Mary Catherine Williamson
Chillin' In The Garden
There are large black ants all over my Sunflowers. What are they doing and how an I get rid of these little buggers?
MC
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black ants on my Sunflowers
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Ridgerunner
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I'm not aware of any way that ants will harm your sunflowers but they might be farming aphids. They drink the fluids the aphids produce. I'd look close to see if you have an aphid problem. You may need to treat for aphids, not ants.
so lucky
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Yeah, what @Ridgerunner said.
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Mary Catherine Williamson
Chillin' In The Garden
Would they eat the Aphids? Also, does anyone have a all natural bug repellent?
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Nyboy
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All my container have ant nest in them. Go to plant something and you find a swarm running away carrying eggs. I always wonder if they meet up somewhere after,, or just carry the egg till tired.
Smart Red
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@Nyboy, chickens love these ant migrations! The fowl seem to enjoy ant eggs the most.
digitS'
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If the aphids aren't there, the antz probably won't be there, Mary Catherine.
Sunflowers are great host plants for aphids. How about spraying them with dish soap? This might harm the plants because of bright sunlight. Use care.
Read what CSU says, if you would like to try it:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05547.html
Steve
Sunflowers are great host plants for aphids. How about spraying them with dish soap? This might harm the plants because of bright sunlight. Use care.
Read what CSU says, if you would like to try it:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05547.html
Steve
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Mary Catherine Williamson
Chillin' In The Garden
I don't have any seedlings in my garden now but I do have herbs. Can i let my chickens in there or will the destroy it?
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valley ranch
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Greetings Mary Catherine, Ant milk aphids and take them to plants to graze like cows.
My folks use to paint a ring around the trunk of fig trees, with this black sticky stuff, I hated it when I was a kid, got it all over myself, anyway: the ants couldn't cross the sticky line. That, the black sticky line, should work for you, maybe that sticky mouse pads or than again maybe we can find a sticky something to paint a ring around the bottom of your sunflowers.
Our Sunflowers were 10' or taller, are yours the big plants? Best of luck with what you choose.
Richard
My folks use to paint a ring around the trunk of fig trees, with this black sticky stuff, I hated it when I was a kid, got it all over myself, anyway: the ants couldn't cross the sticky line. That, the black sticky line, should work for you, maybe that sticky mouse pads or than again maybe we can find a sticky something to paint a ring around the bottom of your sunflowers.
Our Sunflowers were 10' or taller, are yours the big plants? Best of luck with what you choose.
Richard
