Ants

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Most of us generally think of ants as a problem pest in the garden.
Some ants do lot of good for your garden, there are some species of ants which are dangerous. Fire ants in particular can cause a good deal of pain with their toxic bites. Carpenter ants can cause serious damage to structures and trees, remove or re-locate these species of ants. Ants can loosen the soil around young plants causing them to die, destroying fruit on trees, berries and vegetables. Protect fruit tress from ants by wrapping the base of your tree in an adhesive paper with the sticky side exposed.

A few reasons to leave the Ants alone!
Many ants are predators and feed on insects that attack lawns and gardens, and in the process of gathering food, they often pollinate flowers and distribute seeds. Ants help break down compost by scavenging on rotted plant material and introducing beneficial microorganisms and fungi to the pile while excavating their nests. They also aid in mineral distribution, which may increase levels of potassium and phosphorous.
Ants and Peonies The relationship between ants and peonies is so long-standing that it is believed that ants were somehow necessary for the peony flowers to open. Peony buds secrete a sap that is rich in carbohydrates, and the ants feed on this substance.  This belief is untrue, and so there is no harm in trying to keep ants off peonies in your garden. I do not mind watching  ants on the peonies, they cause no harm to the flowers.

Removing, Relocating and Prevention Naturally
Anthills
If you hate the idea of killing ants, put a jar of honey in a tree near your garden. The ants will relocate so they can be near the honey.
Find the ant hill, and pour corn meal on top of it, ants will eat the corn meal, but they can’t digest it, so they will die.
Remove a colony of ants with a bucket: Place the bucket upside down over the anthill, poor boiling water, all around the base of the anthill, flooding the ants out into the bucket, now relocated the ants.
Mix equal parts white vinegar and water into spray bottle and spray into anthills and surrounding areas, anywhere you see the ants. They hate the smell and it wont take long for them to move along.

Preventing Ants Indoors
Ants have a strong sense of smell, use cinnamon sticks and cloves of garlic places in entry points, such as window sills to prevent ants in the house.
Scatter talcum powder liberally around house foundations or any other noticeable points of entry. Cream of Tarter, Bone-meal, Powdered Charcoal, Lime, Borax and Powdered Sulfur work equally as well as a barrier to which the ants will not cross.
Planting mint around the entry point of your house foundation can also help prevent ants entering your home.
Puree a mash of hot chili peppers and water, pour around entry points to prevent ants – they will not cross this mixture
Puree orange peels and water, pour around entry points to prevent ants – they will not cross this mixture

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