Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Ants on fruit plants? Good or Bad?

Options
  • 15-06-2010 7:28pm
    #1
    Cadyboo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭


    Hi, I have raspberry and blackcurrants growing in the garden. I have noticed that they are crawling with ants. The fruit is just coming up so I am getting a bit worried in case they will eat the fruit or they will affect the fruit so we cant eat it. Is there something I can do to get rid of them?
    Can anyone help me with this, please?
    Thanks.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,116 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    are there any aphids on the plants?
    i once had sunflowers growing in the garden, which were crawling with ants. the ants were farming aphids on the plants.


  • Options
    #3
    Cadyboo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Cadyboo


    Hi thanks for replying. There are some orange things on the leaves alright, is this what you mean?
    Is it bad?


  • Options
    #4
    Mothman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,498 ✭✭✭Mothman


    IMO, more likely good than bad.
    No idea what you may mean by "orange things"


  • Options
    #5
    wildlifeboy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,170 ✭✭✭wildlifeboy


    Aphids are Green and called Green fly. take a pic of the orange yokes..


  • Options
    #6
    Mothman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,498 ✭✭✭Mothman


    wildlifeboy wrote: »
    Aphids are Green and called Green fly. take a pic of the orange yokes..
    They come in all sorts of different colours, black, red, arange etc though certainly green is the most common


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    Ants run little farms of aphids (greenfly and blackfly), and so generally they're not a good thing to have near to any delicate plants. It would be my personal, not-very-informed opinion that blackberries would be tough enough to put up with aphids, though you mightn't want to encourage them in your garden in general.

    Hard to say, though. I have ant nests in my front garden that nearly ate some guys alive as they widened the front gate, and despite having lots of nice roses, the accompanying aphids never did them a lot of harm.


Advertisement