The Ants are Running the Farm

Yesterday I saw what I thought were black stems on some tansy plants. A closer look showed that it was an aphid farm run by ants. No kidding—aphids produce a sweet waste matter that ants love to eat. To that end, ants will guard the aphids after clipping their wings.

The problem: aphids suck on plant stems, and when lots of aphids do this to a plant, it causes deformed, stunted growth, a weakened plant, and curling leaves. Ladybugs eat aphids, but ants get in their way.

Solution: to control lots of aphids, spray the plant with soapy water. Use liquid dish soap or an insecticidal soap. You’ll probably have to do this for a number of weeks. If you don’t see any ants around, you can buy some ladybugs and release them in your yard according to directions. Hint: don’t do anything to attract birds if you are using ladybugs.