How to quickly get rid of ants in cucumber beds

Cucumbers

Ants are a major nuisance to gardeners. Appearing in greenhouses and hotbeds, they undermine plant roots and eat seedlings. Affected plants are stunted and their yields are reduced. To get rid of ants Many preparations and folk recipes are used in cucumbers.

Reasons why ants appear

Before you begin fighting insects, you need to figure out why they've chosen this location. There are several factors to consider:

The main cause may be the development of an anthill near the cucumber bed. The elevated air and soil temperatures in the cucumber greenhouse create favorable conditions for aphid reproduction. The ants disperse the aphids among the plants and then return to the greenhouse to feed on the aphid waste.
It's not uncommon for insects to build nests in the garden bed itself. Loose soil and lush foliage create a comfortable environment for them. Garden pests don't build large "huts," so finding their nests can be difficult. Typically, small burrows are visible on the surface, while the main nest is located underground.

Help and harm from ants in the garden

Insects that settle in a cucumber bed not only cause harm, but also benefit the plants.

Help from ants on the site:

Insect waste enriches the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients are added to the soil in a form easily absorbed by plants;
During the construction of the anthill, insects loosen the soil, improving its structure;
In their habitats, ants destroy beetles and caterpillars that harm plants.

Methods of insect control

Over the years, many insect control methods have been developed. They can be divided into several groups. Each method is effective in its own way, and gardeners choose the most appropriate one to save their crops.

Mechanical methods

They are based on the destruction of the ant nest. To do this, do the following:

Insects are attracted to the smell of rotten wood, slate, and roofing felt. Removing these attractive items from the soil can help eliminate the insects.
Having discovered a nest, they dig it up and destroy the queen, radically solving the problem.

Note!

Digging up the soil in autumn and spring reduces the risk of anthills forming in the beds and prevents insects from appearing.

Chemical control methods

When using chemical methods to control ants in a cucumber greenhouse, the soil is treated with toxic substances that quickly destroy the insects. High concentrations of pesticides can damage the plants in the garden. Some products are toxic to humans and animals and should not be used while cucumbers are ripening.

The most common drugs:

Dr. Kiaus Insect Super. This product is sold ready-to-use, packaged in bottles. A sprayer or hose is attached to the threaded end of the bottle. This product effectively kills ants and their larvae in cucumber greenhouses.
Delicia Ant Powder. This product is designed for soil treatment and insect control in summer cottages and apartments. The powder is used to cover nests and paths used by ants, or to mix solutions to kill ants in cucumber greenhouses. After application, the insects die within 10-15 days.
Karbofos. This classic pesticide has a pungent, unpleasant odor and reliably kills all insects within three hours. To eliminate ants from a greenhouse containing cucumbers, dissolve the powder in water according to the instructions and spray the soil in the cucumber bed. The effect of the spray lasts for 5-15 days.
Murav'in. To get rid of ants in a cucumber greenhouse, Murav'in granules are scattered along the insects' paths. The insects feed on the bait and bring it back to the queen's nest. After 20 days, the colony dies from poisoning. Murav'in has no pungent odor and is harmless to plants and other insects.
Muratox. To kill pests, add a measuring spoonful of Muratox powder and stir it into water. The solution is poured into shallow jar lids and left along the insects' path. The sweet taste of the bait attracts ants. Mass pest deaths begin within three days. The prepared solution remains effective for a month.

A drug to take note of!

Raid aerosol is a contact-acting agent that instantly kills insects that come into contact with it. It is used to control ants in greenhouses. It is sprayed into the nest and along the ants' migration routes. The poison's effectiveness lasts for several months.

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When using chemicals, it is necessary to follow safety rules:

When applying solutions and treating soil and plants, the skin should be protected with a thick cloth, gloves should be worn on the hands, and a mask should be worn on the face;
pesticides are used before the cucumbers begin to flower and ripen;
After working with toxic substances, you must wash your hands and take a shower.

Combined methods of control

They combine mechanical and chemical methods and are aimed at destroying the nest. To do this, follow these steps:

Place a sponge soaked in the sugary solution in a bucket. Cover the container with black cloth and place it next to the ant nest in the cucumber bed. Soon, the queen and her nest will move into the bucket. Next, kill the pests with boiling water.
Add 2 cups each of vinegar, vegetable oil, and shampoo to a bucket of water. Mix the mixture and pour it into the ant nest. Cover the soil with a black cloth. After a week, the insects will leave the bed.

Folk methods

These methods are used to repel insects from crops. They do not contain pesticides and do not harm beneficial insects. Folk remedies for ants Can be used during harvest ripening. The following methods are used:

ant tunnels are doused with boiling water, destroying the insects;
Insects avoid areas where aromatic plants grow. To repel them from the greenhouse and protect cucumbers, plant wormwood, parsley, and garlic between the plants.
To repel ants from cucumber beds, regularly place fragrant objects near their nests. These include anise leaves, sawdust mixed with crushed garlic, smoked fish heads, or kerosene-soaked rags.
To kill a large number of ants at once, place a sheet of iron or bricks soaked in a manure infusion near the entrance to the nest. After a few days, lift the iron and pour boiling water over the insects gathered underneath.
A small amount of yeast is diluted to a mushy consistency with a sweet sugar-honey infusion. The mixture is poured into shallow jars, protected from the sun, and placed in areas where ants have appeared. After a while, the insects will leave the area;
In a small saucer, mix 50 ml of water, 50 g of sugar, and 6 g of borax. Pour the mixture into shallow jars, protect from the sun, and place them in areas where ants are found. After tasting the sweet syrup, the ants die en masse within two days.
Add 20 g of baker's yeast and 5 g of boric acid to ½ liter of jam. Place the mixture in areas where insects are found. The pests die within two days.
The bottom of a 1.5-liter bottle is cut off. The sides are coated with honey or jam. To get rid of pests, the trap is placed next to an anthill in a garden bed. Attracted by the sweet smell, the ants crawl inside and stick to the sides. After a few days, the bottle is filled with boiling water, killing the pests.
Millet groats are scattered near the nest. The insects actively eat it and die from an upset stomach;
14 days before planting, water the soil with a mixture of 1 liter of water, 5 g of baking soda, and 30 g of linseed oil. After the soil is treated, the insects leave the greenhouse;

Note!

Tomato tops repel insects. They can be used to make a decoction that can easily be used to treat cucumbers, or the leaves can be placed in areas where ants congregate.

Insect Prevention

Ants choose places where aphids thrive. Therefore, preventing an anthill from appearing in a garden bed or greenhouse involves regular pest control. To do this, you should:

When maintaining plantings, regularly remove plant debris. Burn diseased plants, and store weeds in compost piles.
regularly get rid of weeds that serve as a food source for aphids;
cucumber beds should be located away from plants that are favorite of aphids: poppy, viburnum, mallow, linden;
Regularly inspect cucumber vines for sucking insects. If necessary, treat the plants with an aphid repellent.
aphids thrive and reproduce better in a hot, humid room, so the greenhouse should be ventilated periodically;
To kill aphid larvae, treat all wooden parts with caustic soda or bleach before using the greenhouse. After harvesting, treat the greenhouse with a mixture of insecticide and a 40% formalin solution.

Ant infestations are a serious problem in cucumber beds. These insects can destroy seeds and damage cucumber seedlings, so it's essential carry out ongoing pest controlYou can choose any method to destroy insects, the main thing is not to harm plants and crops.