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Ants

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by Bombard, Jun 25, 2019.

  1. #1 Bombard, Jun 25, 2019
    image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg Hi all. I just noticed today that I have a colony of small brown ants at the base of my Bubblicious plant. They are going right in at the base of stem. I am guessing they will destroy the roots. Should I get rid of them and with what. I am trying to grow organic. The last picture shows the ant. You will have to zoom thou. Thanks.
     
  2. #2 zthelizardking, Jun 25, 2019
    Ants are beneficial, they aerate your soil and keep other pests away like aphids and white flies.

    Sent from my [illustrious_imagination] using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  3. #3 GrowQs, Jun 25, 2019
    Cool because I have plenty of ants..
    Maybe I'll put a bowl of sugar out for em..
     
  4. #4 Bombard, Jun 25, 2019
    Ok cool. This is only my second year outside. Thank you.
     
  5. #5 zthelizardking, Jun 25, 2019
    I've never grown cannabis outdoors but all the reading I've done about regular gardening and ants say they are good. They just dont fuck with those potato bugs/ the ones you find all over honeydew or pumpkins that look ugly as sin. Good luck on your grow.

    Sent from my [illustrious_imagination] using Grasscity Forum mobile app
     
  6. #6 tooslow, Jun 25, 2019
    Gosh... what makes you think they are harmful ants?
    Do you have aphids?
     
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  7. #7 OZs_786, Jun 25, 2019
    I don’t think they’ll do much bad in the soil but if you wanna stay organic and keep them off your plant -use cinnamon. Ants hate cinnamon.
     
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  8. #8 Bombard, Jun 25, 2019
    I don’t have aphids. I don’t know that they are harmful. Just didn’t know what to do.
     
  9. #9 Bombard, Jun 25, 2019
    Thank you.
     
  10. #10 tooslow, Jun 25, 2019
    The ants that *I* know of that harm plants ‘tend’ aphids on plants and feast on the generated sugar crystals.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
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  11. #11 Prepper420, Jun 26, 2019
    This is correct, ants will farm pests on your plant and protect them from beneficial predators. Can use Cinnamon powder to get rid of them. They hate it!


    “You are unlimited!”
    Prepper420’s No-Tillin Adventure!
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  12. #12 tooslow, Jun 26, 2019
    Thank you, but, I only know of one species of ant that tends aphids.
    The other 10,000 species get their nectar in other ways. I think leaf-cutters,
    for example, bring foliage back to their nest to feed their.... fungi (?) that,
    in turn produces their sweets. Ants are, generally, good.
    I do not kill ants...
     
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  13. #13 Prepper420, Jun 26, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2019
    There isn’t a mention of just ONE ant species farming aphids, these articles say MANY. As in multiple ant species are capable of doing this and do.

    “Many ants have developed a variety of symbiotic relationships with other invertebrates and plants, sometimes to mutual benefit, sometimes not.

    One of the most common is the herding or farming of sap feeding insects ‘homopterans’ such as aphids, scale bugs and mealy bugs.

    These insects obtain their own food from plants and pass some of it on to the ants as highly nutritious nectar or honey dew. In return, the ants tenderly look after and protect them from predators.” Ants Farm other Insects in a Symbiotic Relationship | Facts, Information, Photos and Videos

    Herding Aphids: How 'Farmer' Ants Keep Control Of Their Food

     
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  14. #14 tooslow, Jun 26, 2019
    Thank you; I’ll keep that in mind.
     
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