Ants, friend or foe?

[SaraJH]

Wandering around our patch earlier I noticed a lot of ants, should I be doing anything about them or will they be seen as food for for any predators out there?

I noticed LOADS on one potato stalk that had been damaged, I've since removed the offending stalk but I'm unsure as to what else I need to be doing?

[NickG]

Intrigued to see people's reply to this. We have taken on our first allotment this year and have seen lots of red ants, the biting kind . Will watch for replies with interest

[SaraJH]

Welcome to the vine Nick, you and me both need an answer to this from the experts on here!

Why don't you pop into the Introduce Yourself section and tell us more about you and what you are growing and where.

I'm soooo nosey lol

[veggiechicken]

I leave them to get on with their lives.
Some advice from the experts at https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=503

[Martin H]

Ants are generally neither good nor bad. They don't eat plants, in fact they will attack and eat many plant pests; on the other hand their tunnelling can undermine plant roots if the soil is very dry and stony.

Their worst habit is their penchant for farming aphids. They like to "milk" the honeydew that the aphids excrete. They will carry aphids from one plant shoot to another, helping the population grow. They will fight any predator that threatens their herd of aphids.

But aphids aren't often a problem on potatoes, so I would leave them alone. Cultivation discourages them, so expect to see their numbers diminish over time on an allotment. They like dry places where they won't be disturbed, like under paving or under sheds.

[SaraJH]

Thanks both, i won't do anything drastic, will just keep an eye on them.

[NickG]

Welcome to the vine Nick, you and me both need an answer to this from the experts on here!

Why don't you pop into the Introduce Yourself section and tell us more about you and what you are growing and where.

I'm soooo nosey lol

Done lol. Your topic starter post prompted me to join

The ants question is something I was intrigued about as the ants at our allotment have bitten our youngest a few times now, he still likes to pet them though....

[happyhumph]

Ants are generally neither good nor bad. They don't eat plants, in fact they will attack and eat many plant pests; on the other hand their tunnelling can undermine plant roots if the soil is very dry and stony.

Their Cultivation discourages them, so expect to see their numbers diminish over time on an allotment. They like dry places where they won't be disturbed, like under paving or under sheds.

As an example of this we have innumerable nests in the stone bank in our garden, but none in veg patch next to it, also loads in the lawn but almost none in an adjoining flower bed]

[happyhumph]

Don't know what happened with the quote from MartinH there

[Martin H]

Don't know what happened with the quote from MartinH there

You just lost the closing square bracket ] at the end of [/quote .

[SaraJH]

Done lol. Your topic starter post prompted me to join

The ants question is something I was intrigued about as the ants at our allotment have bitten our youngest a few times now, he still likes to pet them though....

Ahhh, I know nothing about red ants but any post about young ones getting outdoors makes me smile. Fingers crossed that he continues to like them and that you can get a solution to them nibbling him X pesky little buggers that they are!

[snakeshack]

Ants can be discouraged with powdered cinnamon ,I have had great success using it at the base of patio fruit trees to prevent their aphid farming activities,has to be reapplied regularly though.

[muddled]

Abandoned ants nests make excellent carrot beds....they really do turn even clay into the finest, crumbly 'tilth'.

I read once, I think possibly from Bob Flowerdew, that if ants are farming aphids you put a little blob of jam on a tile at the base of the plant.
The theory is that the ants fear the aphids are about to steal the precious jam and so kill them quick, after all, with jam available who needs aphid juice anyway?

I've not tried it myself....one of things I mean to do but never get around to....make a good experiment for the kids to try though maybe.

[w33blegurl]

I dont worry too much about the black ants but having had numerous rather painful nips from the red ants I try to get rid of those if they are in a problematic place!

[Snoop Puss]

The ants farming blackfly on my broad beans have been thwarted by earwigs, I think.

Day before yesterday, I spotted a terrible blackfly infestation but had no time to deal with it there and then. Went back yesterday and virtually no blackfly to be seen, but a couple of earwigs, yes.