Home > Pests & Diseases >

Garden Ants

Description

These insects are black or dark brown and live in colonies making nests in soil, lawns or under flat stones. The juvenile ants appear as small white grubs. Ants prefer warm, dry conditions.

Symptoms

Small mounds of fine soil in lawns and borders or between paving joints. This tunneling under plants can lead to wilting or even death due to lack of water. Feeds on anything, especially if sweet. These ants often climb into plants and 'milk' (stroke) aphids for their honeydew (they will bite the wings off aphids to prevent them migrating). When an ant finds food, it lays a scent (pheromone) trail to its nest for other workers to follow. In July and August, winged adults emerge for mating migration flights.

What next...

Now you know what the problem is, and the damage it is doing, don't let your plant suffer.

All Treatments for Garden Ants

Organic Treatments for Garden Ants

For specific problems try one of our specialists...

Gardening Projects for November

---

How to plant through weed-suppressing membrane

How to Protect Containers

How to Make a Bird Feeder

How to Plant a Fruit Bush

Latest Gardening Videos

---

When and how should I prune a jostaberry?

How do I protect container plants from the cold?

How can I stop my roses suffering from wind-rock?

How should I overwinter a potted Canna lily?

How do I treat liverwort?

Moving House and Taking the Garden with You | Garden Ideas | Val Bradley

All Videos

Explore Gardens from Around the World

Medellin Botanical Garden
Medellin, Columbia

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Melbourne, Australia

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond, United Kingdom

Eram Garden
Shiraz, Iran

Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Gardens of the Generalife, Alhambra
Granada, Spain