Autumn sage is a beautiful ornamental plant with its red tubular flowers attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. However these vibrant blooms can also attract tiny unwanted guests – ants! Ants may crawl on autumn sage plants in search of the sweet nectar inside the flowers or the sticky honeydew secreted by aphids. An ant infestation can be frustrating to deal with and may even damage your plant. So how do you get rid of ants on autumn sage plants? Here are some simple yet effective solutions.
Why Ants Are Attracted to Autumn Sage
Before we get into ant control methods, let’s look at why ants are drawn to autumn sage in the first place.
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Nectar – The tubular red flowers of autumn sage contain sweet nectar that attracts pollinators like hummingbirds, Ants also love this sugary treat
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Honeydew – Ants have a mutualistic relationship with aphids, protecting them from predators in exchange for the sticky, sweet honeydew they produce. Aphids on sage plants draw ants.
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Shelter – Ants may seek shelter under debris or dense foliage around sage plants making them more likely to forage on the plants.
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Proximity to nest – Ants’ nests located near or under autumn sage plants give them easy access.
Safe, Natural Ways to Control Ants on Sage
Before turning to chemical methods, try these safe natural remedies:
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Remove debris and trim vegetation around plants to eliminate shelter and bridges.
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Spray aphids with a strong stream of water to reduce honeydew. Ladybugs also prey on aphids.
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Apply a perimeter of diatomaceous earth, cinnamon, or coffee grounds around plants.
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Spray plants with neem oil or insecticidal soap, which deter and kill ants.
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Wipe plants with a cloth dipped in soapy water to disrupt scent trails.
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Place sticky traps near plants to catch foraging ants.
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Sprinkle dried peppermint or spray peppermint oil, which repels ants.
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Increase shade and reduce watering to make plants less attractive to ants.
These methods are safe for children, pets, beneficial insects like bees and butterflies, and the environment. They disrupt ants’ behavior and access to plants without toxic chemicals.
When to Use Chemical Ant Treatments
If natural methods are ineffective, you can turn to chemical treatments as a last resort. Use extreme care when applying these around autumn sage plants:
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Ant baits – Contain slow-acting poison carried back to the colony. Place them away from plants.
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Borax – Kills ants and deters recolonization. Sprinkle around plants, avoiding foliage.
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Insecticidal dusts – Contains silica gel or diatomaceous earth. Apply lightly around plants.
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Insecticidal sprays – Broad-acting pesticides require cautious use. Spray only as a last resort.
Always follow label directions carefully. Ant treatments can harm pollinators and other beneficial species if misused. Only apply directly on plants if the label specifies it is safe to do so.
Control Ants While Protecting Autumn Sage Health
When dealing with ant infestations on plants, be sure to consider the overall health and needs of autumn sage:
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Avoid overwatering – Too much moisture attracts ants and fosters fungal diseases.
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Check for aphids – Ants often mean aphids. Control both pests. Ladybugs help.
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Remove dead leaves – These provide shelter for ants and attract disease.
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Fertilize sparingly – Excess nitrogen leads to soft, aphid-prone growth.
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Prune strategically – Remove ant trails and infested foliage.
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Replenish mulch – Fresh layer deters ants and retains moisture.
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Monitor closely – Early intervention is key for ant control.
With appropriate cultural care, autumn sage will be less susceptible to ant infestations overall. You can also spot ant problems early before they get out of hand.
When to Call a Professional Exterminator
If ant colonies around your autumn sage plants are large and aggressive, it may be time to call in a professional exterminator. They have access to stronger chemicals and bait formulas for severe infestations. Professional treatment is recommended if:
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Natural and at-home remedies have failed to control ants.
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Ant hills and trails are found directly underneath plants.
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Stinging or biting ant species are present, like fire ants.
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Ants are damaging the plant by spreading diseases, removing buds, etc.
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You are unable to identify the ant species to target treatment properly.
Licensed exterminators know how to effectively eradicate ants without harming your plants or the environment. They can also provide tips for prevention.
Prevent Ants from Returning
Prevention is key to keeping autumn sage plants ant-free. Here are some tips:
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Remove vegetation touching plants to eliminate ant highways
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Clear mulch and debris away from base of plants
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Wash plants regularly with water or soap spray
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Cover soil with fresh mulch, gravel, or landscape fabric
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Seal gaps around garden beds and walls
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Address pests like aphids immediately to avoid honeydew buildup
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Inspect plants frequently and treat ants at first signs
With diligence, you can keep ants from repeatedly infesting your autumn sage plants. Stop them before they settle in and cause damage.
By understanding why ants are attracted to autumn sage and implementing a combination of gentle natural treatments, responsible chemical control, preventative cultural care, and expert help when needed, you can successfully get rid of ants on your plants. Your efforts will keep these pretty perennials thriving and ant-free.
What Do I Do About Ants by My Plants?
From a Correspondent:
Sometime last summer, I began to notice ants in one or two of our garden beds. I was hoping the winter would rid me of them, but no such luck — this year, they’re back with a vengeance. How can I safely get rid of ants without damaging vegetables or using chemical pesticides?
Gratefully,An Infested Midwestern Gardener
The good news is that you are, presumably, both larger and more intelligent than most varieties of ants. I.e., you have them beat in the brawn and brain departments. The bad news is that, according to eminent biologists, there are about twenty quadrillion ants on Earth (and only eight billion humans).
So before commencing a war with a race that outnumbers us 2.5 million to one, let us study on whether you might be able to make peace with the little fellas instead.
