| Author | Content |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
April 25, 2008
12:26 PM Post #4862514
| I confess, I clicked on this article hoping to find out how to keep those colonies of little annoying ants out of my potted plants... instead, I learned about some wonderful ant-plant partnerships I knew nothing about! Fascinating!
Thanks for a wonderful article and for including all those good "find out more" links, too! |
GranvilleSouth
(Zone 10a)
April 25, 2008
06:21 PM Post #4863952
| Hey Jill. I thought some ppl might think it was an anti-ant article. I wouldn't pick on a little insect though :) I took your advice in the end & broke up the tree article. Been meaning to tell you so I'm glad you posted. |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
April 25, 2008
06:39 PM Post #4863999
| What a cool article! One question--why are there ants on our yucca blooms? I thought they needed moths. |
planolinda
Plano, TX
April 25, 2008
06:54 PM Post #4864047
| made my day! i have so many ants and now i find out that's not so bad! thanks |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
April 25, 2008
07:04 PM Post #4864083
| Ian, I noticed some different tree articles in the queue -- fun!
Ants on yuccas... no clue... but I know my peony blooms are always loaded with ants! Used to have a peony bush by the front door, but I moved it. People would bend down to admire the gorgeous scented blooms and come up with a blouse covered in ants (much to their dismay). |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
April 25, 2008
08:16 PM Post #4864380
| I always say I live on an ant hill. lol. Some of the ant colonies here in my yard get huge. I am trying to grow plants that will attract them and keep them out of my irises. This article helps alot!
Great job Ian!! |
GranvilleSouth
(Zone 10a)
April 26, 2008
08:24 AM Post #4866346
| Thanx everyone. I don't know why ants would gather on your Yucca Ky. There would be something there they want. You can bet on that but they are probably not living in it. I just did a bit of looking round the net & a few things seem to suggest that Harvester Ants collect seed from Yuccas. Do they look like they are carrying off any seed? |
planolinda
Plano, TX
April 26, 2008
09:16 AM Post #4866524
| still wish i could get rid of fire ants forever!!!! i don't think they do any good anywhere! |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
April 26, 2008
12:20 PM Post #4867153
| Nope, Granville, they're just all over the blooms. Maybe they eat the nectar. It's a mystery! |
GranvilleSouth
(Zone 10a)
April 26, 2008
07:29 PM Post #4868643
| OK. It probably is the nectar then. They wouldn't be wasting time like we do. I guess Fire Ants are a different story Plano. We are trying to get rid of them here too. Outside their natural habit, they seem to run rampant. How do they respond to other ant species? Do you know by chance? |
planolinda
Plano, TX
April 26, 2008
10:34 PM Post #4869481
| no i sure don't-- |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
April 26, 2008
10:44 PM Post #4869527
| I seem to remember that part of the problem is that fire ants are very aggressive and take over the territory of native ants. |
planolinda
Plano, TX
April 26, 2008
10:46 PM Post #4869538
| they are so aggresive -- and they bite! |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
April 26, 2008
10:47 PM Post #4869539
| I found info about ants on yucca blooms, in case anyone else has that issue:
http://individual.utoronto.ca/snellr/researchMSc.htm |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
April 26, 2008
11:13 PM Post #4869682
| Neat! Thanks. |
GranvilleSouth
(Zone 10a)
April 27, 2008
03:23 AM Post #4870386
| Those Fire ants somehow wound up on Christmas Island where they are now wiping out a native crab that comes up on to land to mate. You can see the difference in the bush where they have infested it. Things don't grow the same because the crab has some ecological role in the mangrove forest.
I wish there were easy answers to these problems but we are at a loss. We had a similar situation with Cane Toads but the native fauna is starting to defeat them. It took time but birds learned how to kill them safely & things like that. I hope something decides to start eating Fire Ants soon. |
planolinda
Plano, TX
April 27, 2008
01:00 PM Post #4871648
| here they keep moving north and are a real problem---too bad about your native crab problem---as you indicated-wiping out one animal sets off a lot of other problems |
GranvilleSouth
(Zone 10a)
April 27, 2008
11:12 PM Post #4874678
| Yeah. I guess they will only go so far north from Texas because its get a lot colder that way. Would that be right? We only get them in warm parts of the country at least. |
planolinda
Plano, TX
April 28, 2008
06:37 PM Post #4878789
| well yes and no--it seems they are going a lot farther north than they should--seems they are adapting to colder temps |
GranvilleSouth
(Zone 10a)
April 28, 2008
10:47 PM Post #4880121
| OK. Its like a horror movie. Its sounds like they will become a permanent feature. I wonder what limits their populations at home. |
