Sunflowers look extremely appealing with their magnificent blooms. When the yellow garden beauty becomes the target of an ant infestation, worries quickly arise. Ants on sunflowers can cause these problems and this is the best way to combat the ants.
How do I keep ants away from my sunflowers?
To keep ants away from sunflowers, you can spray the plants with a jet of water, use deterrent smells such as essential oils (€16.00 on Amazon), lemon or cinnamon and mark paths with garden lime, chalk powder or algae lime. Baking soda with honey can kill ants without using poisonous bait.
Are ants harmful to sunflowers?
Ants promote the spread ofaphidsor can undermine the root area of the plantEspecially when many animals are visibly climbing up the sunflower that's an alarm signal. Ants encourage aphid infestations. The louse secretes a sticky substance known as honeydew, which ants feed on. Ants protect aphids and cultivate the pest. When sticky honeydew coats the leaves, plant growth slows and fungal diseases appear. Undermining the roots also causes problems.
How do I get rid of ants and aphids from sunflowers?
Use plant manure made from nettles or field horsetail. This home remedy works against aphids and ants. It is important that you address the cause of an infestation. Only when the aphids have disappeared from the sunflowers will ants stop coming. By the way, you can fertilize the flowers at the same time with the plant manure. In this case, you do not release any harmful substances into your garden, as is the case with insecticides, for example.
What do I do against ants on sunflowers?
Spray the sunflowers with a strongwater jetand treat the plant with deterrentodors The water jet eliminates ants that are currently on the sunflower are on the way. By using certain smells that deter ants, you in turn keep new ants away. Remember that the ants specifically leave scent marks along their paths. They use these to orient themselves in space and form ant trails. Only if you interrupt this will there be no follow-up. These remedies work:
- essential oils (€16.00 at Amazon)
- Plant manure
- Lemon
- Cinnamon
How do I keep ants away from my sunflowers?
You can also create a border for ants byliming paths. Substances that are dusty and have a basic pH value are not accessed by ants. The following means are often used to interrupt ant trails:
- Garden lime
- Chalk powder
- Algae limestone
- Primitive rock flour
Apply a thick layer to the floor. This means the powder doesn't evaporate as quickly and you don't leave any gaps through which ants can move and then reach the sunflowers.
Tip
Baking soda destroys ants on sunflowers
Do you want to destroy ants on sunflowers but don't want to use poisonous bait? Then baking soda is a natural destroyer. If you add some honey to this, it will be even more tempting to the ants. However, this will not deter the trailing ants from your sunflowers.
