So this is my milkweed plant! Im a proud plant mom lol. I noticed recently that it was serverly infested with the aphids (little orange guys next to the ant, on the left). But I've checked on it today and now its surrounded by these ants and some dragonflys too! So are the ants ans dragonflys safe around my plant? Are these aphids under cobtrol now? I just have so many questions. 😅 (milkweed is a hardy plant so it only needs water once a week. It also needs full sun. )
by HaleyDeathShard
6 Comments
The ants are farming aphids on your plants.
Insecticidal soap every 3 days for 2 weeks
Aphids love milkweed. Ants love aphids because their poop is honeydew. Those ants are now farming those aphids. They will bite their wings off so they can’t leave and strategically corral them around the plants. If you want them gone, you’re going to have to control the ants and aphids.
The Dragonfly a will primarily eat other flying insects. The Ants however will protect the Aphids from predatory insects because they are starting to farm them. Aphids suck the juices out of your plants and basically pee sugar water. So the Ants basically treat the aphids like diary cows and will actually pick them up and spread them around more when the “herd” gets too big and when the aphids get old and don’t flyway in time, the ants take them back to the nest and eat them.
So I have just black ants (but these ones rad bigger than small regular ones) and they like this flower plant I have but I don’t see bugs and haven’t for a bit. Can they be in the soil where I can’t see? It’s a potted plant. I wanted to repot but been nervous cause bugs and hadn’t got new pot yet.
https://preview.redd.it/jxm6e5aq6cfd1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd10f3958354961c6a5b4b62ca4ce9f595fef0ee
Circle of life and rarely damages plants that are robust well watered and have good nutrients
Aww, look this cute ecosystem you made… Now kill the aphids! Take the insect cows away from the ants :’)