Ants in Garden

Posted by Jamie McIntosh Apr 29, 2009

Although ants are beneficial insects, in that they aerate the soil and consume the eggs and larvae of garden pests, I had my last straw with this insect when I checked the mail yesterday. As I reached for my bills and magazines, a horde of angry ants came swarming out. Bless my mail carrier for delivering our mail anyways, through sleet, hail, and insect invasion.

Our mailbox is surrounded by decorative wooden planks, and I haven’t helped their longevity by training vines up over the box each year. This gently rotting wood creates the perfect habitat for several species of ants. Spraying poison into the mailbox was out of the question, but could I stand to wait several more days for a natural ant repellant, like mint oil, to take effect?

In the end, the cheapest solution turned out to be the most effective. I poured pot after pot of boiling water onto the mailbox, until every last insect and egg was boiled alive. Sorry, but even an organic gardener has her limits when it comes to beneficial insects.