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chilliwin

Is it a rare case?

chilliwin
10 years ago

These plants are Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend. ANTS are swarming in a particular similar spot. The first one I washed the spots after that no more ants were swarming there. Yesterday I found the similar manner to my another plant. Still now I have not found any damage from ANTS. I consider it would be a good sign for my plants the first plants have got a lot of pods. May be ANTS helped pollination very well. This time I do not like to wash the spot. These ANTS are only attracted on the Scorpion plants.

Have you ever experienced like this before? What they are looking for? Is it a rare case?

{{gwi:1164167}}

{{gwi:1176941}}

Thanks in advance.
Caelian

Comments (9)

  • chilliwin
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    From a different angle:

    {{gwi:1176943}}

    Caelian

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    10 years ago

    Ants may be fine. But be careful as they need to eat and if there is some value of them being there you will find out shortly. I would do a thorough check under all leaves especially lower leaves and the tiny ones where aphids love to hide. They like to farm and protect aphids for a sweet return. If nothing then it's fine but keep an eye on them. If they start to bother you sprinkle cinnimon powder on top of the soil they will leave the plant.

    Mark

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    10 years ago

    +1 for Habajolokia
    I would be very leary about having ants like that. I see them all the time in and around my plants but never swarming like that. It would cause me a lot of concern. And like Habajolokia, Aphids is my first thought. If not Aphids, then I would still be concerned. Ants are generally considered poor pollinators and I wouldn't keep them around simply for that reason. Their benefit likely isn't worth the risk of why they are swarming your plant. But they could simply be harmless in the end as well.
    Bruce

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    10 years ago

    Indeed, ants and aphids go hand in hand.
    I'd blast the ants off, and search thoroughly for aphids as Mark and Bruce suggest.

    Josh

  • chilliwin
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Mark, Bruce and Josh thank you for the opinions.

    Still now I have not found any aphid. These ants are not on the young leaves only one particular spot near the pods they are swarming, one plant one spot. I have been trying to get information about POLLEN leftover or DRIED POLLEN stained on the pods and around the pods, but found nothing interested. These ants are swarming around the pod so I have suspicion of pollen stained. They are not swarming the other parts of the plant. The plants are also only the Scorpion, my other chili plants do not have this ants swarming. It is really strange. Night time also some of them always there. I will hang a NOTICE on a branch'' NO INSECTS ARE ALLOWED TO HARM/DAMAGE MY PLANTS IN ANY CASE" :-)

    Thank you all again for sharing.

    Caelian

  • Djole
    10 years ago

    Agree with Josh. Get rid of them, IME they are mostly bad news in the garden.

    Djole

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    10 years ago

    If its one plant and one spot it's possible that maybe some soda, coffee, or tree sap dripped on that spot. Maybe try washing that spot they favor with water and see what happens, I think the ants will leave.

    Mark

  • chilliwin
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Mark that's possible some foreign substance may be stained to the plants but I think more about the pollen stain on this particular plants Scorpion. I mist my plant every day twice and no one eating and drinking near my plants too. If the foreign substance falling from the sky the leaves should be the first to stain. I have three plants now the ants are playing in the same manner, the similar spots that's near the pods and same verity plant Scorpion.

    The solution of the ants swarming is simple, I already mentioned to my first post, that washing the spots simply avoid these ants swarming. This time I do not like to wash the spot because the first plant yield a lot of pods. Over 20 pods already it has, these ants are helping pollination I think. Why it happens only on the scorpion plants ! If it is stain when they finished eating the substance they would move to another spot again.

    Before I washed the spot (night):

    {{gwi:1164168}}

    Thank you all for the opinions.

    Caelian

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ants the pollinators

    This post was edited by chilliwin on Tue, Jun 25, 13 at 17:51

  • chilliwin
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Updates:
    After I did a close observation I found so many ANTHERS were stuck on the pods. We got rain today also but these ANTHERS are still there.

    {{gwi:1176945}}

    {{gwi:1176946}}

    {{gwi:1176947}}

    Caelian

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