How to Effectively Get Rid of Ants in Your Garden—Without Killing Your Plants

Ants are generally considered harmless—but that doesn’t mean they’re appreciated. Most people don’t like the creepy sensation of ants crawling on their skin, and if ants have taken a liking to your garden, it can be impossible to step foot into the space without feeling attacked by ants. If you’re fed up with ants crawling all over your garden plants (and you!), you may be tempted to take drastic measures to get rid of them. But not so fast. There are ways to keep ants out of your garden without killing your plants in the process.

Keep reading to find out why ants seem to have taken over your garden and what you can do to keep them away.

Why Ants Are in Your Garden

If you’ve ever watched ants orchestrate a coup on your plate of food at a picnic, you know how food-crazed they can be. So, there’s a good chance that a food source (or several) is also the reason they’re taking over your garden. Ants are commonly drawn to honeydew—not the melon we like to eat, but the sticky, sugary substance left behind by common garden pests, aphids and scale. “These sap-sucking pests are probably present if you have ants,” says Juan C. Rezk, chief marketing officer at pest control company Certus.

Shelter is another common reason ants are drawn to a garden. They usually look for undisturbed, dry soil, finding a place to set up camp. “Especially in gardens, those corner areas that might not be getting watered consistently can really provide great shelter for ants to dwell,” says Ed Dolshun, VP of business development and tech director at pest management company Catchmaster.

With this in mind, keeping ants out of your garden involves eliminating their food sources and making the environment less habitable for them.

How to Get Rid of Ants Without Killing Plants

Eliminate Their Food Source

Since aphids and scale are a common reason ants come to the garden, you should check your plants for an infestation as soon as possible. “Inspect your plants for aphids and trim any stems which may be infested,” says Tammy Sons, plant expert and founder of TN Nursery. “Encourage populations of good bugs, such as ladybugs, to help with the aphids.”

Rezk also says you can use insecticide soap or a strong stream of water to blast aphids and other honeydew-producing insects off plants.

Attack the Nests

Take out ant nests when you see them to eliminate their shelter. Rezk recommends pouring hot (not boiling) water directly on small nests to attack ants at the source.

Block Their Access to Plants

Ants will climb up your plants to feed on honeydew left behind by pests, so you can take measures to stop them in their tracks. “To prevent access to plants being climbed, wrap the base of the stem with a sticky barrier, such as Tanglefoot, which can be easily bought from garden stores,” Rezk says.

Keep Soil Moist

Since ants like to build their nests in dry, undisturbed soil, it’s best to keep your soil consistently moist. “For preventative measures, stay on top of soil moisture; this will really disrupt their trails and mounds,” Dolshun says.

Utilize Ant Repellant

Several natural substances can be used as an ant repellent in your garden. Sons recommends sprinkling cinnamon or diatomaceous earth around the base of plants to keep ants away. “Neither of these is harmful to the plant since they are organic,” she says.

She adds that vinegar (in a 1:1 mixture with water) can also work to deter ants. “Just spray lightly around the trails and try not to get it on the foliage of plants,” Sons says.

Try Ant Bait

“For a last resort in the garden, you can use some kind of ant bait that the worker ants will actually take down into the colony,” Dolshun says. “This is a great way to not put your plants at risk, because the bait stays with the ants, and goes right down into the earth.” However, he recommends avoiding the use of pest sprays not specifically intended for use on plants, since these can harm your plants.