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Glenna Rose · 23-06-2007, 03:51 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible

writes:
On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:45:44 -0000, thistletoes wrote:

Anyone know why ants would camp out in the upper branches of my
parsely. They try to attack me when I go out to harvest the leaves.
These ants are a bit over 1/8"-4mm approx- long, half red/half black
and real mean.
Deb

Hi Deb,as the others have said they are probably farming aphids.
This is bad. The good bit is the ants are also protecting the plants
against any other insects that may damage "their" farm.
A double edged sword.
So if you don't mind the job of hosing off the aphids every now and again
its best to not poison the ants.
--
Regards From
Wane Smooth

And if there are aphids, a package of ladybugs will make short work of
them as well as benifiting the rest of the garden/yard. If the ants are
there for farming, with the aphids gone, they will also vacate the plants.

My pesticide is ladybugs supplemented by birds. I keep the insect-eating
birds around by leaving my compost bin open with the attractant scraps on
top to keep a supply of fruit flies out there so the birds will be looking
my garden's way for breakfast. That, combined with healthy soil, works
extremely well. Aphids in my back yard, where the garden is, are not
findable after I release the ladybugs each spring and difficult to find
even before. The front yard on my roses is another matter until the new
ladybugs migrate around to the front. (And my neighbors love the lessened
population of aphids as well!)

Glenna

Glenna