Ants all over my hop plant

[Libigage]

Hi, I have Ants all over my hop plant. Looks like they're eating small insects. Good or bad ? What do you use for pest control

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I can't see in that pic but they are either farming or eating aphids. On balance I'd generally say ants are a positive force in this world.

 

[Libigage]

Yeh, sorry for the poor picture, there are definitely aphids on there and it looks like the ants are eating them. Should I get some sort of spray or let the ants do their thing.

 

[Clint]

If the ants are farming the aphids the aphids will damage your plant and the ants will predate any other insects and remove them. So you'll need to deal with them if your plant starts suffering. Aphid farming ants collect a liquid that the aphids produce. If the ants are eating the aphids leave them to it.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Yeh, sorry for the poor picture, there are definitely aphids on there and it looks like the ants are eating them. Should I get some sort of spray or let the ants do their thing.

Maybe just check the hop plant isn't being too damaged, I would err on not using pesticide if the ants are doing it for you, that said I sprayed the sh#t out of my honeysuckle yesterday after I saw it was infested with aphids.

 

[Clint]

Best thing for aphids are ladybirds.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Best thing for aphids are ladybirds.

When I lived in London years ago, we had a tree, forget what type it was, that one year was absolutely crawling with aphids. I bought some ladybirds from a reputable place and released them on the tree. Never saw any of the ladybirds again.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

You can lead a horse to water....

 

[emmever]

If aphid infection is well confined you can just remove the parts with parasites.
Otherwise you can try with neem oil. It works quite well and it's much ligther (both for humans and environment)

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I'm sure I sprayed ours with a tiny bit of washing up liquid and some white vinegar in water. It shifted them.

I had greenfly though.

 

[telenomus]

If the ants are farming the aphids the aphids will damage your plant and the ants will predate any other insects and remove them. So you'll need to deal with them if your plant starts suffering. Aphid farming ants collect a liquid that the aphids produce. If the ants are eating the aphids leave them to it.

What Clint said. Ants will bring aphids onto plants and farm them; they take honeydew from the feeding aphids and sometimes they eat the rebels that don't behave. In general ants are not doing your vines any good. ...retired bug guy.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Yes, as mentioned, the ants are probably farming the Aphids. The Aphids feed on the sap of the plant and secrete honeydew which the ants feed on. In return the ants protect the Aphids from natural predators, like ladybirds etc. A mild soap solution, again as has been mentioned previously could be enough to drive the Aphids away.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Or just get an aerosol can and a lighter BURN BABY BURN!!!! MUUUUUUHAHAHHAHAHAHAH

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

https://amzn.eu/d/cxY7kGV

Try putting one of these at the bottom of the plants.

 

[emmever]

https://amzn.eu/d/cxY7kGV

Try putting one of these at the bottom of the plants.

I think the real issue for the hop plant are the aphids. Killing the ants won't resolve the problem, in my opinion

 

[jof]

I have bloody ants farming aphids on my fruit trees. It's a pain in the bum & they make all the leaves curl over on the growing tips.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I think the real issue for the hop plant are the aphids. Killing the ants won't resolve the problem, in my opinion

Killing the ants will leave the Aphids open to attack from their natural predators.

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

I'm sure I sprayed ours with a tiny bit of washing up liquid and some white vinegar in water. It shifted them.

I had greenfly though.

Same as Tess, washing up liquid diluted in a spray sorts aphids out for me. Or ladybirds as PH mentioned

 

[crescent city Mike]

As I recall from school, the ants keep the aphids in special underground chambers in the nest when they're farmed. Let the ants go for a while longer to see if the aphid colony collapses. If not, use a liquid soap, water, and lime mix in a sprayer.

 

[MashBag]

Any stress on the plant will affect its yield.

Woodash, will get the ants to move on, but then you need to address the aphids.

Ladybirds will not stop ant farming they just get mobbed by the ants ime.

I am trialling a very very hot chilli infused spray this year.