Ants are very useful for the garden. However, excessive numbers of animals can indicate problems. Use these tips to classify and treat affected blueberries.
Do ants harm blueberries and how to treat them?
Ants can harm blueberries indirectly by encouraging aphids, whose honeydew they eat. To treat ants on blueberries, remove the aphids with a soft soap solution and repel the ants with essential oils, lime or other natural remedies.
Do ants damage blueberries?
Ants are in many ways evenuseful for plants and berry bushes. They remove small garden waste and tidy up the ground. In addition, some types of ants can eat caterpillars that otherwise feast on blueberry leaves. As long as the amount of ants in traffic is kept to a minimum, you shouldn't have to worry about it.
When does an ant infestation on blueberry plants indicate?
However, an excessive influx of ants can also indicate anaphid infestation. To check whether the pests have settled on the leaves of the plant, you should examine them more closely. If there is a sticky residue on the leaves of the blueberry, you are dealing with honeydew. This is an aphid excretion. Ants are after this honeydew. That's why they cultivate the aphids, encouraging an ever-increasing infestation.
How to treat blueberries with ants?
Get rid of the aphids using asoft soap solution You should take action against the aphid. Otherwise, the sticking of the leaves leads to a slower metabolism of the plant. This reduces crop yields and increases the risk of disease. How to get rid of the pests and remove the reason for ants to visit the blueberry:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of soft soap in 1 liter of water.
- Add some neem oil.
- Fill solution into spray bottle.
- First spray the blueberry with a jet of water.
- Then spray with soft soap solution.
Spray the soft soap solution every few days for three weeks.
How do I avoid further influx of ants to the blueberry?
Repel the ants with the scent ofessential oilsor break up ant trails withlime. The following herbs give off an unpleasant scent for ants:
- Thyme
- Lavender
- Marjoram
Alternatively, you can add grated lemon peel or cinnamon. Another useful home remedy for fighting ants is vinegar. The second control option is basic substances such as algae lime. Scatter these over the ants' path. Ants avoid the alkaline substance.
What do I do about an ant nest on the blueberry?
Since an ant nest can undermine the roots, you should relocate the animals. If a nest spreads directly under the plant, the plant loses its footing: the roots become loose and no longer receive enough nutrients from the soil. Here's how to deal with it:
- Fill clay pot with wood shavings and place over anthill.
- Cover drain hole.
- After a week at the latest, push the spade under the pot and move ants in the closed pot.
Tip
Ladybugs as allies
It's not just the home remedies mentioned that will help you against aphids. They also have some allies from the animal kingdom. For example, ladybugs eat lice. So just let these sit on the blueberry.
