ants and aphids!

Tinybu88les8 · Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:38 pm

Ive noticed that there is a colony of ants living in my artichoke plant! The trail of ants go straight through my garden and to this plant. Ive read that if you have ants that they are most likely there because of aphids. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought aphids were green? There are little black bugs (or a bunch of tiny somethings) in the center of my plant and the ants are all over them. Ive tried spraying the plant with a water/soap solution but it didnt work. Are they harming my plant? Can I leave them be? The plant seems healthy and is still growing. What should I do?

Diane · Fri Oct 02, 2009 11:48 pm

You spray them with a hose to make them come off of the plant. You should hold the plant so it doesn't get damaged.

Tinybu88les8 · Fri Oct 02, 2009 11:52 pm

oh okay...with a strong sprayer? I have one of those nozzles on it for different spray types. I looked at it again today...it really has alot of those little buggers in there...right in the center of the plant....its all black from the insects. ew!

rainbowgardener · Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:56 am

Aphids come in several colors including black (black is the new green?

).

The ants are there for the honeydew the aphids secrete and don't particularly harm the plant. But the aphids (also known as plant lice because they suck the juices) DO harm the plant, especially when they are present in quantity. A few don't do much damage (just as a cat can survive a couple fleas), but a bunch does.

Type aphid control into our fancy new SEARCH THE FORUM feature (!) and find lots more that's been written here about them, but here's one to start with:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18249&highlight=aphid+control