Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Ants on my plants

AlxNicAlxNic Posts: 259
in Problem solving

I seem to have ants 'nesting?' on my plants. They are mostly on the dahlias and seem to lay a load of black eggs just beneath the flower bud. I have laso found them on other plants, and on redcurrants.

Has anyone heard of this? I have tried washing them off with horticultural soap. 

Thanks

Posts

  • BluebaronBluebaron Posts: 226
    They are farming aphids. Yes just let washing them off.
  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    You could try spraying with rhubarb solution, don't know how much to water but you boil some then let it cool
  • AlxNicAlxNic Posts: 259

    Thank you both for answering. I couldn't find out about the rhubarb spray but now I have added some neem oil to the soap and hope it works as now I have found them on many plants

  • sanjy67sanjy67 Posts: 1,007

    ive had the same problem on dahlias, no aphids present just black bits of something (not blackfly) in the joints, ive been blasting them daily with a squirter bottle of water on direct jet, i'm hoping they will get fed up of being blasted daily, had same trouble on lobelia fan plant too.

  • AlxNicAlxNic Posts: 259

    Hi Sanjy - I googled ants farming aphids and learned a lot. I think the black bits are the aphids. It seems they like sap from the plants - all sorts of plants - I have them on the dahlias, campanula, camellia so it's a daily blast of horticultural soap & neem. I think the numbers are going down - but I guess I'll have to check a bit more regularly

  • sanjy67sanjy67 Posts: 1,007

    yeah i had a second look today with my glasses on image and the dahlias have blackfly which the ants are farming, they are farming greenfly on loads of other plants so i'm just blasting everything atm image

Sign In or Register to comment.