Ants on artichokes in the garden are not a problem in themselves. However, if there are a lot of ants constantly crawling up the plant, this can indicate problems. Here you can find out what attracts ants and what you should do now.
How to remove ants from artichokes?
Ants on artichokes can indicate an aphid infestation. To get rid of these pests, remove the aphids with a jet of water, soft soap solution or natural products. You can drive away ants with essential oils or lime.
What do many ants on artichokes indicate?
Many ants on artichokes can indicate anaphid infestation. How to find out if the artichoke has been attacked by the aphid:
- Take a closer look at ants on artichokes
- Check leaves for sticky residue
Aphids leave excrement on the leaves. The sticky residue, also known as honeydew, serves as food for ants. Ants groom and milk the louse. They even protect them from enemies. However, such an infestation is not beneficial for the plant. The sticky residue hinders growth and promotes fungal infections.
How do I get rid of ants from artichokes?
If you remove theaphids, the ants will also disappear from the artichokes. Use the following tips to remove the pests:
- Spray leaves specifically with a jet of water.
- Prepare a soft soap solution with a little neem oil.
- Spray the artichoke with the soft soap solution.
- Treatment for a few weeks with a soft soap solution three times a week.
Basically, you can also fight aphids with alcohol. However, you should not do this if you still want to eat the artichoke fruit. Therefore, the gentler methods of combating the aphid are recommended.
How do I keep more ants away from artichokes?
Repel the ants from the artichoke with odor-intensiveessential oilsor interrupt the animals' paths withlime. Use these substances to scare the ants away:
- Spray tea tree oil
- Spread lemon peel
- Sprinkle cinnamon
The following herbs also fight the ants. You can put the plants in the same bed or put them in a pot next to the artichoke:
- Thyme
- tansy
- Juniper
- Wormwood
If you spread algae lime on the path, you can interrupt existing ant trails. The ants generally do not enter strongly alkaline materials that neutralize formic acid.
How harmful are ants to artichokes?
Basically, ants are not pests, but veryuseful animals The animals loosen the soil and thus improve the conditions for the growth of the artichoke's roots. They also clean up discarded organic materials and take care of their disposal. Do you have the impression that animals are eating the artichoke and the plant is dying? Then ants are usually not the culprits. Check the condition of the roots. A vole may be active in the garden.
Tip
These animals help against aphids
Aphids are cared for by ants and are not eaten. However, other animals love to eat the aphids. For example, ladybugs and some flies include aphids in their diet. If you observe these animals on the artichoke, you should not take action.