Ants Eating Blooms????

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judycooksey Pocahontas, TN(Zone 7b) Jul 31, 2006

Are these ANTS??? If so they are the smallest ants I've ever seen.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance.

Judy

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judycooksey Pocahontas, TN(Zone 7b) Jul 31, 2006

Ooooooooh am I seeing other insects in this picture, mites maybe???

This message was edited Jul 31, 2006 2:23 PM

Post #2571382
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judycooksey Pocahontas, TN(Zone 7b) Jul 31, 2006

A direct quote from this website......

http://www.osh.com/Cultures/en-US/Articles/GardenNursery/Article+Ants+Your+Pants+or+Pantry+2004.htm

"Wise gardeners look for ant trails heading into plants and trees as they know that hidden from view is a destructive, sap-sucking insect being farmed by the ants. The ants protect their "farm" by deterring predators of aphids, scales and other sucking insects. In addition to deterring ants you may, or may not, need to get rid of the harmful insects."

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 31, 2006

The greenish? things in the picture look like aphids, which are the real pests here. Getting rid of the ants won't help your plant because they're not the ones eating it. But if you get rid of the aphids, the ants should go away too. I usually deal with aphids by hosing them off with a strong jet of water--you may need to repeat this over several days but I've had luck on significantly reducing their population this way. Or you can spray them with a dilute solution of dish soap which will kill them.

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judycooksey Pocahontas, TN(Zone 7b) Jul 31, 2006

http://amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/antfarm.html

"Several species of ant domesticate a kind of insect called an aphid. Aphids are good at sucking nutritious juice out of plants. In fact, they're so good at it that they often suck out more than they can digest. The extra juice is secreted out the back of the aphid, where an ant can milk it like a farmer milking a cow. This is a symbiotic relationship, and in exchange for the nutritious juice the ants protect their aphid flocks from predators. Some species even bring the aphids' eggs into the safety of their own nest, and feed the aphid young until they are ready for grazing. "

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