Cucumber plants, like other plants in the orchard, are often attacked by ants. Normally, ants are attracted by other insects such as aphids and mealybugs that secrete honeydew. In this article, we will explain how to get rid of ants in cucumber plants.
All the methods we will explain in this article to get rid of ants in cucumber plants are environmentally friendly. We do not agree with the use of chemicals to eliminate pests from the garden because they are not environmentally friendly. Many times, it is not necessary to eliminate ants, it is enough to repel them.
Ants are not bad for our garden, as long as there are not too many ants. One benefit of ants is that they help eliminate other insects from the garden and also aerate the soil. Therefore, it is best to have a balance of insects in the garden.
How to Keep Ants Off from Cucumber Plants
As mentioned above, ants usually appear on cucumber plants because of the presence of other insects such as aphids. Aphids are insects that suck the sap from plants and secrete honeydew (which attracts ants). That is why it is important to check cucumber plants for aphids or other sap-sucking insects, such as mealybugs.
So, the most important thing to keep ants away from cucumber plants is prevention. If aphids appear, ants will also appear, both insects can be eliminated and repelled in the same way. Here, we will explain how to get rid of ants in cucumber plants naturally.
Plants to Get Rid of Ants in Cucumber Plants
There are several plants to repel ants from cucumber plants and other plants in the garden. Ants have an excellent sense of smell, especially for sweet things like honeydew. These herbaceous plants will keep ants and other insects away from the cucumber plants, but will also attract pollinating insects (which are beneficial).
These are the herbaceous plants you can plant to repel ants from cucumber plants:
You should plant these herbaceous plants near the cucumber plants to repel ants and other insects. These plants are easy to care for and fast-growing.
White Vinegar and Lemon Juice to Repel Ants
Another natural way to get rid of ants in cucumber plants is to use white vinegar or lemon juice. Ants like sweet things, but hate sour things like vinegar and lemon. You can make a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar with water. The ratio is 50/50, then put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the cucumber plants.
Spread this mixture in the morning or the evening when the sun is not so strong so that it does not evaporate quickly and has the desired effect. In addition, you can spread this mixture on the ants’ trail and at the entrance of their nest.
Diatomaceous Earth to Get Rid of Ants in Cucumber Plants
Diatomaceous earth is fossilized algae and is therefore 100% ecological and natural. When the diatomaceous earth comes into contact with the insects, it causes them to dehydrate and die due to the action of the silicon contained in the diatomaceous earth. Using diatomaceous earth to get rid of ants in cucumber plants is an excellent method.
Spread some diatomaceous earth around the cucumber plants, then the ants will not be able to reach the stems and leaves of the plant. I recommend not to spread diatomaceous earth on cucumber leaves and flowers because it will kill other beneficial insects such as bees that pollinate cucumber flowers. You can also spread diatomaceous earth on the trail of the ants and in the nest.
- Say Goodbye to Bugs – Kills a variety crawling insects including roaches, ants, fleas, silverfish, earwigs, bedbugs, and more
- Attracts and Kills – Made from diatomaceous earth and selected baits, this powder causes insects to dehydrate and die within 48 hours after contact
- Mechanical Killer – Unlike many traditional chemical insecticides, insects cannot build an immunity to diatomaceous earth
Cinnamon For Repelling Ants
Cinnamon will not kill ants but will repel them. Simply spread a little cinnamon powder around your cucumber plants, just a little on the ground will do. Cinnamon for plants has many benefits, such as acting as a fungicide.
Slightly more effective is cinnamon essential oil mixed with a little water. A scientific study proved that cinnamon essential oil is more efficient against different pests. Mix 5 drops of cinnamon essential oil in a spray bottle and spray it on cucumber plants.
Neem Oil to Get Rid of Ants in Cucumbers Plants
Neem oil is a 100% organic compound derived from extracts of the neem tree. Cucumber plants can be safely treated with neem oil to get rid of ants. I recommend applying neem oil with a spray bottle on cucumber plants. Neem oil should not be applied at times when the sun is very strong, like midday because it could damage the cucumber plant.
Neem oil does not act by contact with the insect, it acts by ingestion, so its action is not immediate. It is best to apply once and observe what happens to the ants, you may need to apply neem oil once more after a week. If you want to know even more about neem oil, we recommend our article on how to mix neem oil for plants.
Final Conclusions for Repelling Ants from Cucumber Plants
As you will see, there are many ways to get rid of ants in cucumber plants, and they are all-natural. The best way to avoid ants on cucumber plants is prevention, so it is important to make sure that other insects such as aphids do not appear.
If ants appear on cucumber plants, it is best to use one of the ways mentioned in this article to repel or eliminate ants from cucumber plants. We recommend never to use chemical solutions because they are bad for the environment.
We hope that this article on how to get rid of ants in cucumber plants will be very useful and that you will have an excellent cucumber harvest.
