How to Get Rid of Ants Near Your Trees | Davey Blog | Davey Tree (2024)

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How to Get Rid of Ants Near Your Trees | Davey Blog | Davey Tree? ›

There are multiple methods to help control an ant infestation from the area surrounding your tree. You could spray the tree with a solution containing about 30 drops of peppermint oil and 1 gallon of water. Ants are repelled by peppermint, so once they catch wind of the scent, they'll soon vacate the tree.

There are multiple methods to help control an ant infestation from the area surrounding your tree. You could spray the tree with a solution containing about 30 drops of peppermint oil and 1 gallon of water. Ants are repelled by peppermint, so once they catch wind of the scent, they'll soon vacate the tree.

This is wonderful for humans and one of the many reasons why it's eaten. For ants, though, the altering of their bodies' natural chemistry is fatal. Worker ants will also carry the chemical compound back to their mounds to share with the rest of the colony, so baking soda can kill the queen and stop an infestation.

Why ants like trees. Ant colonies need a homebase, which is usually in the ground. However, trees can also provide the shelter and nutrients that ants need to survive and thrive. Those nutrients mostly come from little pear-shaped insects called aphids.

“The most effective method for controlling an ant infestation is using ant baits. Set them out anywhere you see ants and expect a party,” Gangloff-Kaufmann says. “If you still see ants around the house, try a few different brands of baits until you find one that's appealing to this particular colony.”

Some natural ways to permanently get rid of ants include using water-based mixtures that contain borax and Diatomaceous earth, or pouring boiling water into ant holes. If natural remedies don't help, speak with an exterminator. They'll be able to offer you advice.

Vinegar only remains effective for as long as the scent lingers. When the solution dries up, homeowners need to reapply the solution in the problem areas to keep ants away. However, it's important to remember that vinegar shouldn't be treated as the main line of defense against ant infestations.

Baking soda is toxic to ants (and can also be toxic to pets, but only in large quantities, making it preferable to Borax). Whitney also suggests a 1:1 mix of water and vinegar, sprayed directly on the ants. But getting rid of ants is less effective than ensuring they don't get into your house in the first place.

How to get rid of ants around trees? ›

Use some type of horticultural insecticide or soap to get rid of any sap-feeding insects. This will eliminate the honeydew supply the ants are attracted to. Put baits all around the base of the tree to capture the ants. Spray your tree with a solution that includes 30 drops of peppermint oil and a gallon of water.

You do not need to cut down a tree that is infested with carpenter ants. Trees can sometimes regenerate once the problem-causing decomposition is removed.

Ant-plants, such as Central America's bull-horn acacias and trees of the genus Cecropia, have hollow structures — thorns and internodes in their hollow stems, respectively — in which ants form their colonies. The trees also secrete sugar and protein-rich food bodies that make up a significant portion of the ants' diet.

Some natural ways to permanently get rid of ants include using water-based mixtures that contain borax and Diatomaceous earth, or pouring boiling water into ant holes. If natural remedies don't help, speak with an exterminator. They'll be able to offer you advice.

Green tree ants do not forage readily on baits. The best method of control is through direct nest treatments, although in cases of a large colony, finding and treating all the nests can be a challenge. PestXpert Pro-Spray Outdoor perimeter is an ideal product to treat each nest.

Use an Indoor Commercial Ant Bait

The worker ants will carry the pesticide bait back to the nest. It can take several days to eliminate the colony but you will gradually see an end to the infestation.

Household items like citrus fruits, black pepper, peppermint oil, cayenne, thyme, and lavender can create natural ant repellents. Great for avoiding pesticides or conventional ant traps!