Maintaining the garden and its plants involves proper care of plants like watering, protection from pests and ants, fertilizing, and many more. When talking of ants, there are some species of ants that are beneficial for the garden because they aerate the soil, improving the drainage system, whereas some ants destroy the plants by eating their leaves as well as killing the insects(ladybugs and farm aphids) beneficial for plants.
In such a case, you will have to protect the garden from harmful ants, and neem oil is the best option to kill them. Many times, we tend to get confused and ask ourselves, “Does neem oil kill ants”?Neem oil is a multipurpose natural pesticide that kills ants effectively. Ants, if grown in bulk, may reach the indoors, causing other issues. Let’s gather more information about the benefits of neem oil.
Also Read: A Homeowner’s Guide: Top 6 Pests And How To Combat Them
Detailed Information About Neem Oil
Neem oil is extracted from Azadirachta’s indica seeds containing Azadirachtin. The best feature is that it is not toxic for humans and pets. The source of neem oil is neem seeds, has a bitter taste and smells like garlic. Neem oil has set its foot in the gardening world as an effective repellent to kill plant pests. The only precaution you have to take while using neem oil is to make sure that only harmful ants are killed and not the entire clan.
How Does Neem Oil Kill Ants
The main ingredient in neem oil, Azadirachtin, has a chemical composition that resembles insect hormones. When an ant’s body absorbs neem oil, it affects the hormonal system of ants, resulting in loss of appetite, no egg laying, and impacting fertility. Though it is a known fact that ants excrete eighty percent of chemicals, the remaining part remains in their body for a long time. The oil can suffocate them by blocking the airways.
Neem oil kills fire ants too effectively. Fire ants are very dangerous because their bite is unbearable for humans and pets and are equally harmful to plants. Neem oil is the savior! Apply neem oil on their mounds and enjoy seeing them running to save their life. When they scatter, spray oil to ensure they don’t run and hide.
Tips to Consider Before Using Neem Oil in Different Forms
When using oil as a soil drench, ants won’t die until they come in contact with the soil and there lies the challenge. Ants that are part of the large groups are not seen at times as they remain inside the mound, so spray is the only option to kill them.
Foliar spray is quite effective as it can kill ants damaging the plants. Another way is to sprinkle Diatomaceous around the base of the plant so that the ants approaching the plant are dehydrated to death. The other option is to mix neem oil with other oils to kill fire ants. A blend of two methods, i.e., neem soak and foliar spray will work best.
Use Neem-based Foliar Spray
In this spray, oil is used in a processed form with different applications and effects. These sprays use Azadirachtin-free oil and kill ants or pests only when they come in direct contact with oil. The process takes longer but is effective. You can easily spray the oil on ants along the trails and block the airways of the targeted ant, leading to death.
The best feature of the spray option is that it kills only those ants who harmed your plants without putting other ants at risk, which helps plants by aerating them for a better drainage system.
Use Neem Oil as a Soil Drench
Another way to use neem oil is to soak it in the soil roots. When the roots of plants absorb Azadirachtin, the toxin acts as an insecticide. One crucial fact is that ants won’t be affected until they come in direct contact with soil toxins. If you see any mound, apply oil directly on it for more impact.
Conclusion
Neem oil is a proven repellant to kill damage-causing ants without damaging the environment. It is a permanent solution for the ants. All you need to keep in mind is that the oil should not affect other beneficial pests and ants.
