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Ants eating PJPII buds?

14 years ago

Anyone else had a problem with ants eating out buds? I've not seen this before. These are a smallish black variety who seem to prefer PJPII. Any suggestions on what to use to stop them without harming the plants? So frustrating to wait and wait on blooms only to have them spoiled! I can't see any nearby nest but they're all over this particular plant.

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Comments (8)

catsrose
14 years ago
Do you have aphids? Ants don't bother roses, but they do "farm" aphids. And f they are itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny they might be thrips and not ants.
jerijen
14 years ago
Ants farm aphids like we farm cattle.

Jeri
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Those darker nodes are actual sugar like glands, nectaries, that attract the ants to protect the plant from the likes of caterpillars. From what I've read, ants are usually not a problem of any sort, unless you stick your nose in a bloom and it is covered with them, like I did last week, LOL. The aphids that hit buds usually burrow inside the buds and you don't see them however I haven't personally experience that problem with passiflora only hibiscus. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1938594?uid=3739600&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103794922801
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Sophia, sorry for the lack of explanation to my comment last night, but was very low on battery. Cabbage moths look like white butterflies with a black spot at the bottom of their wings. They lay their eggs on the leaves and buds of host plants. The eggs are about 1-2mm, creamy white and are quite visible. When the larvae hatch, they are small green caterpillars that either roll themselves into the leaves and start feasting, or if they are on the buds, they chew their way into the centre, thereby ruining the flower. I do not spray, so I just rub the eggs off as I see them and squish any caterpillars between my fingers ( gloves on, of course :-) ). Other moths and butterflies do the same thing, so it is just a matter of checking on the roses every day. I believe that some gardeners use Confidor as a selective, systemic spray which does not harm beneficial insects.
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Non treated diatomaceous earth. Make a solid heavy ring around the plant. If an insect touches the earth they die. Treated is poisonous to humans. You must replenish for wind or rain. I am overwhelmed with invasive ants that are much harder to control. The invasives are a result of globalization. They get here from ports. The best you can do in manage them. We were plagued with a spiral white fly that caused enormous havoc. Bugs can be very bad in florida. Now, the winter, is the least buggy... Soapy water works. Dawn or ivory. The others have degreasers that hurt plants. 1/2 oz to the gallon. It is a contact killer only. You need to wet the bug with the soapy stuff.
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york_rose
14 years ago
Most ants don't bother with eating living, healthy plant tissue (unless you live in the tropics where there are leaf cutter ants, but none of those are native to the continental USA, and they're not small).

Can you post a clear close-up photo of what you're seeing? I or someone else may be able to identify it.

(No promises, but for what it's worth I identify insects for a living.)
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
14 years ago
What is PJPII? If it is a rose, does it have a section that is dead? When a rose looks healthy, and I see ants, I can look around the base, and often see a section that has died. The dead section needs to be removed, and the ants will go. I seldom see many ants on a rose that is completely healthy. When I do, I put out a bait, and that takes care of them.

Sammy
loratw619
14 years ago
I'm in zone 6B too, and I had problems with ants during the heavy rains we had earlier this year. They never got to the buds, but they did have many a good meal on the leaves...and I never saw any aphids on the roses that they covered. Only the ants.

I sprayed with soapy water (real "homemade" soap that contained lye)with a little borax mixed in, and that took care of the problem.

Thrips are here now, and PJP is one of their favorite roses. Had to resort to Bayer on that one. Hated to do it, but I hated watching all those gorgeous blooms get ruined even worse. Does anyone know of an effective organic way to treat thrips without resorting to pesticides?

Thanks for any pointers.
Lora
michaelg
14 years ago
I think some ants do eat rose buds, maybe to wound them so they exude syrup. Or they might be taking advantage of a wound made by a beetle or worm. I have sprayed a residual ant & roach spray around the base and on the barky canes with no bad consequences. Don't get too much on the green canes.
diane_nj 6b/7a
14 years ago
PJPII == Pope John Paul II, the white hybrid tea...
paparoseman
14 years ago
There is a species of ant in the Pacific Northwest that has been causing problems in my garden this year. They normally live at the edge of the woods but a queen decided that my yard was close enough to being a woods with all of those roses nearby.

They are black with a red head and if you disturb the nest without realizing it they will climb all over you before biting. The nest is made up of chopped pieces of plant material. I have noticed that they only attack certain roses leaving roses three feet away untouched.

Lance

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