Ants on chili plants: are they harmful or beneficial?

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Ants on chili plants: are they harmful or beneficial?
Ants on chili plants: are they harmful or beneficial?
Anonim

Basically, ants are beneficial insects. However, when ant trails form on the chili plant, the animals can cause problems. How to fight the ants.

ant chili plant
ant chili plant

Are ants harmful to chili plants?

Ants are not directly harmful to chili plants, but can even help with pollination. It becomes problematic when ants colonize the plant due to aphid infestation. To keep ants away, smells of cinnamon, thyme, lavender or lemon can be used.

Are ants harmful to chili plants?

Ants themselves arein principle notharmful to chili plants. The animals do not eat the plant. If you collect pollen at flowering time, it can even contribute to pollination. The small animals also act as a natural garbage disposal. They clear small garden waste from the ground and loosen the soil. So the ant is not a pest. The animal contributes a lot to maintaining the ecological balance in the garden. However, ants can also encourage aphids.

What do ant trails to chili plants indicate?

An excessive influx of ants and sticky leaves on the chili plant indicate aaphid infestation. The aphids excrete a sticky residue. This secretion is also known as honeydew. Ants feed on it. To do this, you take care of the pest and protect the louse from predators such as ladybirds or lacewings. Then the infestation spreads further and the leaves stick together under the influence of the creepy crawlies. Sticky leaves slow down metabolism and promote fungal infestation.

How do I treat a chili plant with aphids and ants?

Treat the affected chili plant with water andsoft soap solution. It is best to first spray the plants with a direct jet of water to rinse off most of the animals. Then proceed as follows:

  1. Mix 1 liter of water with 1 tablespoon of soft soap and a little neem oil.
  2. Fill solution into spray bottle.
  3. Spray the chillies with it.

Treat the affected chili plants with a soft soap solution every few days. After two to three days, the aphids and therefore the ants should have disappeared from chili plants.

How do I keep ants away from chili plants?

You can use the following substances to spreadodors around the chili plant that will deter ants:

  • Cinnamon
  • Thyme
  • Lavender
  • Lemon

You can also mix lavender oil or lemon oil with water and spray on the site. Coffee grounds are sometimes also used against ants. This is a by-product in many households and also acts as a fertilizer for plants outdoors. With all of these products you do not spread any harmful substances into your garden.

Tip

Breaking ant trails with chili powder

Cinnamon is not the only thing you can use to interrupt ant trails. Some gardeners also use chili powder. This doesn't deter animals as much as some other home remedies. However, it dissipates the typical scent trail that ants use to orient themselves.

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