"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
(Steve Harris) writes:
| I understand that ants protect/move/farm aphids and I wonder if there
| are any effective controls that concentrate on excluding/killing ants?

No.

| For example, a few weeks ago, I had aphids on my apple tree attended by
| ants. If I had excluded the ants (greaseband on the trunk?) would that
| have prevented/reduced the problem?

No.


The species of ants that farm aphids are tropical and do not occur
in the UK. In the UK, some species of ants 'protect' and 'move'
aphids, but there is no evidence that it makes a major difference,
or even a significant one. And it is EXTREMELY unlikely that
eliminating the ants will eliminate or even significantly reduce
an aphid infestation.

Essentially, ants follow aphids and are best regarded as simply an
indicator of aphids.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I have watched ants attacking ladybirds near aphids, effectively protecting
them. They may not do it deliberately, but if the ants get some benefit from
the aphids (why else follow them around) then protecting them in this way
would help the ants. OTOH if the aphids gain nothing by being protected from
ladybirds and the like, then so much for aphid control by predators or
selective spraying.

There might not be any evidence that it makes a major difference, but is
that because people have done the experiments and observations and seen no
relationship, or because no one looked?

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Tumbleweed

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