ants - friend or foe?

titch · « **on:** July 30, 2008, 19:12 »

seem to have loads of ants running up and down my runners.
also when i rearranged my nets the other day, found a nest - both black ants.

Are ants a problem to my veggies? Will they eat them? Are they beneficial in anyway or should i be seeking them out caterpillar egg style?

thank you

corndolly · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2008, 20:06 »

I dont worry too much about black ants and the red ones are only a nuisance when they bite you whilst weeding.

But they do herd black fly apparently, see threads on this forum through the search facility about ants and blackfly, ants will move in when black fly attack the crop .

I have always found that if the plants are healthy, strong , not over fed or over watered then insects do not colonise on them.

I always cover brassicas with environmesh cos of butterfly and their dreaded offspring caterpillars .

If Blackfly look like they are moving in , usually on broad or runner beans , I have found that there are also ladybirds appearing . I pick off or rub off as many blackfly as I can and leave the rest for the ladybirds. Ants dont eat the blackfly they like to suck the sticky residues left by them. If there is nothing close by for them to eat the ants will move on in my experience.

titch · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2008, 20:45 »

thanks corndolly

got to get some mesh for the cabbages etc - waiting for payday!! :roll:

i shall leave the ants alone then

Trillium · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2008, 23:09 »

I take a different approach to ants. If they're in the veg garden making new nests, I dig them out and toss the spade dirt. The colony can easily destroy plant roots several rows all around. Once disturbed, the ants will move on to the grassy areas where they can live in peace. I don't get enough yield to allow them to destroy part of it.

corndolly · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2008, 19:56 »

I imagine Trillium that your soil is not heavy clay like ours. Ants do not manage to uproot the plants in the solid stuff we are growing in.

Can imagine on lighter soils that Ants nests would disturb plant roots , if this happens I agree , get your spade in deep and lift the nest out , encourage them to move on.

titch · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2008, 17:50 »

time to get digging then - dont want them undoing all my hard work - thanks for the tip trillium

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