Ants are a secret world power - you can find them in nature, in the garden, but unfortunately also in the home. We clarify: Do ants help or harm us?
Many people have an ambivalent relationship with ants (Formicidae). The industrious insects are often observed with children and grandchildren under a magnifying glass, the cluster of wood ants in a state fascinates on a walk in the forest - on the other hand, every ant is undesirable as soon as it puts one of its six legs on our property. Ant traps and all sorts of remedies to fight the animals are always sold like hot cakes. This article therefore addresses an important question: are ants more beneficial or harmful to us?
We would like to open your eyes to the incredible feats that ants achieve in nature - while always remaining hidden. We then discuss the presence of ants in the garden and house or in the apartment and show when it makes sense to fight them. You will also find references to further articles on preventing and fighting ants - for example with our new Plantura ant remedy.
Ants in nature
According to many scientists, ants play a key role in our ecosystems. They are involved in various cycles without which natural networks collapse. Around 200 of the (estimated) 15,000 species worldwide live in Germany. Because they are almost always underground, their number and importance is regularly underestimated. Unfortunately, the stocks of most species are also declining. With the discovery of this disappearance, the role played by the small crawling creatures has again been de alt with more intensively. Here's what ants do for nature - and therefore also for us.
What do ants do for us and for nature?
- Some species decompose deadwood and thus take over a step in the formation of humus, which is essential for soil and plants.
- Predatory species eat all kinds of insects themselves, so they also regulate the population of pests, for example, so that they do not multiply unchecked.
- In addition to insects, larger ones that are already dead also groweaten animals. In this way, the nutrients contained in it get back into the natural cycles, including the carbon bound in the dead body.
- Ants themselves serve as prey for higher beings. Woodpeckers and wild boar, for example, get plenty of protein from their larvae.
- The seeds of many wild plants are spread by ants.
- Ants' underground activities make them even more important than earthworms in some places. Especially in sandy and very acidic soils, the latter are hardly ever to be found. Here ants mix, aerate and cement the topsoil.
- Removing ants completely from an ecosystem would collapse it. The result would be radical changes for all parts of the system.
The reason for the decline in ants is the loss of suitable habitat. The different species are often adapted to special living conditions. The creation of suitable habitats is therefore the only way to save these specialists. This can also happen on agricultural or forestry land - coexistence with humans is not a problem for most ant species. Myrmecologists (ant researchers) and other scientists say in unison: Our native ants can be saved without creating special protective habitats for this purpose. But the management of our land has to change.
Tip ant farms: Those who are very interested in the social life, building skills and organization of ants can reproduce and observe them in ant farms. These consist of two panes of glass or plexiglass and a substrate in which the animals build their nests. Of course, you also need a good deal of background knowledge if you want to run such a farm in a species-appropriate and successful way.
Ants in the garden
Ants can also be found in our gardens. Ants in the lawn or in the flower beds are easy for most gardeners to get over. Those who cannot make friends with them there should first consider the great benefit they have from the subtenants. The loosening of the subsoil aerates the roots of the plants, which improves their root growth. In addition, ants are involved in the formation of humus and destroy all kinds of insects that could act as pests on our garden plants. Accordingly, before a possible expulsion, the following must be considered: Do the animals disturb them at this point?really that much? Is it possible to avoid problems with them, for example by simply wearing gloves in certain places when working the beds?
But if an ant colony pitches its tents directly on or at your terrace and regularly bothers you at summer breakfast, you should try to get rid of them again. Even if a colony of ants is causing huge herds of aphids on your plants, it's understandable that you'd want to drive them away. Some home remedies for ants, like planting certain herbs, work well for outdoor use. In addition, you have already gained a lot if you do not grout terraces and paths with sand but with grit or with paving joint mortar. No ant colony can nest in these.
Ants in house or apartment
Ants are usually not a problem in the garden. They pop up in your house or apartment and wander around the kitchen, but something needs to be done. Because some ant species are not only unappetizing and unhygienic, some even transmit diseases, which is why their presence in hospitals or canteen kitchens is under no circumstances allowed. Anyone who is affected by an ant plague often fears that it is due to their own behavior - even an unclean lifestyle. But ants can invade anyone, the decisive factor here is the waterproofing of the house. And there is also some bad luck when an ant trail appears in your kitchen. But you can do a lot to avoid ants in your house or apartment, as we have summarized for you in this special article. Effective control is possible with our Plantura ant control.
Conclusion: Are ants useful or harmful?
Ants are very useful not only for natural ecosystems but also for our gardens and therefore for us. If they appear in our living areas, they quickly become a nuisance and, in the event of a massive infestation of the supplies and with certain types of ants - such as the pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) - they can also be harmful in rare cases be for us. Before the little master builders are ruthlessly driven out and fought against, you should always weigh up carefully whether this is really necessary on site. However, one should be uncompromising in the house and apartment to rule out the establishment of nests.
Fighting Ants
If you haven't taken any preventive measures or if these didn't show any effect, the only thing left for you in the house - or on the balcony and terrace - is to fight the ants. The following steps must be carried out in any case.
How to fight ants effectively?
- Removing potential food sources; make all food inaccessible to ants
- Seal entrances to the house, remove any nests or have them removed
- Wipe all infested rooms with strong smelling cleaner
- Apply ant agent of your choice; we recommend our Plantura ant repellent so as not to endanger you and your children or pets
Anyone who wants to read up on the topic of effective control will find the answers to their questions in our special article on ant control. Saving foxes among you can try the ant control with home remedies. You can also find speci alty articles here where we discuss using baking soda to combat ants and the great potential of cinnamon as an ant repellent.