ANTS IN MY ORCHIDS

[greg sytch]

Has anyone had the experience of ants in their orchids? I grow all mine outdoors, under shade cloth, all year here in Tampa Bay, and I have lots of small ants traveling though my orchids. I've checked for pests and can see none. I assume they are after the flowers, as I have quite a few in bloom, and to nest among the pot. What should I do? I am not sure what can flush them out and get rid of them. Water hasn't worked, and soapy water has not been very effective. Any suggestions? Thanks! Greg in sunny, clear, HOT New Port Richey with dewpoints all the way down in the 60's today....beautiful Sept day!

[CoolPhrog]

Hi Greg, I'm up here in Jacksonville and our dewpoint is lower than yours today! So I know what you mean!

I also grow outdoors and that does create some challenges - I have ants visit my chids but I can't see that they are causing any problems - just make sure you don't have aphids - ants farm aphids and trust me, you'd know if you had them..I don't know what would discourage ants from climbing in your pots because I haven't tried to evict them

[susiep]

Greg, I know about ants in the orchids! I grow outside in Florida, too. The ants are good at pointing you toward the aphids, scale, and mealies. The ants love the sugar that those pests suck from the plants. That is the only good thing about the ants. I always get rid of the ants because sometimes I want to bring my flowering plants in the house. I have never had the ants do any damage to the plants or flowers. They just seem to want the sugar.

The worst thing is to find ants nesting in the pot when they are carrying eggs around! #%$@ That can freak me out. So I just spray Raid all over the top of the media and in all the holes of the pot (I don't spray it on the plant). They will all come streaming out and I spray them some more. I wait about 30mins then I rinse all the poison out with the hose. Really flooding it over and over until no more ants are washing out. I use chunky bark mix so this is easy to do. If you use moss or other media I'm not sure you will be able to rinse them all out so easily.

There are some dens that have a natural relationship with ants. I have one giant den that has canes that get hollow when they are old and the ants live in them and actually store their dead ant comrades in the hollow canes. Another gross ant fact! It is actually some kind of natural fertilizer for the plant (symbiotic relationship of some kind, I guess). I usually don't kill those ants because I don't bring that plant inside.

[cb977]

Some ladies at our meeting last week were saying they had an ant problem and started using this:

Fire Ant Killer and Lawn Weed Killer: Powerful Fire Ant Killers by Amdro and Tough Lawn Weed Killers by Image

It's says it's a fire ant killer but the label names a number of other ants it destroys.

They said it's worked very well...they sprinkle it on the floor of their GH and also put it directly on top of the media in the pots.

[jkofferdahl]

I've had good luck using Safer insecticidal soap for ants in the past.

[Gin]

I use Revenge or Antrol it is dabbed around the pot rim the worker ants carry it to their nest the colony eats it and dies . It is Boric Acid and Sugar . Gin

[kiki-do]

I had that happen up here in Maine to one of my orchids. We had lots of rain and they came in and chose that one plant to nest with their eggs. Ugh! I sprayed it with bug spray for houseplants (and orchids), then repotted it and was careful to get them all out from under. I haven't had any problems since.

[unhappykat]

I have two methods of getting rid of ants, If they are just living in a pot you can take a bucket of warm water with a big spoon of dishsoap added and dunk the plant for a two or three minute soak and allow all the water to drain, repeat a couple of times and most of the ants will die or leav after the trauma, makesure to rinse the entire plant with clean wate to prevent any damage from the soap. Works with moss and bark. If the ants are farming your orchids for sugar, usually with aphids or scale, I fill a bucket with warm water and malithion or another pesticide and give the plant a very quick dip and let the pot sit somewhere away from the other plants for a while, lots of ants die and the rest will leav the pot, you can then water out the poison along with any dead anyts if you use bark, with moss you will have lots of fertilizer left.

[greg sytch]

Thanks for the replies so far...I know about ants/aphids/scale relationships, and I do not see any. I have too many to dip. So, I will try the granules on top. I cannot use them on the floor as my doggies run freely thru the shadehouses, and my kitties sleep amongst the benches! I was afraid of the granules hurting the orchids, but I have more confidence now. We have yet to have rain in Sept as all the hurricanes are going E or W of us, leaving us high and dry (dry air curculates around hurricanes)....but I will hope for some rain to help out, too. I may also use spray just as a measure, since occasionally I bring orchids in to enjoy, or to school to show off (I am a teacher). Thanks Greg