Ants in a summer cottage cannot be called unambiguously useful or harmful. On the one hand, they destroy the larvae of various pests. On the other hand, they organize real ranches for aphids on tree branches. As soon as it becomes noticeable that insects are damaging the bark, it is time to turn on soft protection. But if you don't like chemistry, take it old newspaper sheet.
Ants make trails following scent trails, and if they are disturbed by a pungent aroma, the entire colony loses its bearings and moves away.
Take any old newspaper or small piece of paper, slightly moisten it and drip 5-7 drops of mint, lavender or pine essential oil. For ants, these smells look like an alarm signal. The paper retains the scent for a long time and works as a simple repeller.
Alexey Danilov, a specialist in open-ground vegetable crops, explained to Pravda.Ru that ants cannot tolerate intense essential oils. If you scatter crumpled paper in circles around the tree trunks, they will begin to look for a quieter refuge. And if you use pine oil, the area will no longer attract slugs.
Here's how the method applies to different crops:
- For fruit trees, paper balls with lavender are hung directly on the branches.
- For vegetable beds, sprinkle the surface of the soil with pine needles or paper scraps with oil.
- For berry bushes, bury paper balls soaked in mint at the very roots.
We must not forget: the health of the garden begins with the soil. Instead of outdated manure approaches, it makes more sense to maintain nature's balance. If larger pests appear on the site, the same clove or lavender oils also help against moles.
Soil scientist Igor Lytkin said that any human intervention in the ecosystem must remain careful. Odors act precisely and do not destroy beneficial soil microflora, unlike insecticidal chemicals.
Read also how to remove grass between tiles on a more expensive basis.
