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ants eating sunflower?

Last post 18-06-2012 7:54 AM by unsettled-soul. 5 replies.

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  • 28/05/2012 11:33 AM
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    I have 2 young sunflowers in the garden and noticed one is growing slower than the other. It seems that ants are eating at its base: 

    https://www.sugarsync.com/piv/D7571237_758_969329012

    Is that common? Should I just use regular anti-ants solution? I am worried that they will cut the stem and kill the plant. Any ideas?
  • 05/06/2012 11:09 AM
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    Never seen ants eating sunflowers before but I have read that they do when there is nothing else for them to eat. I guess mine are usually too busy farming aphids. You could try using soapy water and removing them with a clean cloth. If they continue to attack the sunflowers than eliminating their Queen and destroying their colony would stop them from damaging the sunflowers.

  • 06/06/2012 08:29 AM
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     I read somewhere also that you can try rubbing a little vaseline to the stem of the flower, don't know how useful it will be but it said it should stop the ants crawling on the flower

  • 06/06/2012 08:31 AM
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    • Pesty
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    That stem has been damaged by something else - the ants are taking advantage of the wound/ feeding on sap ozzing from the stem. Original damage could have been a slug/caterpillar/physical damage/some kind of stem rot etc.

    'Trying is the first step to failure' H.J.Simpson
  • 06/06/2012 09:19 AM
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    As the above post correctly says it could be something else such as slugs or some other pest but from your photo it does rather look like the ants are eating it. Since ants are nice to have in the garden you may not want to destroy all the colonies of those ants that may be attacking the sunflower. Placing baby powder around the sunflower's base will stop them from damaging the sunflower. Even if the ants are not causing that damage seen in your photo you don't want them causing further damage.

  • 18/06/2012 07:54 AM
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    Thank you for all the answers and suggestions - unfortunately poor thing collapsed after strong winds we had here last week. I have however noticed ants on the top of the last remaining sunflower, I wonder what they are up to!

    I must say I disagree with Zetaearthling - I have vicious red ants in the garden, far from being nice, their bite is very painful and if gets infected (like mine on my foot did last week) you end up at GP and taking antibiotics for a week....