Red ants in the garden
I know black ants are mostly harmless...but will red ants nibble on veggies growing in the garden? Curious because I planted Pak Choi seedlings just yesterday and today something had nibbled the leaves off of half of them. The only thing I could see around was red ants crawling all over the place in that patch. I dusted the remaining plants with a bit of DE and the ants took off at least.
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engineeredgarden
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 426
- Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 11:51 am
- Location: NW Alabama
The only ant I am aware of that actually damages plants. beyond farming aphids for their nectar; are leaf cutter ants. Leaf cutters are big ants and they make an assembly line of ants back to their den carrying the leaf pieces to the den. If you had leaf cutters, you would know it because you could literally follow the line of ants carrying leaf pieces to their den.
Ted
Ted
Okay...I think it's slugs. I went out today and all but one of my muskmelon plants have been ravaged and all but one squash. Little scumbags left my tomato, peppers and cucumbers alone at least. So I'm sending the wife off for a beer. Slug party in my backyard tonight! 
Will the squash and melon survive? They ate 2 or 3 of the 4 leaves off of each of them.
Will the squash and melon survive? They ate 2 or 3 of the 4 leaves off of each of them.
All the melon died and only one butternut squash made it. Choi are all doing well and I have crushed eggshell around everything now.
Put out 4 beer traps for the slugs and it would appear I am wrong again. It IS the earwigs apparently as that is all I have caught and no further damage. *knock wood, cross fingers, etc.* Neighbor also reports having earwig trouble so we must have a big population around here.
Stuff popping up here and there already! Very exciting stuff!
Put out 4 beer traps for the slugs and it would appear I am wrong again. It IS the earwigs apparently as that is all I have caught and no further damage. *knock wood, cross fingers, etc.* Neighbor also reports having earwig trouble so we must have a big population around here.
Stuff popping up here and there already! Very exciting stuff!
I'm also wondering if ants pollinate. I have my summer squash covered with hoop frames and netting to prevent squash vine borers. I've been hand pollinating my squash every morning and noticed a lot of ants in the blossoms. I've been harvesting a lot more squash than I have been pollinating. I'm wondering if those little ants may be moving pollen from blossom to blossom. I know bees can't get under the nets to do the job.
Ted
Ted
