A couple of my potatoes where looking a bit sick and
laying flat, so not knowing what the prob was I dug
one of them up to see what lay beneath.
All the potatoes seemed OK but quite small and not
fully developed.
The only thing that I could see that may be the trouble
was red ants although they don't seem to have attacked
the tubers.
Do ants affect root crops, should I be concerned about them
and lastly how do I get rid of them???

Wally

In article ,
Wally wrote:
A couple of my potatoes where looking a bit sick and
laying flat, so not knowing what the prob was I dug
one of them up to see what lay beneath.
All the potatoes seemed OK but quite small and not
fully developed.
The only thing that I could see that may be the trouble
was red ants although they don't seem to have attacked
the tubers.
Do ants affect root crops, should I be concerned about them
and lastly how do I get rid of them???

No.

Look on the roots of the potatoes; if you see small (c. 1mm) spheres
of translucent whatever, you have eelworm.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick wrote after..
Wally wrote:
A couple of my potatoes where looking a bit sick and
laying flat, so not knowing what the prob was I dug
one of them up to see what lay beneath.
All the potatoes seemed OK but quite small and not
fully developed.
The only thing that I could see that may be the trouble
was red ants although they don't seem to have attacked
the tubers.
Do ants affect root crops, should I be concerned about them
and lastly how do I get rid of them???

No.

Look on the roots of the potatoes; if you see small (c. 1mm) spheres
of translucent whatever, you have eelworm.

Also, if you have had the dry weather we have had in the last month or so it
could simply be lack of water.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

Do ants affect root crops, should I be concerned about them
and lastly how do I get rid of them???

No.

Look on the roots of the potatoes; if you see small (c. 1mm) spheres
of translucent whatever, you have eelworm.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

No marks anywhere but thanks for the reply Nick

Wally

Also, if you have had the dry weather we have had in the last month or so
it could simply be lack of water.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

I first thought that Bob but it's just a small area that is
affected, the rest of the crop look fine.

Even if the ants are not the problem I would still like
to get rid of them as I don't like them, any advice on
how to get rid would be appreciated.

Wally

In article ,
Wally wrote:

Also, if you have had the dry weather we have had in the last month or so
it could simply be lack of water.

I first thought that Bob but it's just a small area that is
affected, the rest of the crop look fine.

That is unlikely to be water, then. There are other things than
eelworms, though the latter are easy to miss - most people need
a magnifying glass and, of course, they break off from the fine
roots very easily. But any other signs of problems on the roots or
stems are likely to be significant.

Even if the ants are not the problem I would still like
to get rid of them as I don't like them, any advice on
how to get rid would be appreciated.

Move to the fifth floor or higher of a concrete tower. Ants are
a ubiquitous and critical part of the ecology. Learn to live
with them.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote in message
...
In article ,
Wally wrote:

Also, if you have had the dry weather we have had in the last month or
so
it could simply be lack of water.

I first thought that Bob but it's just a small area that is
affected, the rest of the crop look fine.

That is unlikely to be water, then. There are other things than
eelworms, though the latter are easy to miss - most people need
a magnifying glass and, of course, they break off from the fine
roots very easily. But any other signs of problems on the roots or
stems are likely to be significant.

Even if the ants are not the problem I would still like
to get rid of them as I don't like them, any advice on
how to get rid would be appreciated.

Move to the fifth floor or higher of a concrete tower. Ants are
a ubiquitous and critical part of the ecology. Learn to live
with them.

I could learn to live with them if the little buggers would stop
biting me.

Wally



Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Wally" wrote in message
...

Also, if you have had the dry weather we have had in the last month or so
it could simply be lack of water.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

I first thought that Bob but it's just a small area that is
affected, the rest of the crop look fine.

Even if the ants are not the problem I would still like
to get rid of them as I don't like them, any advice on
how to get rid would be appreciated.

Wally


Simple. Water. Water. Water. Ants hate it. Your potatoes love it.

Spider