order to get rid of annoying insects, it is not enough to scare them away or selectively destroy them. It is necessary to destroy the uterus and larvae. Then you will get your way. For this, you can use ordinary boiling water. The anthill must be stirred up along the entire depth, and then poured abundantly with boiling water. It is advisable to repeat the procedure after some time. This will kill the insects.
Ash
A simple and ecological folk remedy for ants is ash. It is necessary to take still hot ash (for example, from burnt leaves) and sprinkle the anthill on it. It is initially recommended to stir up the anthill. Hot ash will penetrate all entrances and kill insects. In addition, it will block the passage of air inside, thereby ensuring greater effectiveness of the defeat.
Smells
To scare off ants on the site, all kinds of means that have a strong odor are used. It can be tobacco dust, tomato tops, garlic, wormwood, parsley, black pepper and others. For this, the anthill is sprinkled with these means. This will scare away insects, under their influence, the ants will soon leave your site. Many summer residents specially plant ant-repellant plants such as parsley around trees. This has a preventive effect.
Bait
Ants in the country can be destroyed with the help of some substances, by analogy with apartment ants. Boric acid is often used for bait in combination with something edible. The ants take away the poisoned bait and carry it to their nest. An important aspect is that the poison gets inside the anthill, thereby destroying those who are hiding in the ground.
Forest ants
An interesting way to get ants out is to use forest ants. To do this, you can go to the forest, dig up an anthill with forest insects, bring it to your site and place it on top of the nest of summer cottages. Forest insects will drive out the summer cottages, and soon they will leave themselves.
If everything is clear with the ants in the apartment - you are unlikely to be able to get along, then before killing ants in the country, you must first determine whether they are pests. Not all ants show interest in aphids and harm your farm in other ways. If you decide to fight these insects, then it is better to start doing it early, until they fill the entire area. In addition, it is better to give preference to folk methods that use less chemistry, and use chemical preparations for ants in extreme cases. This will do less harm to you and the environment. Try to use several methods, combine. Repeat the procedure. After a while, you will forget about the little annoying neighbors.
Many of us are medically familiar with ammonia. But not everyone realizes that this drug can also be used in the garden. Recently, this application has become very popular, since its effectiveness is confirmed in practice. Many summer residents are beginning to wonder how to use this drug correctly so as not to harm the plants, but, on the contrary, to have a beneficial effect on them.
Benefit from application
In order to process cabbage, you need to take ten liters of water and 80-100 milliliters of ammonia. The resulting solution should be sprayed on the plants every few days. But if the slugs are already wound up, then the solution can be poured directly from the watering can onto the head of cabbage. Pests should leave your garden soon.
Advantages and disadvantages of using ammonia
Ammonia has already become a truly universal garden fertilizer, and the benefits of its use are beyond doubt. Unlike other nitrogen-containing fertilizers, it is completely harmless to both humans and pets. At the same time, ammonia is both a fertilizer and a means of pest control overnight.
However, this drug also has negative aspects. For example, when oversaturated with them, problems with plant growth may arise. In this regard, it is not recommended to feed more often than once a week. If ammonia is used for treatment, then solutions of low concentration should be prepared, and gradually increase it over time. Otherwise, instead of the expected miracle, you can get the opposite effect, and your garden culture will not give you the joy that you so expected from it.