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Ant colonies in my planters.

lb191lb191 Posts: 80
in Problem solving

Hi,

I have two planters one either side of the front door and each contains an ant colony (or perhaps the same colony or multiple colonies I don't know).

I don't really mind them. They've been fascinating to interact with because they insist on leaving their eggs right on the surface and lifting one piece of slate exposes the whole chamber and they go crazy carrying off the babies and trying to attack me.

The thing is that everything that I plant into the planters seems to die fairly quickly and maybe it's just me or maybe it's the ants?

I read killing them is futile because the space will be recolonised asap or they might move inside my house.

Does anyone have any small plant suggestions that I could put into the planters and around the door that will ward them off?

Thanks

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    Sorry, but ants nests are death to most plants. They produce Formic acid and that makes the compost so acidic that few if any plants can survive it. You can only clean out the planter, fill with fresh compost and use one of the propriety ant killing powders/liquids when you see them going back into the planters. There is no reason to suppose they will move into your house just because you have stopped them nesting elsewhere. If they were going to come inside, they would have already done it.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,146

    Ants do not like wet soil, so empty and refill your containers and plant some plants that like really moist soil and keep them well watered, then hopefully the ants will move on somewhere drier. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,088

    Same advice re changing both compost and plants and keeping well watered but you can also use a deterrent.

    Mix one small bottle of essential oil of cloves (pharmacy or health shop) into 5 litres of water and use that to water your planters.  The ants hate the smell and move on or stay away.   Do it once a month as part of your normal watering routine and that should solve the ant problem.

    It works in the garden too should you find ants nesting there.   Unfortunately their tunnel systems leave plant roots hanging in thin air which means they can't provide water and nutrients as they should and the plants weaken and either struggle or die.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    There's also a biological control by Nemasys - nematodes which make the ants nest elsewhere.  I don't think it kills them.  But Obelixx's oil of cloves is probably cheaper!

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505

    I find that it helps to put the large planters on feet.  If that's not possible, I sprinkle a load of proprietary stuff  underneath.

    Ants are not allowed in the porch or on the  patio. Elsewhere, I generally leave them. There's been a colony in an apple tree stump for a good few years. We leave each other alone.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • lb191lb191 Posts: 80

    Thanks for the advice. I'll try out the suggestions.

    I had a new patio done last year so the planters rebuilt larger and the ants moved back in very quickly.

    I was hoping for some pretty welcoming planters and have a hebe and some alpine plants in there that are still alive at the moment but it's only been one summer.

    Pesky ants!

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