![]() In exchange for the sweet honeydew byproduct that aphids produce while feeding on plant nutrients, ants protect the aphids from insect predators such as ladybugs, ground beetles, hoverflies, lacewing larvae, and parasitic wasps.Ĭalled a mutualistic relationship, ants and aphids have a long-established partnership that you need to be aware of as a backyard gardener. If you’re seeing increased ant activity on your beans, you can be sure that the scouts have found the aphids and that the line of ants you see are following their pheromone trails.Īnts and aphids have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. how ants are both friend and foe in your vegetable garden.the 3 steps you can take to naturally get rid of your ants (plus 6 recipes for sprays, baits, and traps that actually work!).the fascinating world of extrafloral nectaries and which bean plant varieties have them.the mutually beneficial relationship ants have with aphids (it’s kinda cool despite its destructiveness).In this article, I’ll explain why ants are on your bean plants, and together, we’ll explore: Why were all those ants on my plants? And how do I get rid of them quickly?Īnts will gather on bean plants to feed on aphid honeydew or the nectar produced by the plant’s extrafloral nectaries, so the best way to get rid of them is to stop the underlying aphid infestation using soapy water or neem oil or blast the plant with streams of water to dislodge unwanted pests. If you’ve ever gone out to check the progress of your beans and see more black than green, you know the panic I felt. ![]() I’m used to seeing all kinds of strange happenings in my garden however, I’d never seen ants building colonies on my pole beans and wasn’t really sure what to do about it at first. Imagine my surprise when instead of green I saw lots of black! Some we’d be having for dinner that night, and the rest I’d be freezing. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.Įarly one summer morning, I strolled out to the garden with my farm basket looped over my arm, eager to harvest my beans. ![]()
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