No question, ants are extremely useful animals and really clean up nature thoroughly. In doing so, they take over the important work of the "health police" - and make life difficult for many a hobby gardener.
Many ants usually indicate an aphid infestation
Why ants often follow aphids
Ants are hard-working pest controllers, after all beetle larvae and moth caterpillars are on their menu. However, they are also "intelligent" animals that literally keep entire colonies of aphids. The excretions of the aphids, the sugar-rich honeydew, serve as readily available food for the ants - so that the ants actually defend the aphids against predators. This goes so far that the lice are even deliberately relocated from the ants to other plants - for example, if the plants in question are closer to the ant nest. However, many a colony has made itself comfortable directly under a fruit tree, which in turn can damage the root system of the tree in question considerably.
What you can do about ants - and why it's so important
An ant colony consisting of around 500 animals loosens the soil on the tree in question by digging tunnels so much that it can be hollowed out - and collapse during the next storm. Quite apart from the fact that the cheerfully multiplying lice on the fruit tree cause more or less severe damage. So if you are fighting leaf lice or other cell sap-feeding plant lice, you must always consider eliminating the ant colony. Otherwise it can happen that the aphids are back soon or can be found on the neighboring tree.
Relocate ants instead of fighting them
Now you don't have to attack the ants with toxic chemicals right away. It is often enough to relocate the little animals with a few tricks. The easiest way to do this is as follows:
- Fill a large clay plant pot with wood shavings.
- Place it directly on the ant trail with the opening facing down.
- Soon the animals will start moving, carrying their dolls to the new home.
- When the move is complete, carefully pick up the pot with a shovel.
- Now carry it to its new location.
- This should be at least 30 meters away from the old one.
tips
Regularly hosing down a fruit tree infested with leaf lice and other lice with a strong jet of water or plant manure also helps against both the lice and the ant plague.