Can ants hurt my squash?

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emcars Dundee, MI(Zone 6a) Jul 08, 2015

Hi all. I have recently seen ants crawling on the flowers of my candy roaster squash plants. It doesn't appear that they are damaging them, but I cannot tell because I have a cucumber beetle problem. I had already been battling the beetles before the ants showed up. Thanks!

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OCCAROL Santa Ana, CA(Zone 10b) Jul 08, 2015

Ants don't do any damage to plants, themselves, but they do farm honeydew producing bugs like scale, aphids, and mealybugs. Watch for those.

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emcars Dundee, MI(Zone 6a) Jul 08, 2015

Thanks, OCCAROL. I will keep an eye on the little farmers :)

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jaimelemon St. Louis, MO(Zone 6a) Jul 21, 2015

I'm curious. I found ants on one of my lemon trees yesterday. Then my husband asks me later that night, "what's that bug?" I told him I thought it was an aphid. How do I get rid of the aphids? Or do I get rid of the ants first? I'm scared! lol

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OCCAROL Santa Ana, CA(Zone 10b) Jul 21, 2015

You can just blast the aphids off with the hose. The ants are a whole nother problem! I use Terro liquid ant bait around my trees. It helps some.

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kittriana Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a) Jul 21, 2015

If you think blasting aphids off will get rid of them, it won't. Ants feed and farm aphids, getting rid of the aphids removes the ant issue. Neem oil can get rid of aphids, tanglefoot stops the ants from climbing the plants. Spray early of a morning or the water in the spray can burn the plant. By the way, aphids are resistant to most poisons...

Edited to add thanx 1L, water can also, but neem oil used, then washed off, is how some of us use it....

This message was edited Jul 21, 2015 6:21 PM

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Jul 21, 2015

The oil, in the spray, will burn the plants...if applied during the heat of the day.

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