Nick Maclaren wrote or quoted:
In article , Tim Tyler wrote:
Nick Maclaren wrote or quoted:
In article , Tim Tyler wrote:

Maybe the people you consulted didn't pay attention to the ants -
but I reckon there are quite a few others who do. After all,
the UK Organic association and the The Royal Horticultural
Society, publicly state that ants protect aphid infestations -
and IMO, their relationship mythical or not, is pretty common
knowledge.

I find the idea that repetition of a myth by Eminent Bodies will
turn it into a fact somewhat bizarre.

It /is/ an odd idea. Where did you get it from?

Your responses to my pointing out that certain things were not
evidence.

Notice that in the case cited above, the claim in quesition was whether
your are under-estimating the attention which gardeners with aphid
problems give to ants.

I think the advice of expert UK gardening bodies on the subject
(correct or not) is relevant to that issue.

Also in this area, do not ignore the power of advertising:

``Horticultural glues are very effective organic controls to prevent
crawling insects reaching the tops of trees in order to feed, mate, or
deposit eggs. This includes codling moth, procession caterpillars, tent
caterpillars and ants. Controlling ants reduces scale, aphids and mealy
bug problems, as the ants protect these pests.''

- http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestc...glue_prod.html

``Ants protect ants from predators to take advantage of the sugary sap. An
effective barrier to ants leaves aphids vulnerable to natural
predators.''

- http://www.paradisepark.co.uk/acatalog/Other_Pests.html

These are some more UK papers which look like they bear on the
subject. Though reviewing them is currently beyond my scope,
some answers may lie within:

El-Ziady, S., and J. S. Kennedy. 1956. Beneficial effects of
the common garden ant, Lasius niger L., on the black bean
aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli. Proceedings of the Royal
Entomological Society London (A) 31:61?65.

[...]

Nixon, G. E. J. 1951. The association of ants with aphids
and coccids. Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London UK.

That isn't in the UL, so I can't check it. But, for the Nth time,
NOBODY BUT NOBODY is denying the association, so why do you keep
bringing it up?

As I said, I was trying to find relevant research on ants and
aphids published in the UK. I was pleased to hear my first
paper contained relevant information. This one doesn't have
such a relevant-sounding title - but I obtained it from a
bibliography dealing with ant-aphid mutualism - and it *may*
contain relevant information.
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