Ants in the garden?

My mum and dad have a peony rose in their garden and it is covered in ants and it's the only thing in the garden that they are on. They have tried ant powder but it doesn't work. Any ideas?

Ants in the garden?
If it is a peony plant/bush/flower, you need the ants on it. Don't kill them off of it! The peony needs the ants to soften the shell of the bud so they open and bloom. If you doubt me, kill the ants and watch that it doesn't flower.
Reply:Use ant stakes. You can take the water house and hammer the ants on the plant with water.
Reply:some stuff called NIPON should do the trick
Reply:I have tried all the products and only one works. It's this thing called Terro. It's better than all the others and ants really love the taste of it.





You will see them lining up a few minutes after you set the bait. They have these outdoor disks too that are weatherproof. You can use them in your garden.





PS - I do not work for this company but I have used their product to save my house from ants a few times now. It just works.
Reply:tell her to get inside your ant will get a cold at her age
Reply:My Mum reckons that vinegar gets rid of ants, I'm not sure it'd be much good for the plant though.





Maybe try some of those ant traps (little plastic things that you put a special liquid in). The ants take the liquid back to the next and they all die. I bought some in Homebase last year.
Reply:Hi - Try sprinkling some Aspartame based sweeteners around the base of the plant. Aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in many drinks and foodstuffs, was originally invented as an ant-killer but then they realised there was much more money to be made using it as a sugar substitute.
Reply:Ants can be, literally and metaphorically, irritating, but they are not a major pest. They have some beneficial characteristics; they eat small insect pests and have a part to play in the recycling of plant and animal wastes in the ground and in compost heaps.





Ants make nests which can undermine both garden and greenhouse plants, causing them to wilt or die. Some species build mounds on lawns, and this can make mowing difficult and spoil the lawn's appearance.





Their craving for sweetness is satisfied by eating nectar, and they also relish the sticky honeydew that aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs produce. Ants have learnt to ‘farm’ these creatures, milking them for a fresh honeydew drink. Like all good farmers, ants look after their livestock, protecting them from predators and moving them to new feeding grounds. This can spread both the pests, and the diseases they carry.





Ants may remove seeds from pots and trays and take them back to feed the colony.





They have a part to play in nature’s recycling plan, processing plant and animal wastes, aerating the soil and eating some small insect pests. They also consume weed seeds.





Ants living in the home compost heap may not be a disaster – there is anecdotal evidence that their activity mixes minerals and increases the phosphorus-potassium balance. They could be a problem in a worm bin, however, because they tend to reduce the amount of carbohydrate available for worms to feed on.





Description of pest


Red and black ants are most common in the garden. Red ants tend to sting, while black ants are less aggressive. You may find yellow ants in orchards or old pasture – they make large grass-covered humps. Undisturbed colonies can survive for many years.





Life cycle


A new ant village starts in summer. The swarms of flying ants which are common on sultry August days are the pioneers. All the nests in the area release potential new queens and their mates at once. The workers who have nurtured them, choose ideal conditions for the one and only mating flight. The males gather in swarms which attract the females.





After mating, the males die and the females rub or bite off their wings and begin to look for a suitable home. They have been given enough sperm by the male to last their lifetime. If they survive the predators, which include swallows and ants from rival colonies, new queens begin to lay eggs straight away. These hatch out into sterile workers which will immediately start to work for the expansion of their colony.
Reply:deathlac. .but it might kill the plant.
Reply:Try a jam trap close to the rose plant. Strawberry is good!
Reply:Don't kill on the ants! If you kill the ants off, the plant won't bloom. The peony needs the ants to induce blooming.
Reply:Jump up and down on the plant until all the ants are squished.

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