Ants are generally regarded as beneficial insects in the garden because they are an integral part of the ecosystem of a garden. 

There are advantages to having ants in your garden.  They can control garden pests as they are scavengers or predators that feed on a variety of eggs, larvae and mature pests. Ants distribute much needed nutrients throughout the soil and assist in aerating the soil by digging tunnels and help with decomposition as they feed on dead leaves and other insects.

Although ants maintain soil health, they can also be a nuisance to the gardeners and a disadvantage to the garden itself.  Ants will encourage aphids by moving them to different areas and plants in the garden to preserve their food source.  Whilst feeding on the plants, aphids coat the stems with honeydew, attracting ant colonies. Certain ants, such as leafcutters, eat plant leaves, thereby destroying garden foliage – a loss of leaves will hinder a plant’s growth.

 

ANTS
Ants in the Garden 1

Ants usually come indoors in search of food or shelter. Even small amounts of food, like breadcrumbs, can attract hordes of ants.  When worker ants find a piece of food, they respond by placing a droplet of pheromone on the ground. They continue to leave a trail of pheromones all the way back to the nest.  Once that happens, hundreds of others can follow the trail to the food source.

The first step to dealing with ants in your house is ensuring they don’t have access to food. Make sure that containers and bins are sealed, clean the toaster, wipe off work surfaces and do not leave pet food out.

In most ant species, the queen is the only individual who can reproduce. She can lay thousands of eggs in a single day. This will add up to millions of eggs during her lifetime. The queen stays hidden in the colony for her entire life.  In order to destroy the colony, you need to get rid of the queen. 

Protek has the solution for inside your home as well as in the garden. 

AnTrap® is a unique formulation pesticide which will eradicate the entire nest, including the queen.  There are 2 traps packed in a box each containing a 10 g bait, offering up to two months of ant control.  The ready to use traps are convenient and easy to use.   There is no contact with the insecticide which makes for safer use.

This original AnTrap® has been trusted for years as the most effective and reliable bait station.  Don’t let ants spoil your home and garden.  Sit down and relax – let AnTrap® do the job!

Registered in terms of Act 36 of 1947

AntTrap: L4600, Sodium Cacodylate 58 g/kg, caution, Registration holder: Corsam Developments (Pty) Ltd, Registration Number: 1972/011820/07, PO Box 4255, Luipaardsvlei, 1743.

Distributed by: Protek, a division of PE-BEE Agri (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 72, Heidelberg, 1438, tel (011) 812-9800 or 0861 PROTEK (0861 77 68 35), www.protek.co.za.

All Protek products now available in our store at Garden World!