Ants? - Orchid Board

jess_hawk · #1 04-13-2009, 03:52 PM

The orchid that I got at the last orchid society meeting seems to have imported ants into my dorm/apartment. We keep the kitchen clean enough that I've only found one or two away from the windowsill... but the numbers actually on the orchid seem don't seem to be decreasing as I kill each one I see. I'm worried that they might be able to hurt my plant/be hurting it, plus of course I am not a fan of ants in my living space even if they are totally harmless.

What is the best way to control ants on orchids, indoors?

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #2 04-13-2009, 07:23 PM

I don't know how to control ants indoors.

But...

The ants in your plant can do it good by fertilizing them. Coryanthes (a Stanhopea relative - often referred to as Bucket Orchids) have a symbiotic relationship with ants. The ants live amongst the roots. The plant gets ant droppings as fertilizer.

kiki-do · #3 04-13-2009, 07:30 PM

Doesn't having ants indicate that there is something on the plant that is attracting them? What type of orchid is it? No signs of aphids, is there?
How about a couple of ant traps placed close to the plant pot. Would that work? Jess, I'm not sure about any of this, but I'm hoping someone will come back and enlighten the both of us. I just remember reading something about what attracts the ants in the first place, but not sure now what that was.

jess_hawk · #4 04-13-2009, 10:15 PM

The plant is a Den. nobile hybrid.
I have no idea if ant traps nearby would work...

If the ants are helping the plant out, they are welcome to stick around right up until I find them in my food or I get bitten by one, as far as I'm concerned... but my roommates may be less tolerant.

quiltingwacko · #5 04-13-2009, 10:28 PM

When ants become a nuisance in the house, I set out Terro ant traps. They have a sticky sugary syrup in them with boric acid in it. The worker ants come and take the syrup home to feed the colony. After awhile, there are a lot less ants around. Some ants do cultivate aphids. You would probably know if you had aphids on the orchid. Carol

Blondie · #6 04-13-2009, 10:42 PM

You can find little ant traps or "ant hotels" at any hardware store, Walmart, etc. I had some ants last summer, and I just bought a few of these little puppies and put them all over the kitchen. Worked like a charm!

dave b · #7 04-13-2009, 10:56 PM

With that type of orchid, they shouldnt be living in the plant, unless, they have entered inside one of the old dead canes assuming it has old ones. Have you repotted it yet. They may just be hanging out in the bark mix.

Orchids can naturally secrete sap, and pests such as aphids, scale, and mites are sap suckers which ants will take advantage of to get sap. Some species of ants will herd aphids like sheep, in order to drink sap as they expel it out of their system. There are ants that also do this with mites, and they will carry the pests from plant to plant to establish colonies.

jess_hawk · #8 04-14-2009, 12:41 AM

I've used the Terro bait before (I used to work at a hardware store) but I wasn't sure if that would hurt the plant if they took it down into the potting mix.

It only has two mature canes and one new one (maybe a second new one starting) - a recent division when I got it, two weeks ago. I haven't repotted it myself so I don't know if they're in the mix. There were two scale bugs on it when I got it, but I killed them and I see no evidence of others (can they attack the roots?). I'm trying to work up the courage to pull it out and inspect the roots, but I keep picturing there being an ant nest in there and getting swarmed or something (I know this is stupid, but I've had a few too many run ins with various tropical ants for me to pull out the bark mix without feeling paranoid about ant bites). Anyway, no aphids, no mites that I can see.

Thanks - I'll try investing in ant traps and see if that helps.

Joanie · #9 04-14-2009, 01:01 AM

If and when I discover ants in my orchid pot I repot with new medium being sure to wash away all ants from roots and entire plant.

If orchid is outside it's really difficult to keep the little guys away.

AboutOrchids · #10 04-14-2009, 01:53 AM

Ants can be great for aeration of the potting media and even some pest control, but, as has already be described, they can also "farm" aphids, scale, and mealybug. Killing the worker ants you see is useless if you don't eliminate the queen and colony itself. I use Grant's Ant Traps, which supplies poison ant food that they take back to the rest of the colony. Boric acid solution set out as bait accomplishes the same. Be persistent.