Ants as a natural pesticide for a wide variety of crops

A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Brazil, working with one colleague from Spain and another from the U.S., has found evidence that suggests ants can be used as a natural pesticide for a wide variety of crops.

Chinese citrus growers have been using ants for centuries

According to Phys.Org., use of ants to control pests has a long history. Citrus growers in China have been using ants to control pests in fruit trees for centuries. In this new effort, the researchers wondered what other researchers have found when looking into the use of ants as a natural pesticide. They searched for published research papers on the topic and found 52 of them that had involved looking into the use of ants as a way to control pests, covering 17 different types of crops.

The researchers found that most of the studies had led to discoveries of ants providing a high level of pest control. In some cases, the ants were even better at it than commercial pesticides.

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Best results in crops grown in partial shade

They also found that the ants did their best work when used with crops grown in partial shade, and were the least effective when used with crops that produce honeydew. In such plants, ants tended to farm the insects, such as aphids, in order to provide themselves with the sweet liquid.

The researchers conclude by suggesting that the use of ants to control pests appears to be a sustainable and inexpensive way to control pests on both large and small farms.