# Are Ants In The Vegetable Garden a Bad Thing?



## Eric_Von

Carpenter ants can defiantly be a nuisance and a costly problem to homeowners. It is very important to nip the problem in the bud. Dispose of food leftovers properly and make sure wooden structures are protected from moisture. Ants love wood rot and will infest your property if given a slim chance. Products like Maxforce gel and various sprays are very effective or try some good old fashion clorox bleach in a small spray bottle.


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## phil1

I'll have to give some of these a try - I've always just used boiling water on them in the past!


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## Joanie

We lived in the country and had a mailbox on the side of the road taken over by ants. Maybe they were in the wood post? Chemical sprays did not get rid of the problem, so I shook a tablespoon of regular table black pepper in the box and poof, no more ants, and they never came back.


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## Tee

Hi Joanie,

I've never heard of using black pepper for ants. Very interesting! Thanks so much for sharing this method for getting rid of the ants. If the ants were in the wood posts then most likely they were carpenter ants (they like to burrow in wood). I wonder if the black pepper would work with other types of ants? 

I'm glad to hear that you used a safe and easy way to get rid of your ant problem.


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## BF

I also have used cinnamon for ants. They appeared to be starting take over one of my flower pots. I sprinkled some ground cinnamon on top of the soil and they moved out almost immediately.


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## Tee

Hi BF - Thanks so much for the awesome tip!


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## Jennie1

I always hear that garden ants are fine to leave in the garden, but then I see them eating my radishes and chewing through kohlrabi stems! They're definitely a pest over here. I'll have to try BF's cinnamon suggestion. I already use it for cats and mold on potting soil, so why not on the ants?


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## Dr._Habib_Khan_PhD

Thank you for these useful tips. I will give detailed feed back after trying it in kitchen garden.

DHK


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## Cindy_merrell

I just planted my garden and noticed there is a large fire ant infestation so I went all out and used cinnamon and sweet n low. Now just waiting and hoping... Thank you all for the great suggestions.


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## Brian_Cullity

You are dead wrong that ants do not harm vegetable gardens. I have a huge problem with formica ants (little red ones) that create their burrows and nest next to my smaller plants. My corn has a nest at the base of almost every seedling. They will soon kill the plants. I have seen it over and over. Am trying all remedies one at a time to kill them. Diatomaceous earth does the trick but I understand it also kills earthworms. Baking soda today, red pepper tomorrow.


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## Roshan

Brian_Cullity said:


> You are dead wrong that ants do not harm vegetable gardens. I have a huge problem with formica ants (little red ones) that create their burrows and nest next to my smaller plants. My corn has a nest at the base of almost every seedling. They will soon kill the plants. I have seen it over and over. Am trying all remedies one at a time to kill them. Diatomaceous earth does the trick but I understand it also kills earthworms. Baking soda today, red pepper tomorrow.


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## Roshan

Try using ashes but soil and plant should be dry


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## Jeanbean

Joanie said:


> We lived in the country and had a mailbox on the side of the road taken over by ants. Maybe they were in the wood post? Chemical sprays did not get rid of the problem, so I shook a tablespoon of regular table black pepper in the box and poof, no more ants, and they never came back.


Maybe that black pepper had poison in it that your husband was intending for you to use.


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## samanthanichols1299

6 methods to get rid of ants in vegetable garden. Apply diatomaceous earth (de). Use boiling water to kill ants. Set up an ant bait. Apply abamectin to kill ants. Apply neem oil to ant’s nest. Directly pour white vinegar into the ants.


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