Aphids and ants are working side-by-side, wreaking havoc on your outdoor plants.
According to the National Pesticide Information Center, aphids are tiny insects that can cause big problems for a wide range of plants.
They feed by sucking the juices from leaves and stems.
This can lead to discoloration, curling, yellowing, and stunted growth in the plants.
When aphid infestations become severe, they can leave behind a sticky, sugary substance called honeydew.
This honeydew attracts ants and provides a breeding ground for fungus, further damaging the plants.
Additionally, aphids can spread plant viruses as they feed, which can result in issues like leaf molting, yellowing, and reduced yields in garden vegetables and ornamental plants.
Despite their small size, aphids are prolific reproducers, with a single aphid capable of producing 40 to 85 offspring in just one month.
Some aphids have wings, while others do not, allowing them to spread and colonize new plants effectively.
For someone making a living out of gardening, aphids and ants mean trouble.
There are actually plenty of ways to get rid of these insects, mostly chemical-based pesticides which are not very recommended if you are growing fruit or vegetable-bearing plants.
Thankfully, a family who runs a YouTube channel called ‘Goshen Farm and Gardens’ shared a simple trick on how to get rid of both ants and aphids.
Actually, a few years back, they made a huge decision that altered their lives as a family:
“In September 2015, our hearts were hijacked with the dream of living on a large farm, with community, growing food, caring for animals, and loving on children in need of care and healing. It was a God moment, where our dreams collided with His dreams… a dream so big we could never do it in our own strength and wisdom. Since then, we have been on a journey to see that dream become a reality. This channel documents that journey.”
In their video which they titled ‘CONTROL ANTS & APHIDS with this SIMPLE TRICK’, they showed everyone a simple trick they had learned online to deal with ant colonies.
About a week ago, their family discovered an aphid problem along with an ant problem.
The family explained how aphids and ants seem to work together, with ants protecting the aphids while they feed on leaves.
According to them, aphids produce honeydew that ants love, and ants even defend the aphids from predators like ladybugs.
So, they decided to address both the aphid and ant issues.
To get rid of the problem, they made ant traps using a mixture of borax and sugar.
The borax would poison the ants. They made the traps using simple ball jars with holes on top.
They drilled holes in an old yogurt container and filled it with the borax-sugar mixture.
After dissolving one teaspoon of borax in water, they added five teaspoons of sugar to make a paste.
They made sure it wasn’t too wet, as they didn’t want the ants to drown.
The plan was for the ants to nibble on the mixture and take it back to their colony, hopefully eliminating the queen and the entire family.
Actually, a week earlier, they had treated the ants and aphids by spraying the undersides of the leaves with a solution made from Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap.
They finally executed their plan, they placed the traps near the lettuce plants, close to the anthill, and hoped to catch the ants as they went about their business.
See how this simple solution can solve a plethora of gardening woes in the video below!
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