In the yard and garden, however, ants give refuge to destructive honeydew-producing insects, including whiteflies, mealybugs and aphids. Protect your property from these pests by growing outdoor plants that repel ants.Ant-repelling herbs make particularly useful companions in the garden by preventing ants from "herding" damaging insects such as white flies and aphids onto nearby plants.
One of the easiest and safest ways to ant control is to grow ant-repellent plants around the outside of your home and in your garden. There are many plants that ants find distasteful and will try to avoid. Most of them are from the herb family.Grow mint, tansy, common yarrow and garlic in your yard and alongside your foundation to stop ants from invading your home. Their scent can repel ants or disguise the odors that attract them.
Exploring Plants Benefits
Tansy
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) carries a true "don't cross me" reputation. Several pests reportedly won't go past a tansy patch, including ants, flies and mice. The tall, flowering herb makes a cheerful presence in the garden, with plentiful bright yellow blossoms and fernlike foliage. Give it light shade or full sun. It tolerates all but waterlogged soils. Grow it where it won't shade other plants. As a hedge planted behind roses and bramble berries, tansy helps discourage aphid-farming ants. The flowers retain their pungent scent and bright colors when dried. They make ideal wreaths that do double-duty as both decoration and pest repellent. In days gone by, people wrapped food in tansy to help preserve it and discourage ants--a practice worth reviving for picnics and barbecues.
Pennyroyal
An excellent choice for shady, moist garden spots, pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) helps discourage ants, aphids and fleas. Like all mints, pennyroyal spreads quickly and isn't fussy about growing conditions. Adding plenty of fertilizer into new beds helps get it off to a good start. Grow pennyroyal along a north-facing foundation to keep ants from crossing the threshold. Rose growers often plant them at the base of specimen shrubs or rose arbors. As low-growers, pennyroyals are perfectly positioned to protect the bases of taller plants, or to edge borders containing flowers and other ant-vulnerable plants.
Certain plants contain properties that either invite beneficial insects or repel harmful insects. Beneficial insects prey on pests that cause damage in the garden. Ladybugs and praying mantis are good examples of beneficial bugs.
Using plants for pest control not only cuts down on your workload, but it also reduces the amount of insecticides that you use in your garden. And fewer insecticides means more good bugs, which in turn means help in controlling bad bugs.
Check out more hints and tips from professionals Auckland Ant Control for reliable assistance