Ant-ridden courgette plant

[Yasai]

Not content with ravaging my loganberries, my Patio Star courgette, in a container, is covered in ants... ALL OVER Gross! Anybody have any idea what I can do to get rid of them; never had this problem before. The ants are really taking over the garden this year. Thanks.

[Thelma Sanders]

Make sure they are not 'farming' aphid on the leaves. Sometimes if you clear the aphid the ants go away!
If that isn't the answer then buy some Nippon Ant Bait, they eat it and take it back to the nest to kill the rest of them.

If they weren't on a plant you could pour boiling water over them, but obviously can't do that in your situation.

If they aren't causing a problem I leave them alone, but at times they can be real pests.

[Snoop Puss]

Ants collect the nectar in the base of courgette flowers. They can perform a useful pollination service.

[Thelma Sanders]

I thought that was pollen beetles rather than ants ? Live and learn.

[Bren In Pots]

I leave ants alone so long as they're not in the house.

[Jungle Jane]

There's loads of ants here too,not infestation levels or anything,i've been getting rid of most the aphids & flooding the area they're in with water as a hint.

[Yasai]

Okay, thanks for the advice everyone. I will be on the lookout for aphids and, other than that, leave well alone, I guess. Not least because my kneejerk reaction was to whip out the hose, blast the ants and , in the process, blast off a baby courgette. Oops!

[Snoop Puss]

I thought that was pollen beetles rather than ants ? Live and learn.

Ants here at least. Along with the other usual suspects if they get there first.

[Deltawhiskey]

There is a theory that ants 'seed' plants with black flies. Anyone heard this theory?

David

[Dalrimple]

Yep it's true ! atb Dal

[Snowwhyte]

If you do decide to get rid of the ants there's a natural solution that I use. If you mix yeast in golden syrup and then spread it on card board and place it near the nest the ants will take it back to the nest and it will kill them.