re: Peony's

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DebK534 Clarksville, IN(Zone 6a) May 07, 2003

I don't know if I am in the right forum but, I have 3 peony bushes and they are pretty but the ants are terrible. Does any one know how to get rid of them. thanks Deb

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leaflady Hughesville, MO(Zone 5a) May 07, 2003

Try growing some tansy in with them. It's a natural repellant of ants. Sprinkle some boric acid mixed with sugar on a plate and put it on the ground in the area. They will eat some, then carry some back to the nest and that will kill the ones in the nest. You need to see if you can find the nest and kill off all of them. Spray for aphids too as the ants 'farm' the aphids for the honeydew produced by the aphids.
GOD bless you and may you have a wonderful growing season.

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KayJones Lee's Summit, MO(Zone 6a) May 07, 2003

Don't mind the ants
From an article found on the web: Peonies are generally untroubled by insects, but many gardeners, fearing that ants will damage the blooms, go to great lengths to remove them, including spraying. This is a mistake. The ants are only there to harvest the crop of sweet, sticky nectar that the peonies secrete on their flower buds. The ants' presence, which is completely benign, may also serve to keep potentially harmful insects away at a time when the half-open buds are extremely susceptible to possible damage -- yet another example of why, in the garden, sometimes the best course of action is just to relax, smell the peonies, and let nature take its course.

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Pardancanda "down the Shore", NJ(Zone 7a) May 07, 2003

Kay, great information. The rest of the story: the old time gardeners believed the ants actually helped the peony buds to open... Enjoy your peonies! Would love to hear which ones you grow and see photos if possible. John

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DebK534 Clarksville, IN(Zone 6a) May 07, 2003

Thanks for all of info. They were here when I moved in. I will try and get photos. thanks. Deb

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MossRose Albany, MO(Zone 5a) May 11, 2003

My grandmother told me ants and peony need each other to survive. Don't know if that's true but I have wonderful peonies with lots of ants.

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Hibiscus Lima, OH(Zone 5a) May 11, 2003

Me too, ants seem to do no harm to buds.

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Happyoma Laurel, MD(Zone 7a) May 18, 2003

I use instant grits around the base of the plants - I like to bring them inside and shaking or rinising them off doesn't quite get all the ants off. I have had great success with this and the grits need to get applied when the ground is dry and after a rain. Regular grits are too big and do not "blowz" the ants up!!!

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