As a rose gardener, nothing is more frustrating than walking outside and seeing your beautiful rose bushes completely covered in ants. While ants don’t directly damage rose plants, they can indicate the presence of other harmful pests like aphids or promote fungal growth through their tunneling. Getting rid of an ant infestation on your roses quickly is crucial to protect the health of your plants.
Through years of battling pesky ants in my own garden I’ve learned effective remedies that won’t harm the roses or the environment. In this comprehensive guide I’ll share insider tips on identifying why ants are attracted to roses, non-toxic solutions for removal, and prevention methods to permanently keep ants off your plants.
Why Ants Are Drawn to Roses
To control ants on your roses, you first need to understand what draws them to the plants in the first place.
Sugary Sap – Ants have a major sweet tooth! They love feeding on the sap from aphids and other bugs that suck on rose stems and leaves Wherever these sap-sucking insects gather, ants are sure to follow
Nectar – The sweet, sticky nectar inside rose blooms is like candy for ants. They’ll crawl right inside the flowers seeking this treat.
Tunnels – Ants burrow and tunnel extensively, and rose beds offer ideal soft, moist soil conditions for them to build nests and forage underground.
Shelter – The thick, bushy nature of rose plants provides ants with plenty of hiding spots to evade predators and weather.
Moisture – Ant colonies need constant access to water which is retained in rose bed soil.
Effective Natural Remedies to Eliminate Ants
Now that you know why ants hang out on your roses, here are some of my proven organic methods to get rid of them safely:
Remove Aphids and Scale Insects – Ants protect these sap-sucking bugs in exchange for their yummy honeydew secretions. Get rid of the aphids/scale, get rid of the ants!
Apply Diatomaceous Earth – This powder dries out ants’ exoskeleton causing dehydration. Sprinkling it around beds provides an irritating barrier.
Use Ant Repelling Plants – Herbs like mint, tansy and pennyroyal repel ants naturally when planted near roses.
Employ Coffee Grounds – Used coffee grounds sprinkled around rose beds block ants’ scent trails and absorb moisture.
Make Homemade Sprays – Vinegar, citrus juice or rhubarb leaf brews in water make organic DIY ant killer sprays.
Set Out Sweet Traps – Sweet liquids or pastes on cardboard attract ants who then get stuck and die.
Draw Chalk Lines – Chalk line barriers across paths disrupt the pheromone trails ants use to navigate back to the colony.
Release Predatory Nematodes – These microscopic worms kill ants by infecting them with bacteria when applied to beds.
Encourage Ant Eating Birds – Species like flickers feast on ants and will visit garden areas where native plants are added to attract them.
Prevention Tips to Keep Ants Away Long Term
While treatment methods can eliminate existing ant infestations, prevention is also key to proactively keeping ants away from your roses. Here are some of my top tips:
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Identify and remedy environmental conditions appealing to ants like moist soil, rotting wood, or excess mulch.
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Remove alternate food sources ants might exploit such as fallen fruit, compost and garbage.
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Wash plants with strong sprays of water to disrupt ant scent trails and dislodge colonies.
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Spread sand, crushed eggshells or jagged gravel as irritating mulch ants won’t cross.
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Use horticultural oils on plants to prevent aphid buildup which attracts ants.
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Immediately prune off and destroy any plant parts showing aphid colonies.
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Check for signs of ant nests in surrounding lawn areas and spot treat if found.
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Seal potential entry points into garden beds with weather resistant caulk.
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Consider pouring boiling water on ant mounds to scalding colonies.
When to Call for Professional Help
For minor ant incursions, DIY remedies can often get the problem under control if applied diligently. However, in certain circumstances, bringing in professional pest control may be wise:
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Ants don’t decrease after trying several removal methods over a period of weeks.
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Evidence of large established colonies around plants with multiple satellite nests.
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Ants have started farming and protecting populations of harmful aphids.
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You notice signs of Fusarium wilt on plants which ants can spread.
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Removal attempts seem to make the invasion spread wider through the garden.
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Ants are entering the home and becoming a nuisance indoors as well.
Licensed exterminators have access to stronger chemical treatments and can thoroughly trace the source of ants to halls in walls or under patios. They also know targeted solutions if ants keep reappearing in the same spots.
Take Back Control of Your Rose Beds
Dealing with an ant invasion on cherished rose bushes can be an exercise in frustration. But with diligent effort and the right mix of smart tactics, vanquishing ants is very possible. Combining prevention habits like cleaning up debris in beds with curative solutions such as ant-repelling plants or diatomaceous earth is key. When infestations persist beyond your DIY efforts, call on professionals. With this comprehensive battle plan, you can win the war against ants on your roses and enjoy your garden again!
What are Aphids?
Aphids, also known as plant lice, are very small plant-eating insects with a fat pear-shaped body. They can commonly be found on rose bushes in almost every climate.
Damage to Roses
Ants do not cause any physical damage to rose bushes. Aphids, however, can do considerable damage to the rose bush and flower. To keep ants away from rose bushes, it is necessary to first control the aphids. Advertisement.
Help! Ants in New Rose Bush?? What Do I Do?➔ Here’s an Unbelievably Easy DIY Solution
FAQ
How to get rid of ants in roses?
How do I get rid of ants without killing my flowers?
How do I get rid of an ant infestation in my flower bed?
Will ants ruin my flowers?
How do you keep ants away from rose bushes?
Spray around plants with a solution of one part vinegar to one part water. Ants will be killed (or at least discouraged) by the acid in vinegar. Baking soda, flour, and baby powder are some of the culinary products that will keep ants away from rose bushes. Ants will not cross over if you sprinkle them around the base of the rose bush.
Why are ants attracted to rose bushes?
Ants are often drawn to rose bushes by the presence of aphids, a pest that has probably already settled itself in the garden. So let’s get into more on why this is the case and what you can do about it. Roses attract ants because the combination of available nectar and other resources such as aphids makes roses an attractive place to build a nest.
Are aphids on rose bushes a problem?
Aphids, or plant lice, are tiny plant-eating insects with rounded pear-shaped bodies. In almost every environment, they can be readily found on rose bushes. Aphids are the main culprits if your roses develop wrinkled rose buds and puckered, curling new leaves.
How do I get rid of ants in my garden?
If you have a problem with ants in your garden, there are a few natural ways to keep them away from your plants. One way is to mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle and sprayed on the areas where you see ants. This will help to repel them. Another way is to make a paste out of baking soda and water and apply it to the affected areas.