Ants in the Garden

A vegetable garden can attract a host of insects that you wouldn’t want in your home, and it can be difficult to weed out the helpful pests from the downright destructive.

A vegetable garden can attract a host of insects that you wouldn’t want in your home, and it can be difficult to weed out the helpful pests from the downright destructive. Ants are common in gardens, but do they cause any harm?

For the most part, ants are harmless to vegetable gardens. To some extent, they can even help with pollination when walking on squash or melon blossoms. If you see a few ants in the garden, don’t worry. If you see an infestation, it may be time to take action.

Ants and aphids are often found together in the garden. Ants are attracted to a sweet secretion made by the aphid when it feeds. One of the first things to look for when you notice ants are aphids. They are generally found on vegetable plant stems or leaves and can transmit viruses among plants. Since they provide a food source for ants, the ants protect the aphids from predators.

Although ants won’t hurt the garden, there are a couple ant species to look out for. Carpenter ants act like termites, eating and tunneling through wood structures. Red fire ants bite, resulting in a painful burning sting. If you notice either of these, use an organic or traditional pesticide to remove ants from the garden and yard.