- This topic has 11 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by .
-
Posts
-
Hello,
I was weeding around my emerging April-sown broad beans yesterday and happened to notice a large presence of ants on the surface of the soul and on the plants. On further inspection, there are small nibblings on the leaves of the plants. Is this the ants doing? Are they going to continue to be a problem and, if so, what can I do to get rid of them?
Any advice would be great!
Many thanks,Jack
Its a good misprint.
I wonder if ants are near to wooden sides as they like that. Extra watering is the only remedy I know, and not having wooden sides.
However the nibbling may well be bean weevil, again no remedy I know but well tended plants should grow away from the damage.
Ants do little damage to leaves, more its their secretions of formic acid in soil that harm some roots.Hi Jack,
Check the Beans for Aphids and Scales. Ants feed off the honeydew these pests produce.
Don.
Sorry Charles. I didn’t look to see if anyone had replied before I sent mine.
Your absolutely correct about the wooden sides.
I have them each year in my wooden raised beds, usually the Legume Bed.
All I do is disturb the nest at every opportunity and they soon go.Don.
I removed all of my wooden sides last autumn, thinking this was the issue, however this year I have already found ants in many of my beds and 2 of my plastic compost bins. I think they like my light soil, so keeping things a bit wetter may help. however I think I will just have to live with them. No sign of aphids etc yet but possibly just had a good winter with it being mild?
Yes they must like your light soil. I have less aphids than last spring, maybe the frosts have deterred them! There are always a fair few in spring, until their predators get organised.
My blackcurrants have in the past been covered with ants. One year all of the branches and the deformed leaf buds were covered in a layer of sandy soil such that the plant was invisible. I assume that was done by ants although I cannot find any mention online of such behaviour. In later years the plants were covered in aphids, presumably farmed by the ants, and the fruits were thickly covered in stickiness. Anyway, I lay down Pyrethrum powder in a ring around the base of the plants every few weeks. It degrades in sunlight. It is toxic to all insects including pollinators. I think it is organic but best avoided unless nothing else works. I have found no alternative. Incidentally it is made from flowers, which are a big money earner for an African country, Kenya I think.
I have been observing my Pak Choi plants and noticed that black ants have been congregating at the roots and “gnawing” towards the stem of the root. I pulled the plant out as I saw it was wilting…thankfully the plant is ready to harvest! 🙂
After a second cucumber plant died because of ants, I made a football size hole where they were busy and poured hot water with ground up chillies (coffee grinder so I had chilli coffee too!) and the next cucumber has grown. But there are still ants…
We have light sandy soil so ants are always present in abundance. Luckily we don’t have any problems with them except in the greenhouse where they nest under the tiled path. Washing down with water regularly helps but if they persist to the flying ant stage we have to leave the top vents and louvre wide open to let them out. Sparrows are attracted to them when the flying ants emerge but as long as they can get out again it’s not too much of a problem. I prefer not to kill things unless necessary. Not keen on them running up my legs though!
Just received my Homeopathy for plants book and supposedly Camphora (my guess is similar to camphor essential oil) is effective against ants! and possibly cutworms too.
Might just try this too!
http://www.narayana-verlag.com/homeoplant-experiences-Pests-general/1
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.