Can ants harm my plant?

Erysichthon

Well-Known Member
i have on plant outside, it went hermi with about 4 weeks left to finish and i figured i would finish it outside away from my indoor crop.

it is in a 2 gal pot and ants have made their new home in it. will they destroy my roots or anything? if so whats the best method of running them out of there?

thanks for looking!

Ery
 

Buster 420

Active Member
They depends on the species. Some ants won't touch it Some will bite the stems to drink the sugar water. They can chew the leafs up.

Getting rid of them is poison or bait. None of them have a 100% kill rate but do a good job keep the population down.
 

roachhit

Well-Known Member
bugs will munch on leaves but nothing to worry about. the plants can take it, my crop is filled with bugs i dont care. they found a nice home :blsmoke: they dont stunt the plant either mines still growing tall and strong
 

JonnyBtreed

Well-Known Member
Like Buster said it depends which species. But in most cases ants and more likely to attack aphids, which are morelikely to make a home of your plant then ants. If they seem like they're becoming a problem, buy as strong a pyrethrin as possible, such as permethrin, cypermethrin, or bifenthrin. Take the chemical and make as strong a mix as it calls for and soak the soil down. Drench it. That'll take care of your problem real quick. As far as toxicity goes, its practically nonexistent. Commercial crops of tomatoes are allowed to be sprayed with this family of chemicals up until the day of harvest.
 

JonnyBtreed

Well-Known Member
But just spray the soil. Keep it off the leaves and upper stalk. I don't feel the need to get into conversations dealing with phytotoxicity but the danger is there if you mix wrong. But as long as you keep it off the leaves you don't need to worry about it :) Ya stoners.
 

GrowTech

stays relevant.
Ants are NOT good for your plants, in fact they bring in other pests and diseases such as spider mites. I would recommend that you solve your ant problem immediately.

Good luck.
 

CrackerJax

New Member
Ants are NOT good for your plants, in fact they bring in other pests and diseases such as spider mites. I would recommend that you solve your ant problem immediately.

Good luck.

I have never had a problem with ants bringing in spider mites.... is that true GT? never heard of it, but I only speak from my own personal experiences.
 

South Texas

Well-Known Member
From what I've read, mostly via Dr. Doctor. (com), is, the ant problem & the Spider Mite, etc, is different problems. Moisture is what the Ants are seeking. Molasses is a natrual deterrant for fire ants/ants. Just 2 Tbs. per gal of water, but don't put it out in a manner that they are trapped. Give them a clean path out. The plant has it's own immunity system. Chem ferts destroys & weakens the natural immunity system, starting with the cell structural, itself. Once the immunity system has been broken down, Mother Nature's rule, 'Only the strong survive', comes into play, attracting all kinds of pest & infections. Use a mixture of 2 Tbs of liquid Seaweed & 1 Tbs of molasses once per 7 to 10 days to cause the plant's stalk & branches to become so hardy & dense, that the Spider Mite can't bite into it. To help build the immunity system, see Alfalfa & Aloe Vera. Both are awesome. Also, we need a little color to our yard, it's time to order the Poppy Seeds for Early Spring...... Under Duress- 3rd Grade edamaction is taxing my ass.
 

CrackerJax

New Member
I've had ants on my plants before.... I mean just try and keep the off..:lol:

I just have never seen them do any damage.
 

Erysichthon

Well-Known Member
thanks for all the replies. i didnt really expect this many over ants. so the general idea is that they wont hurt much. these are just your average tiny red ants, not fire ants or any special kind. im going to try to run em out with molasses even if they are harmless, i just dont trust em in there. i got a pic of the girl, she isnt dead sexy but she is doing decent. im planning on chopping very soon anyway. trichs are all cloudy and im starting to see some amber. plus im ready to be done with this one
 

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jsgrwn

Well-Known Member
sorry to say all but one reply was misleading (wrong in a nice way). ants themselves wont hurt your plants but they do bring aphids and mites. some of you said they eat or attack other pests, this would only be true with ants that are not common around most households. the normal everyday ant will bring the pests in and basically farm them. they use the aphid/mite poop to grow fungus that they eat. so...black ants are no good. hope this helps...cant believe there were this many wrong answers with google around.
 

Erysichthon

Well-Known Member
well the molasses did the deed. when i checked it today there were no more ants. just figured i would update
 
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