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Peonies, which are perennial flowering plants, are very common in Russian gardens and summer cottages: due to their indescribable sweetish aroma and beautiful and gradually opening flowers, they have earned their popularity among many people. However, their cultivation is fraught with one very serious problem: not only neighbors from nearby sites, but also ants, who are known to love sweet and carbohydrate-rich foods, will want to smell the peonies.
These insects want, firstly, to enjoy a delicious product, and secondly, to provide their own family with sufficient reserves for the future, because as a result of the activity of the entire colony of ants, peonies lose both their juice and the integrity of the structure, and sheets, cups, and even some flower stalks seriously risk not healing their “wounds”, which are left from a huge number of overshots.
Some insect representatives can harm even those flowers that have not yet blossomed and do not have any taste. This is the most negative side of the ants' activity, since such actions on their part directly interfere with the propagation of flowers.
Interesting: it has long been believed that the presence of ants near peonies is a sign of their future flowering, because for many years they did not fight against insects, believing that beetles and even small birds harm flowers. With the development of gardening, this myth has been refuted experimentally.
Ways to get rid of peonies from ants
Methods of combating these insects are classified depending on the method of their elimination and the principle of action. So, you can get rid of ants with the help of various traps, baits and in more humane ways that involve the use of odors that these insects cannot tolerate.
Set traps on a flower
One of the sides should be generously greased with petroleum jelly, the smell of which the ants cannot tolerate. Such a simple trap will help, firstly, to prevent the penetration of insects along the trunk to the buds, and secondly, to quickly wean them from the habit of enjoying the flowers of plants.
Interesting: many people who are fond of breeding ants lubricate the upper sides and corners of aviaries with petroleum jelly in order to prevent their escape.
Using Poisonous Lures
The classic way to prepare poisonous bait, which, incidentally, is also used to fight cockroaches and mice, involves the use of a small amount of boric acid, the ingress of which into the body of an insect literally paralyzes all internal organs.
The composition of such a bait must necessarily include some sweet ingredients, which should attract the attention of ants when they next approach to plants. You can use honey, jam, ordinary refined sugar, some cheap sweets and other similar products.
Important: the bait must be located either in close proximity to the flowers, or on the favorite paths of insects (they are very easy to find after a few minutes of observation).
Conventional flat cakes, which can be quickly made with one or two eggs, water and flour, act as a bait frame. In the process of sculpting, it is necessary to add about a drop or two of boric acid to each small cake and then evenly distribute a small amount of the selected component from the ones listed above over the entire volume of a single bait.
If insects try these cakes, they will lose their ability to move in about 5-6 seconds, and die in half a minute. After applying the bait, it is recommended to add a pinch of vitamins to nearby plants and water them abundantly.
The use of folk remedies
Folk remedies have one indisputable advantage: the solutions and mixtures used are always devoid of any chemicals and aggressive substances that can harm the plant structure. It is possible to get rid of ants that decided to eat flowers by breeding a special solution that needs to be sprayed with peonies. For its preparation and use should:
- Pour a few fragrant leaves of lavender, mint, parsley or wormwood, then pour them in a jar of boiling water.
- After the agent is infused (for this it takes at least an hour), it should be poured into a spray bottle or spray.
- Spray the solution throughout the stem and leaves of each peony.
- With the remaining tool, pour water around the flowers.
Such a tool is, firstly, completely harmless to peonies, and secondly, it can permanently drive insects away from the area on which it was sprayed. It is recommended to repeat the procedure to consolidate the effect two to three times a week.
Tip: the ants are completely incapable of transferring the smell of garlic, so you can either spread several of its cloves near the plants, or rub the stems with juice.
Prevention of the appearance of ants on the site
In order not to have to use any of the above methods, it is possible to take measures in advance to prevent the appearance of ants on the site in general and, as a result, the construction of their shelters and “roads”.
To do this, it is enough to remove from the site any wood materials remaining, for example, from repair or located on the back of the site “in reserve” on bare ground. This is due to the fact that ants can easily easily transfer small chocks to equip their homes, and since they are colonial insects, their number can increase significantly in a relatively short time. The described requirement applies to old decayed trees, small branches and, especially, stumps (insects in them can equip a full-fledged anthill).
It is also necessary to remove food debris from the site, preventing it from lying in bags on the street. Several ants will quickly inform the rest of the colony about the availability of food in any territory, and again their number will become much larger.
It is important to note that the idea of the complete destruction of ants by chemical treatment of the entire plot is completely meaningless, as this will upset the ecological balance, which will entail the appearance of other insects, such as aphids.
Video: how to deal with ants
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