So my serrano pepper plant successfully wintered over and its doing great, has dozens of flowers blossoming. When I looked at it for a few moments I noticed some little black ants crawling on it and, uh, pollinating my plant? Do some ants eat pollen or are they trying to abuse my poor plant for aphid farming?
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Do ants eat pollen?
- Thread starter SaintSteven
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Hi SaintSteven,
I have several ant colonies that are nesting near, under or in my pots. Typical little brown ants and also black carpenters. They don't seem to be aphid farming (though I've had that happen in the past). They both (especially the carpenters) are often crawling among the pepper flowers; which I'm not too happy about as I'm trying to cross stuff! I think they may be eating the pollen, but probably are also helping to pollinate while doing so. However, a few days ago, I saw a carpenter ant cutting off all the anthers in one of my pepper flowers! I'm not sure why she was doing that as I think the anthers were dropping to the ground. I don't think your ants will necessarily be a problem if there are no aphids - they may even eat other pests.
- Tick
I have several ant colonies that are nesting near, under or in my pots. Typical little brown ants and also black carpenters. They don't seem to be aphid farming (though I've had that happen in the past). They both (especially the carpenters) are often crawling among the pepper flowers; which I'm not too happy about as I'm trying to cross stuff! I think they may be eating the pollen, but probably are also helping to pollinate while doing so. However, a few days ago, I saw a carpenter ant cutting off all the anthers in one of my pepper flowers! I'm not sure why she was doing that as I think the anthers were dropping to the ground. I don't think your ants will necessarily be a problem if there are no aphids - they may even eat other pests.
- Tick
I have ants everywhere! Ugh.. Don't see aphids but it its a major concern to me. How would i know if they were aphid farming? Aphids everywhere i suppose?Tick said:
Yes you'll see lots of aphids and ants sometimes carrying them around. The ants will be tending the aphids as they feed on the plants and eating honeydew (waste) from the aphids' behinds. I used to watch a colony of little reddish ants farming aphids on thistle plants in my driveway when I was a kid.
There was an infestation of long-horned crazy ants when I lived in PR. Hundreds of them would bivouac away from the main colonies on the roof. I looked up at at night a couple of times and there would be a gross blob of ants camping out in a ceiling corner. They also nested in my car (as it was parked in between the main colony and where the neighbors fed their dogs). It was a real pain trying to kill/brush out hundreds of ants in a hot parking lot after they suddenly decided to move from deeper within the car. My Tabasco and aji rojo were also in the carport and the ants brought in hundreds of aphids almost over night. Disgusting, medium-sized and long-legged ants that thankfully did not bite or sting. My legs looked like I was wearing black stockings when they swarmed me once on the roof - thank god they weren't fire ants!
- Tick
There was an infestation of long-horned crazy ants when I lived in PR. Hundreds of them would bivouac away from the main colonies on the roof. I looked up at at night a couple of times and there would be a gross blob of ants camping out in a ceiling corner. They also nested in my car (as it was parked in between the main colony and where the neighbors fed their dogs). It was a real pain trying to kill/brush out hundreds of ants in a hot parking lot after they suddenly decided to move from deeper within the car. My Tabasco and aji rojo were also in the carport and the ants brought in hundreds of aphids almost over night. Disgusting, medium-sized and long-legged ants that thankfully did not bite or sting. My legs looked like I was wearing black stockings when they swarmed me once on the roof - thank god they weren't fire ants!
- Tick
CoolTick said:
I don't mind them being around so long as they aren't farming aphids or damaging my fruit; seeing nature interact with my plants makes me happy. I just can't say I recall having seen ants crawling in flowering buds before.
SaintSteven said:
The only plant I've ever witnessed ants actually damaging directly was my okra. Fireants would chew holes in the flowers as they were forming & the buds would just be absolutely covered in ants. They weren't too keen on the giant berm of diatomaceous earth I built around the plants though.
I have a few asshole ants farming aphids on a few of my container plants, I find that if just watch them for a few seconds they'll lead you right to their stash of aphids. Mostly find them on the young leaves hidden down toward the bottom of the plants.
Thanks Tick! Tbh i haven't seen any aphids and i check every watering. The ants are just so thick and I've been wondering what they're up to. My plants are fenced in next to a field out in the country surrounded by woods. Been thinking if they were to wage war upon my plants I'd never be able to stop them with all the living grasses and such to hide in. I'll keep my eyes open.Tick said:
Thanks again
Mike
