I don't think you need to worry. I have fire ants, some great big ants that just moved in, and some itty bitty ants in my garden. The only ones I worry about are the fire ants because they sure hurt when you get bitten by one!

If there aren't fire ants in your area (and I don't think there are in zone 6?), then I, personally, wouldn't be worried at all. I've noticed plenty of ants in my SFG for three years, and haven't seen any problems. Although I've read *some* species of ants can protect/encourage aphids, I guess I have other kinds. My garden and yard have quite a number of different size and color ants. We just ignore each other -- has worked so far!

--Riff.

I don't think they are fire ants. I also don't see any nest mounds (or what ever they are called) I guess I was just worried that my plants were going to get envaded with aphids. Haven't seen any yet, though.

Well, I guess I'll just leave them be for now.

Thanks!

I went out to check on the veggies and I was following an ant and I flipped over the eggplant leaf it went under, and Uh Ha! Aphids!

I squished all that I could find.

Poor Dazzle!

I'd make a strong cup of coffee--not decaf! You can use instant--just make it 10x regular strength. Put that in a spray bottle and spritz the aphids. (Say, bye-bye, Jitterbugs!)

Be careful not to get the coffee where you want pollinating critters to go-that stuff is toxic to bitty critters of all kinds.

For ugly aphid-ants that won't take a hint, try horticultural orange oil, mixed with water, 4/1 water to orange oil. (It melts their carapaces. Hard to tend aphids without yer skin.....)

Or if you wanna go nutzy with pyrethrum dog shampoo, your garden will be slightly less organic, but it will still smell good. (Only problem is you get the good bugs, too--and bad bug babies can far outnumber good bug babies.)

All the best!

Jacque,

Thanks! I think I'll try the strong coffee first. I'm going to send my kids to search for some lady bugs to place in the garden.

Jacque said: "For ugly aphid-ants that won't take a hint, try horticultural orange oil, mixed with water, 4/1 water to orange oil. (It melts their carapaces. Hard to tend aphids without yer skin.....)"

Does the orange oil harm insects other than ants? Is it possible to treat an ant hill (fire ants in our yard) with the orange oil? Or does it only work on ants that get hit with it directly, and not the ones hiding deep down in their caves?

Howdy, Gryphonsmoon.

The orange oil is a kind of acid, so it can hurt insects and arachnids that you spray it on. (Doesn't seem to hurt worms in this dosage--and plants are generally quite happy with it--clear down to the microbes). However, this is something you are controlling, and applying in limited amounts to limited areas. Also, it is a decent addition to the soil, as the major ingredient of an organic dual-purpose product.

Example: Although the Auntie Fuego product is now listed as a "soil conditioner" it is the same effective orange-oil/hot pepper spray - just doesn't have to have extensive testing for a soil conditioner that the government would have required for an insecticide. Voila! Change the packaging to reflect just the soil benefit, save many thousands of dollars. And Auntie Fuego (Fire Aunt) gives the gardener a pretty solid hint, eh?

As for fire ants, I used to spray directly into the mound, letting the hard jet of water burrow nice and deep. Then I could *stand* on the treated mound while I sprayed the next one. NOTHING else has ever been so fast and so effective!

With most poisons, all you are doing is moving the mound along--my neighbor moved many a mound along to me--but the movement stopped as soon as I kindly gave each mound an "in-ground pool." I guess those little monsters just didn't like living with a "sunken living room" - heh!