Hi BUNNINGS Team,
I need your help as I have a lot of ants on my mandrin plant.Now they are on almost every plant on my myer lemon,strawberry plants they are in 100s not even let my touch plant.I tried neem oil for three weeks but it didn't,helping.They are here from 6/8 weeks.There is lots of new shoots but ants as well.please tell me some solution for ants and are they dangerous for strawberry mandrin and lemon. Does black mark on strawberry is due to ants?
Thanks
Hi @bisma,
The ants themselves aren’t the main problem here. They’re on your citrus and strawberries because they’re feeding on a sugary substance called honeydew, which is produced by sap-sucking pests like scale insects.
In your close-up citrus photos, you can actually see the white and brown bumps along the stems. That’s a hard scale infestation. The ants are farming and protecting the scale because they feed on that honeydew. If the scale wasn’t there, you wouldn’t have ants in those numbers, and they likely wouldn’t be on your plants at all.
So the key is to control the scale. Once the scale is gone, the ants will disappear as well.
I’d recommend using Yates 750ml Ready To Use Scale Gun Insect Pest Killer. It’s specifically designed to control scale insects and other sap-sucking pests. Spray thoroughly, making sure to coat the stems and the undersides of leaves where scale often hides. You may need to repeat applications as per the label instructions.
Regarding your questions:
Once you get the scale under control, you should see a big reduction in ants and an improvement in overall plant health.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Thanks Mitchelle appreciated I'll get scale gun today.Does cale gun is safe for strawberry as well?
You’re very welcome.
Scale Gun should only be used on plants that actually have scale present. From what I can see in your photos, the scale infestation is on the citrus, not the strawberries.
I wouldn’t expect hard scale to be on the strawberry plants, so I’d recommend only applying the Scale Gun to the citrus where there’s a clear outbreak. There’s no need to spray the strawberries. As scale is typically not found on strawberries Scale Gun is not registered for use on them, so you should not spray them.
Once the scale on the citrus is controlled, the ant numbers around your other plants should reduce as well.
Sure Thanks Mitchell I'll use scale gun on citrus only actually strawberry has may be more ants than citrus that's why i was asking.
I don't think that would be because of scale, @bisma. Though, potentially they could have made a nest in the soil.
MItchell
Ok I got it do I need to do something for nest or at the moment just scale treatment.
The only way to see if there was a nest would be to repot the larger strawberry plant, which appears to have most of the ants on it. The two smaller plants do not appear to be infested, from the images. I'm not aware of any spray that would kill ants, but that would also be safe for use on your strawberries. For the moment, I would concentrate on getting rid of the scale on the citrus. Mitchell
Just wanted to add there's a great explanation about ants on your plants from experienced member @Adam_W.
All healthy gardens have ants, and they play an important role in the ecosystem. They help to remove things like dead insects and worms, help to improve soil, and also provide food for birds and reptiles.
Jason
Thanks Jason for information
Thanks MITCHELL for your detailed response about scale and ants and how to deal with them.I got first time scale issue now I know a lot about it.
Bunnings workshop is amazing platform and you guys are amazing,thanks my plants are growing with your help since last three years.
Thanks heaps.
That's fantastic to hear and wonderful feedback, @bisma. We love having you as part of the community.
