Get rid of ants on trees

Do you have trees full of crawling ants? If you have, then you noticed twisted leaves and lots of aphids. An ugly sight. But how can you get rid of aphids and ants at the same time and as quickly as possible? Natural predators such as ladybugs often fail against a big invasion. There is a range of chemical agents you can use, but there is also a natural way you can try. We shall take a look at some well-known and less-known methods in the following lines. There are quite few alternatives. Some work rather well and others not so well… 

Herbs sometimes work

Ants can be repelled in an environment-friendly manner. However, many of these approaches are not very effective and only work for a short time. People often try aromatic herbs in a bag attached to a tree trunk. The most common herbs that ants do not like include the following:

• sage,
• mint,
• cinnamon,
• avender,
• wormwood,
• clove
  and others.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Oil around the trunk

Do not pour oil directly on the trunk.The right approach is to soak a nylon sock in oil and then wrap it around the trunk. This creates a difficult barrier for ants to overcome and it will last for a while, but they will get over it eventually.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Mint leaves

Mint grows like a weed and you can wrap mint leaves around tree trunks. You can also plant mint near trees and mow it when it grows large. Ants will not like that.

Toothpaste, coffee grounds and other tips

Smear toothpaste around the tree trunk to annoy ants. This creates a very smelly barrier for ants. You can also use old perfume or coffee grounds. Spread coffee grounds around the soil and around tree trunks.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Glue strips

We also tried adhesive strips. They work but are more suitable for small trees as you will not be able to wrap them around large trunks. They are pretty resilient and even survived several rains. Glue however, is much more effective. Get a spray can, which is the best option because spray is easier to work with. But you must know that glue is not friendly to tree trunks…

Source: vysnenazahrada.cz, ireceptar.cz

Preview photo: Pixabay