Sprinkle any of the following around the plants....

Cinnamon

Red Pepper

Cornmeal

Yes, do as suggested above, it should work on potted plants as well as plants in the ground.

Another suggestion though, if you have some fine powder-like diatomaceous earth, that does kill ants, not just repel them. It does not harm the plant either.

~palmsandsnow

Thank you!

I plan to use food grade diatomaceous earth on my succulents but I've read that it's quite dangerous when inhaled. I've also read that you can mix it in with water and spray it on the plants.

Have you guys used DE mixed in with water? Wouldn't it hurt the plants or interfere if they have a film of powder on their leaves?

The danger from inhaling DE is as you apply it, once applied it is relatively safe...unless you try to get a good whiff of your stapelia flowers or something.

tj

Hey again!

I would not rate diatomaceous earth as 'quite dangerous', but it is to some extent damaging if large amounts are inhaled. It does work quite well, though, mixing it in some water and drinking it to take care of parasites, and clean the intestines.

That aside, I will give you an example about how it would be to apply it. I have a peach tree that, in the summer, gets quite a large ant infestation. I would then proceed to sprinkle the diatomaceous earth on the soil, especially concentrating it around the trunk of the tree. In a tree, there is one way up and down. Putting the Earth around the trunk cuts off that route, and forces the ants to leave, for lack of resources. That way, you can avoid altogether the sprinkling on the leaves.

Hope I helped!!

~palmsandsnow

You can make ant bait with a little sugar syrup and some boric acid. That will kill the colony. I make traps out of baby food jars with holes poked in the top. If the ants are going after protein sources, get some chicken baby food and mox the boric acid in with that. If they are going after sugary foods get carrot baby food and mix in the boric acid. Then you'll have a jar to use with the syrup.
DE is great but I recommend a mask when spreading it. Once it's down it's fine. I actually wear a respirator because I use a dust applicator that produces a huge cloud of the stuff that can treat small trees.

You do not say if these are outside pots or indoor pots. When you said pots I assumed they were indoor plants. That was my reason suggesting other methods that work for my plants indoor.

My pots are outside but I don't really feel like sprinkling spices. And I really want to get rid of the ants, not just repel them. Haha.

Thank you very much, Marquest and Palmsandsnow!

I don't know if you can grow peonies in your climate but ants will voraciously go after them when they are in flower. Even build their nest by them when they have found the flowers. You might want to try to plant these some distance from your favorite plants and they will hopeful choose the peonies.