Simple Ways to Stop Ants from Nesting in Plant Pots

Plant pots can serve as a perfect nesting ground for ants, conveniently placed inside homes while away from several other predators. Though they can use it exclusively as a nest while spreading around the house looking for food, there are other reasons they might want to hang around pots, namely aphids.

Aphids are bugs that excrete a substance called honeydew. Honeydew has a high sucrose concentration, which ants love to eat, so they hang around these insects and protect them, and aphids like feeding on certain plants, creating a perfect living space for both.

The best way to avoid ants in your pots is by preventing them from getting there in the first place. Take care of the soil mixture and make sure it’s clean before placing it in a pot. Spreading diatomaceous earth around the pot and on top of the pot’s soil is a great way to deter ants from moving in while also keeping other insects away. Keeping the soil wet is also essential, as even if they bypass the diatomaceous earth, ants prefer nesting inside dry soil.