Nothing do flowers look less pretty than an regular army ofantsswarming over the petal . While not every type of pismire is harmful to all flush , some do swell equipment casualty to the flower petal in pursuit of nectar . Others cause collateral damage by protect dirt ball such as aphids – ants feed on the aphid ' waste Cartesian product , honeydew melon . And if you ’ve got kids , then fire ants or their other sting cousin can posture a jeopardy . Thankfully , you do n’t have to burn your flower to cinders just to vote down a few pismire . You have a few simple options for getting rid of the critters .
Citrus oil
Step 1
Ants do n’t like citrus crude oil . In fact , a substance called d - Limonene by nature found in citrus oil kills emmet by destroying their breathing system . Yet , citrus does n’t harm plant and is non - toxic for humans . That makes citrus oil a gross candidate for kill ants without killing your flowers . " Jerry Baker ’s Bug Off ! " suggests mixing 4 cups of orange or maize peel with 3 gallon of water . This is enough to get rid of an entire firing ant nest . Put the answer it into a vaporiser , and you may spray your flowers to kill any ant , without destroy your beautiful blossom .
Diatomaceous earth
The oddly - name diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized diatoms — microscopic aquatic creatures . Little did those tiny creatures know that millions of years later their remains could be used to kill ants . The substance has a coarse effect on ant exoskeleton . Just dust some of the diatomaceous earth powder on the grunge around your blossom to discourage and kill ants , without damage the plants . you could buy diatomaceous earth from garden depot under a reach of unlike brand name . Always travel along pack direction as although in general non - toxic , if you apply too much it can irritate the lung when inhaled .
Moat
Think of your blossom as the rook , and protect them with a moat . By digging a trench around your dear plants and flowers , you may often prevent those ants from reaching the prize . Fill the trench with citrus water , or H2O fortify with a lilliputian acetum . With pocket-size house flowers , site the pot in a saucer of water , with a few squirts of citrus fruit for good criterion .
Store products
Some products are formulated to kill those darned ants without shrivelling your flower . For example , products such as Surrender Fire Ant Killer , or Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer are commercialise as works - friendly ant pesticides . In both of these cases , you dust the footling pellets onto the hammock or near dynamic pismire during dry weather . They then carry the toxic meaning back to the nest where it kill the tabby . However , these two brands — and many others — hold back chemical substance that can be harmful to child and pets . So always use with caution and harmonize to pack command .
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