Cedar chips repel particular ants, which makes the chips a valuable addition to garden beds and other landscaping. Ants have a symbiotic relationship with honeydew-producing insects which harm plants. In one of nature’s “palm-greasing schemes,” the pest pests “pay” the ants to safeguard them. Cedar chips, however, aren’t a surefire remedy to stop ants. Although cedar chip mulch repels a few ants, it might not be successful on all ant species. Getting rid of ant infestations may require additional measures, such as refillable ant baits. Follow instructions on all poisonous goods, and utilize and store them where pets and kids can not get them.
Ants feed on honeydew secreted by garden insects like aphids, mealybugs, soft scales and whiteflies. They interfere with all the predators of these plant-damaging insects, giving them a free ride to keep eating and multiplying. It isn’t realistic to plan to remove all outdoor ants. Instead, aim to dissuade them with aromatic cedar chips near plants prone to honeydew-producing insects. Meanwhile, the thujone in cedar chips repels termites and cockroaches in addition to Argentine ants and odorous house ants.
In contrast to cedar chip mulch, pine needle mulch provides an ant-friendly environment, allowing ants to make themselves at home under plants and help their plant-damaging associates. Concerns that cedar or wood chip mulch in general might make soil acidic or rob nitrogen are groundless, in accordance with a “Master Gardener” magazine summer 2007 article. Also groundless is the concern that cedar mulch includes allelopathic chemicals which may harm plants and protect against seed germination.
Argentine ants avoided nesting in cedar chips, were less likely to climb trees surrounded by cedar chips and had higher death rates if they had to cross cedar sprays to get to food, according to researchers from the North Carolina State University who reported their findings at the “Journal of Economic Entomology.” The farther ants had to wander over cedar, the higher their death rate. Applying broad bands of cedar chips from the landscape and under plants and shrubs prone to honeydew-producing insects can be a useful tactic for repelling these ants and reducing the use of pesticides.
If your garden has more of a problem with voles than ants, then it can be better to prevent cedar chips. Thick mulch gives voles cover. Clearing the ground to ensure that voles don’t have any place to hide from predators can discourage voles from taking over the garden. If you want to control voles and ants, consider limiting the cedar chip mulch to a 1-inch-thick layer. Because leaking fixtures encourage ants, assess sprinklers and outdoor faucets for leaks, and correct all leaks you find.