Term: Ant
« Back to Glossary Index
Ants can be beneficial in the garden, but some species are straight up pests. In particular, fire ants feed on germinating seeds and beneficial insects that guard your plants from harm. Other types of ants will nurse and herd aphid populations in order to feed off their sweet excretions: like a bug-sized dairy farm! To remove ant populations, pour boiling water in their nests or anthills. Diatomaceous earth and borax kills ants but may also harm those beneficial insects that you hold dear.