On 10 Aug 2004 20:44:58 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

snip

I have investigated the correlation between ant presence and aphid
infestation in my garden and elsewhere and, in the cases I have seen,
none were compatible with the hypotheses that ants spread aphids nor
that they enhance an infestation.

With all due respect, I think the use of the word 'investigated' is
perhaps a tad over-enthusiastic... I recall that there were at least a
couple of very significant factors that went unobserved in your study
( the most notable being, in the case of ants, no night-time study ).

Nobody seems ever to have done an experiment seeing whether reducing
the ant population causes a reduction in the aphids in the UK.

Some empirical evidence here - my beans this year were heavily
infested with aphids early on in the season, and I noticed no ants at
all on the plants.
A little later in the season and the aphid population declined
somewhat - and I still haven't seen an ant on the beans yet, even at
night during my slug patrol.
Neither have I seen any other predators...the aphids just 'upped and
went' ( unless the wasps are taking them ).
In fact, I've seen remarkably few predators at work this year.

No known entomologist believes that reducing the ant population will
cause a reduction in the aphids in the UK.

It doesn't seem that likely...and besides, it might mean far worse
problems anyway.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk