I recently transplanted some basil out of a container and found red ants in the soil. There was a decent amount of them and they had a few eggs as well.
Is this bad? Will they kill my other container plants? If so, what can I do to prevent them from getting inside? Thanks!!!!
You can discourage them by placing landscape fabric over the drainage holes. You place the fabric inside the pot, so you would have to remove your plant from its pot to position the fabric. I'm not certain it is totally effective in keeping ants out of plant containers, but it can help.
I had ants living in 2 of my containers of basil one year. I put the plants and their pots inside buckets, and filled the buckets with water to just over the rims of the pots. I left them there for 30 minutes. When I removed them and allowed the water to drain away, the ants left, too. I never had ants infest any of my other plant containers. I don't know what it was about the basil that made it so attractive.
After that experience, I made a point of soaking my basil that way about once every 2 weeks, to keep the ants from getting the idea that it would be a good place to set up housekeeping again.
I had ants living in 2 of my containers of basil one year. I put the plants and their pots inside buckets, and filled the buckets with water to just over the rims of the pots. I left them there for 30 minutes. When I removed them and allowed the water to drain away, the ants left, too. I never had ants infest any of my other plant containers. I don't know what it was about the basil that made it so attractive.
After that experience, I made a point of soaking my basil that way about once every 2 weeks, to keep the ants from getting the idea that it would be a good place to set up housekeeping again.