Hi

In my front flower bed in front of our house window there are some
rather sickly looking plants and I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them? It's not a question of them coming
into the house, they don't, but they are all over the front and back
gardens and the plants.

Also, in the same front flower bed I have noticed quite a few very small
but very round holes, about the diameter of a large earthworm, in the
soil. What could be causing these? Could they be the entrances to an
ant's colony or is it something else altogether?

Thanks for any info or advice.
--
Lynda Thornton

Lynda Thornton wrote in news:ONkylABHFG5
:

I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them?

More water. Ants prefer it dry, and tend to move their nest if you keep
watering it.

If there is something around there they really like the taste of and will
trek to find, that's different, but if they are just nesting, it's probably
just too dry. More water will encourage the plants too - it's more likely
to be the dryness that is damaging them than the ants.

Victoria

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message ...
Hi

In my front flower bed in front of our house window there are some
rather sickly looking plants and I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them? It's not a question of them coming
into the house, they don't, but they are all over the front and back
gardens and the plants.

Also, in the same front flower bed I have noticed quite a few very small
but very round holes, about the diameter of a large earthworm, in the
soil. What could be causing these? Could they be the entrances to an
ant's colony or is it something else altogether?

Thanks for any info or advice.
--
Ants can be annoying but they are never a problem to plants. The main problem with your plants is almost certainly
aphids sucking the sap. They excrete a sugary substance - honeydew and this attracts the ants. Also look at the water
regime as Victoria has already suggested.

Rod

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message ...
Hi

In my front flower bed in front of our house window there are some
rather sickly looking plants and I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them? It's not a question of them coming
into the house, they don't, but they are all over the front and back
gardens and the plants.

Also, in the same front flower bed I have noticed quite a few very small
but very round holes, about the diameter of a large earthworm, in the
soil. What could be causing these? Could they be the entrances to an
ant's colony or is it something else altogether?

Thanks for any info or advice.
--
Ants can be annoying but they are never a problem to plants. The main problem with your plants is almost certainly
aphids sucking the sap. They excrete a sugary substance - honeydew and this attracts the ants. Also look at the water
regime as Victoria has already suggested.

Rod

Lynda Thornton wrote in news:ONkylABHFG5
:

I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them?

More water. Ants prefer it dry, and tend to move their nest if you keep
watering it.

If there is something around there they really like the taste of and will
trek to find, that's different, but if they are just nesting, it's probably
just too dry. More water will encourage the plants too - it's more likely
to be the dryness that is damaging them than the ants.

Victoria

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message ...
Hi

In my front flower bed in front of our house window there are some
rather sickly looking plants and I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them? It's not a question of them coming
into the house, they don't, but they are all over the front and back
gardens and the plants.

Also, in the same front flower bed I have noticed quite a few very small
but very round holes, about the diameter of a large earthworm, in the
soil. What could be causing these? Could they be the entrances to an
ant's colony or is it something else altogether?

Thanks for any info or advice.
--
Ants can be annoying but they are never a problem to plants. The main problem with your plants is almost certainly
aphids sucking the sap. They excrete a sugary substance - honeydew and this attracts the ants. Also look at the water
regime as Victoria has already suggested.

Rod

In article , Rod
writes

"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message news:ONkylABHFG5+EwIK@bt
internet.com...
Hi

In my front flower bed in front of our house window there are some
rather sickly looking plants and I'm becoming convinced that the ants
(which are crawling everywhere this year) are damaging the roots. The
soil seems to be crawling with them if you dig into it. Is there
anything I can use to stop them? It's not a question of them coming
into the house, they don't, but they are all over the front and back
gardens and the plants.

Also, in the same front flower bed I have noticed quite a few very small
but very round holes, about the diameter of a large earthworm, in the
soil. What could be causing these? Could they be the entrances to an
ant's colony or is it something else altogether?

Thanks for any info or advice.
--
Ants can be annoying but they are never a problem to plants. The main problem
with your plants is almost certainly
aphids sucking the sap. They excrete a sugary substance - honeydew and this
attracts the ants. Also look at the water
regime as Victoria has already suggested.

Rod



Thanks both - any ideas what the holes are - is it the ants? I haven't
noticed a bad infestation of apids on the plants by the way.

Lynda