Basically, ants are very useful for your garden. However, if entire armies of the small animals populate your kohlrabi, this can become a problem. How to find the cause of ant infestations and drive the animals away.
How do I fight ants on kohlrabi?
Ants on kohlrabi can indicate two causes: irregular water addition, which causes the vegetable to burst, or aphid infestation. Aphids can be controlled with a soft soap solution, while ants can be repelled with essential oils or lime.
When do ants head for cracked areas of kohlrabi?
Airregular addition of water causes kohlrabi to burst. Excess moisture will temporarily escape from the broken parts of the vegetables. The ants head for these places. Sometimes the animals also nibble on the kohlrabi at these points. However, that's not a bad thing. In this case you do not have to react. The fruit closes again and the ants disappear. The vegetables are not harmed. The ants themselves are not pests for the kohlrabi.
Why are there many ants crawling on the leaves of the kohlrabi?
Many ants on the leaves of the kohlrabi and sticky residue indicate anaphid infestation. The honeydew that the aphid secretes serves as food for ants. The ants therefore specifically target the infected kohlrabi. They care for, protect and milk the animals. However, the resulting spread of aphids is rather bad for the plant. It slows growth and leads to smaller yields. In addition, the sticking of the leaves promotes fungal infestation. Accordingly, you should take action against the pests.
How do I remove ants from kohlrabi?
If you eliminate theaphids the ants will also disappear. Basically, you can get rid of aphids with rubbing alcohol. However, this remedy is not recommended for vegetables such as kohlrabi. After all, you want to eat the kohlrabi later and not ingest any harmful substances. You should therefore better fight the aphids with the following home remedy:
- Spray kohlrabi with a strong jet of water.
- Spray the plant with a soft soap solution (€4.00 on Amazon).
- Repeat application 3 times a week.
- After about 3 weeks the louse should be gone.
How do I prevent further ant influx to kohlrabi?
Use scents of intenseessential oilsor the alkaline effect oflimestone. You can drive away the ants by using a smell that is unpleasant to the animals. Or they interrupt the existing ant trails by spreading alkaline lime. You can use these home remedies in this context:
- Tea tree oil
- grated lemon peel
- Thyme, lavender, tansy
- Cinnamon
You can plant herbs with essential oils in the same bed. The mixed culture keeps ants away. Baking soda, on the other hand, is often fatal against ants. Therefore, you should not use it.
Tip
Relocating ant nests with manure
You can pour manure on a settled ant nest. The smell encourages the animals to look for a new home away from the kohlrabi. However, you should let the manure cool down well before use. After all, you only want to relocate the beneficial insects and not kill them. Ants are very helpful for the garden and improve the soil.
