How to destroy ants that settled on strawberries
One of the best gifts of summer is sweet, juicy strawberries. These tasty, red berries are loved not only by adults and children, but also by some insects, one of which is the famous lover of sweets - the black garden ant.
Content
Reasons for the appearance of ants on strawberries
Ants are usually attracted to ripe, sweet fruits and comfortable living conditions. The main factors that encourage these insects to populate the site are:
- lack of annual digging of the earth;
- aphid-infested plants;
- the presence of rotting logs, stumps and other plant residues on the site;
- excessive use of fertilizers;
- lack of preventive spraying.
What damage can ants do to strawberries?
The appearance of these insects on strawberry beds brings a lot of problems:
- ants eat inflorescences and ripe berries;
- contribute to the infection of strawberry bushes with aphids;
- increase the acidity of the soil, making it uncomfortable for strawberries;
- damage the root system of strawberry bushes.
How to get rid of ants on strawberries
Fighting ants in strawberry beds is a painstaking and difficult task. To destroy dangerous pests, gardeners use specialized preparations or folk remedies.
Chemicals
Most people don't like using chemicals, but in some cases pests can't be dealt with without them. The most effective drugs in the fight against ants are:
- food bait Muratsid;
- gel bait Great Warrior;
- preparation for the preparation of a solution of Grom-2;
- poisonous bait Metaldehyde, in the form of granules.
Folk methods
Folk remedies, unlike chemicals, are harmless, but at the same time they also quite effectively fight pests. Among the huge number of recipes, the most popular are:
To prepare the product, you need to chop a large head of garlic, pour a bucket of water and leave for a day. The finished solution should be filtered and used for spraying or watering.
To prepare the solution, just add 3 tbsp. l. ammonia in a bucket of clean water and mix. The finished product is suitable for watering beds or spraying bushes.
The composition of such a tool can include both dry and live yeast. To prepare the bait, the yeast is mixed with thick sugar syrup or honey, and a little semolina is added. Small balls are formed from the resulting mixture and laid out between rows of strawberries.
Prevention of the appearance of ants on strawberries
Ants usually settle in those areas where preventive spraying of plants is rarely carried out and they do not really keep order. In order not to create comfortable conditions for pests, it is very important to adhere to the following rules:
- remove fallen leaves and spoiled fruits in a timely manner;
- get rid of rotten boards and stumps;
- loosen the ground regularly.
To prevent the appearance of ants on the site, planting plants with a pungent odor that will scare away insects will also help. These plants include:
- bow;
- garlic;
- peppermint;
- tansy;
- marigold;
- parsley;
- mustard;
- lavender.
Conclusion
Ants, although small, are very dangerous garden pests. If no measures are taken to combat these insects, then the number of their colony will increase uncontrollably. As a result, the captured area will be very difficult to clean from pests, and many affected plants will simply die.
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