Ants!

The ingredient list in commercial insecticides that are specified for ant control, contains a scary list of poisons, toxins and possible carcinogens that no one would want in their home much less near their vegetables. This spring and summer, as ants begin their march into our newly turned vegetable beds (disturbed soil provided an inviting home for nesting ants), we plan to try more organic remedies that are effective and safe, for humans at least. By using harmless ingredients, we are able to ensure that we remain true to an ideal of avoiding synthetic, chemical inputs, keeping our gardeners and visitors safe and staying friendly to other creatures that we’d like to have around. The following are a few possibilities that we have already attempted or plan to experiment with in the future:

• Our very first attempt at organic ant control involved the sprinkling of diatomaceous earth over freshly disturbed ant nests. Diatomaceous earth is made up primarily of the ground silica shells of diatoms. This lightweight material feels like what one would assume ground pumice feels like, and has the same abrasive effects on ants.
• Placing a fragrant bag of mint tea in areas where ants are most active. If mint tea isn’t available, crushed mint leaves or even cloves can help ward off the pests.
• Rubbing Alcohol: Combining two-parts alcohol with two-parts water and one-part dish soap is a general-purpose ant control remedy, able to eliminate many different varieties of ants. In most cases the ants perish the instant they come into contact with the solution. This mixture also helps to mask the chemical trail ants leave behind so no other pests will follow that path into your home.
• Plants: One way to keep the ants out in the first place is to surround the garden with organic pest control plants like spearmint. Catnip (pictured below), pennyroyal, peppermint, sage, and tansy are all effective at warding off different species of ants.