Ants and peonies

[gardengrammy21]

Is there anything to be done to rid my peonies of ants on the buds?
Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

Don't worry about it. Peonies always have ants, but the ants do not hurt the peonies. The peonies exude a sweet sap that the ants like.

It used to be said that the peonies needed the ants to eat away the bud covering making it easier for the buds to open, thus being a sort of symbiotic relationship. But I think that one may be a myth.

"Ants are attracted to the sweet resin exuded on the flower buds, but it's a long-standing, popular, even benevolent myth that they "tickle the buds" or "lick the sugar" to help the buds open. They would open regardless of the ants' presence (these are the same ants that would benevolently tickle the food at the average picnic)." https://www.gardenopus.com/peonies.htm

Here's another take on it:

Do not try to get rid of the ants on your peonies. This is a natural and temporary activity. It is believed that peonies produce small amounts of nectar and other ant attractants to encourage ants to help in opening the dense double flower buds found in many peonies. The ants may be found covering certain varieties and avoiding others, this is totally normal.
Once the buds have opened the ants will disappear - also normal.
Some people think ants are REQUIRED to open the flowers, but this does not to appear to be true.
It seems a debatable question whether ants are beneficial or harmful. I think they are neutral.
Should you spray a pesticide to get rid of the ants? That is a definite no. Since the ants are not harmful and some pesticide residues are harmful, why endanger yourself, the plants or thepeony's pollinator (good insects) with poisonous sprays?
Just don't spray.
Instead just enjoy the unique interaction of ants and peonies; an evolutionary effect thousands of years in the making and posing no problems in the long run.

https://www.peonies.org/faq0.html

[lily51]

I hadn't heard that ants open up the flowers, but did hear soemwhere that ants are the polinators of peonies instead of bees. Don't know if that's true or not, but peonies and ants seem to go together.

[rainbowgardener]

I think that one is another myth. The ants just like the sweetness. Peonies are self-fertile and don't really need a pollinator. And by the time the flowers are open and ready to be fertilized, the ants will be mostly gone - it is only the buds that make the syrup.

But the ants are temporary and harmless.

[Mhasan]

Not only are the ants on the buds, but they are going inside the flower now that it has bloomed. I guess I don't have much choice when they are on the buds, but I want to cut a few blooms and bring them inside. I'll shake the flower but don't want the leaves to fall off.

[rainbowgardener]

Now that the flower has opened, the ants won't stay around long. If you want to bring the flowers in now, you can gently shake the ants off or you can dip the flower upside down in a vase of water.

[Mhasan]

Thanks, and I meant that I didn't want the petals to fall off