ANTS AS CANNABIS PESTS: HOW TO GET RID OF THEM?

Common problems that cannabis growers may encounter include pests, some of which target cannabis plants exclusively. Does cannabis attract ants? Although these six-legged creatures are very important to the environment, cannabis growers are often concerned about their presence. In this article, you will find out if ants are a threat to cannabis and how to eradicate them from cannabis plants.

Are ants a problem when growing cannabis?

If you find ants on or around your cannabis plants, it doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem. Ants are an important part of any garden ecosystem. They aerate the soil and help decompose dead insects.

But sometimes ants can cause problems for growers. If you see a lot of ants on your cannabis plants, this could be a sign of an infestation. Ants can destroy cannabis plants as follows:

• Damage the root system of the plant,
• affect the quality of the buds.

Ants are usually found together with aphids on cannabis plants. They feed on the sweetish excrements of aphids and aphids. If ants find a colony of these creatures on the plants, they can protect the plants by killing them. However, their numbers will increase and this can lead to a problem.

Signs of ant infestation on cannabis plants

As already mentioned, ants are common in a healthy ecosystem. Just because you've seen ants in your garden doesn't mean there's an infestation. Symptoms of an infestation include:

• Large numbers of ants on plants,
• clay mounds near the plants,
• pale, wilted plants,
• large numbers of aphids and crickets.

How to get rid of ants on cannabis?

Avoid using aggressive chemicals and pesticides when controlling ants from cannabis. These products are more likely to harm than help the plants. Fortunately, however, there are safer, eco-friendly ways to deal with ants. Here are some of them:

Cinnamon or ground coffee

Ants don't like cinnamon or ground coffee. If you want to use ground cinnamon, find a spot where ants are appearing and simply sprinkle one tablespoon of cinnamon on it. This will discourage the ants and prevent them from returning to the site. If that doesn't work, try mixing cinnamon or ground coffee with water (you can use the same amount you normally water your plants with) and then just water the soil evenly. Once the cinnamon or coffee gets into the soil, it should make the ants scatter away.

Cornflour

Cornmeal has a coarser texture that is harsh and will kill ants if ingested. Put some cornmeal in the holes in the anthills. In addition, the bodies of dead ants will decompose in the soil and provide additional nutrients to the plants.

Nimba oil

Nimba oil is undoubtedly the cannabis grower's best helper because it contains effective insecticides and is environmentally friendly. It can be applied directly to the plants as a pesticide or used as a preventative once a week. Nimba oil does not harm beneficial animals such as ladybirds, bees and earthworms and can also be added to irrigation water to prevent root rot. Just pour it around the plants to repel ants and other pests.

Useful insects

Ants feed on some insects, including wasps, spiders and some butterflies. However, ants live in abundance and inviting beneficial insects is unlikely to be enough to destroy their colony. In addition, ants protect their colonies from other predatory insects.

Garlic

Make a spray with garlic cloves, ½ cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of organic liquid soap and 2 quarts of water. Spray this product directly on the areas infested with ants.

Preventing possible ant damage to cannabis

Ants are not usually a major threat to a well-maintained cannabis garden. They do not seek out cannabis, but are only attracted to other insects such as aphids and silkworms. So if you manage to protect your grow room from these creatures, there is very little chance that ants will cause you problems. It is not always easy to detect the presence of ants as they are very small. However, even though ants are almost everywhere, by using the tricks mentioned above you can easily get rid of the ant problem and let your cannabis plants grow freely again.

Don't let an ant invasion deter you from growing cannabis. Use the information and tips in our article, get your hands on cannabis seeds with up to 1% THC and get growing!