Consider: Some bugs are generally bad for the garden — certain sorts of beetles, weevils, aphids, and whatnot. Other bugs are beneficial — butterflies and bees and ladybugs, for instance. Many people, not unreasonably, include ants in the beneficial column.
Ants aerate the soil. (Recall the fascinating network of tunnels in the ant farm you had in third grade.) This helps oxygen, water, and nutrients reach the roots of plants. And ants carry organic matter through their tunnels, some of which decomposes and creates fertilizer. Ants also serve as effective predators, consuming the larvae of various of the bad bugs. Ants can also aid in pollination.
But here’s where things get a bit complicated. One of the bad bugs we’d mentioned is the aphid, a small insect, which sucks liquids out of plants. And ants and aphids have a curious relationship. Some ants like to consume the sweet liquid waste that aphids excrete. In exchange, ants protect aphids from certain predators. Ants even seem to help mitigate the effects of fungal outbreaks (lethal to aphids) by carrying dead, infected aphids away from the healthy ones. You’ll often hear it said that ants “farm” aphids. This may be a bit of anthropomorphic romanticism, but it’s not entirely inaccurate. (Ponder on this the next time someone tells you that animal husbandry is “unnatural.”) Given this symbiotic relationship, you may find that ants and aphids are a bit of a package deal in your garden, and you definitely don’t want aphids.
Also, it is important to identify the type of ant colony you’re dealing with. The common black ant and the yellow meadow ant, for instance, tend to reside in the beneficial column. Whereas carpenter ants, fire ants, and (not surprisingly) leafcutter ants do not. Of course, the quantity matters as well: you said they are “back with a vengeance” — if that means they’ve exhibited a bit of stubborn resilience and increased in number despite the winter, don’t be surprised or necessarily dismayed. Ants can live off of stored fat during the winter, often going into a state of diapause (you don’t get to twenty quadrillion by keeling over every time there’s a cold snap). But if you mean they’ve completely overrun your garden, or if you mean they are of a stinging variety (such as fire ants) and are taking vengeance on you personally, then there is probably more cause for action.
Anyway, the point is that discerning this matter requires some nuance. Given their vast numbers throughout our planet, ants can be hard to get rid of, and you may or may not even want to. It is an oversimplification to say “ants are bad” or “ants are good” for the garden: more details are needed to make the assessment. In fact, some people intentionally introduce ants into their gardens for the benefits mentioned above. So do your homework before doing anything drastic.
But if you’ve gone through all that and still assess that it’s time to take up arms, here are some things you can try:
- If you can find visible ant hills, pour a pot or kettle of boiling water on them. Go back to the kitchen, boil another pot, and repeat. Do this for a few days. Water on its own won’t do much damage (see “rain”), but boiling water will.
- Citrus oils are destructive to ants, as is vinegar. You may find one or the other effective, but if you’re short on time you might as well combine them for a double-pronged attack. Peel some oranges and put the peels in a blender. Add white vinegar, roughly one part orange peel to three parts vingar, and blend thoroughly. Douse ant hills and visible trails with the mixture. Reward your militaristic prowess by eating the oranges.
- Mix ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and sprinkle generously around visible colonies and affected plants. The mixture is not lethal, but ants dislike the smell and may thus decide to relocate to less fragrant locales. You can also try this same technique with coffee grounds, which may have other benefits for your garden as well.
- Engage reinforcements: beneficial nematodes can aid in your battle. These small roundworms enter the digestive tract of ants and therein release lethal bacteria, killing ants (and many other pests!) within a day or two of ingestion. Pick some up at your preferred local garden center or farm supply store. They can be sensitive to sunlight and high temperatures, so schedule Operation Nematode for dawn or dusk or a cool, overcast day. Then mix with water per the directions on the package, connect to a pump sprayer or garden hose, and fire at will.
In summary, determine with nuanced consideration whether your hexapod cohabitants are friend or foe. If foe, pick one of the above methods, or all of them, and have at it.
If friend, be glad of the newfound relationship. Instead of concocting pesticides, use your boiling water, orange peels, and cinnamon (and a bit of sugar) to brew a refreshing summer tea. Serve iced. Do not add nematodes.
CONTROL ANTS & APHIDS with this SIMPLE TRICK
FAQ
How do I get rid of ants without killing my plants?
Do ants eat sage plants?
How do I get rid of ants in my potted plants?
What to spray on plants to keep ants away?
Does Sage repel ants?
There are a number of varieties of sage but garden sage is the most strongly scented with volatile oils. Sage leaves contain the natural chemicals thujone and camphor which are toxic to ants. This perennial also attracts snails and slugs that feed on ants. Pennyroyal is another herb with use as an insect repellent that dates back centuries.
How do you care for autumn sage?
Autumn sage is a fairly easy-going plant. Here are the main care requirements for growing autumn sage. Plant in a spot that gets lots of sunlight, ideally at least six hours. Place in dry, well-drained soil, but do not plant in wet, clay-based soil. Water moderately, though autumn sage is fairly drought-tolerant once established.
How do you get rid of ants naturally?
It’s easy to use and you get a lot of mileage out of one package. Certain plants naturally repel ants. These include Sage, pennyroyal, catnip, and peppermint. Ants do not like the smell of these plants and they will go to great lengths to avoid them. To cut down on the ant population naturally, plant any of these near your garden.
How to kill ants in garden soil?
However, be aware that there is a lot more beneath the surface. You can place a solution of borax powder and artificial sweetener on the soil. Both of these substances are deadly to ants, but they are harmless for pets and humans in small quantities. This is one of the more popular natural methods of how to kill ants in garden soil.