Aphids and ants often coexist. But do ants eat the aphids? And what about milking the aphids? Here you will find everything about the topic and tips on how to fight ants and aphids.
Aphids can be found in pretty much every garden. Surely you have already noticed that an increased number of ants can be observed on a plant infested with aphids. This is by no means a coincidence. Ants are very interested in aphids and even protect them from predators. We'll show you where ants' interest in aphids comes from and how to get rid of the ants and aphids.
Ants and Aphids: Why Do They Often Coexist?
To answer why ants and aphids often appear together, it is necessary to take a look at the diet of aphids: the small insects sting the sugary phloem sap of plants. This plant sap contains little protein, which is why the aphids have to consume a lot of it to meet their protein needs. They excrete the excess sugar in the form of honeydew. It is precisely this honeydew that the ants are after, as it contains valuable amino acids in addition to carbohydrates. The ants eat the sugary excrement that sticks to the leaves or suck the honeydew directly from the rear of the aphids. Therefore, lice and ants often appear together.
But not all ant species are so interested in honeydew. Especially the brown garden ant (Lasius brunneus) and the black garden ant (Lasius niger) like to snack on the sweet honeydew. These species even milk the aphids.
Some species of scale insects and some phloem-sucking cicadas also excrete honeydew and live in symbiosis with ants.
Do ants eat aphids?
Ants don't eat aphids, in fact they even defend the aphids against predators to secure the honeydew for themselves. But even if lice are not on the ants' menustanding, they have some natural predators. These predators can help you in the garden to prevent mass proliferation of aphids. One of the best known and most voracious beneficial insects against aphids is the ladybug. Aphids are not only on the menu for the adult animals, but especially for the larvae. A larva can eat up to 500 aphids before pupating into an adult ladybird. You can find out more interesting facts about "ladybugs against aphids" and more about how you can specifically promote ladybugs in our special article.
Tip: Although ants don't eat aphids, they are still useful in our garden. They are predators of pests and support the formation of humus in the soil by crushing organic material.
That's why ants milk aphids
Aphids continuously release honeydew on their own. It drips off the leaf, dries up and is difficult for the ants to use. Therefore, some ants have developed a technique to get the aphids to release honeydew on command: They drum on the aphid's rear part with their antennae. This encourages the louse to release the honeydew. The ants then suck up the honeydew immediately after excretion. This process is known as milking the aphid, since the association with milking a cow is not far-fetched.
The Southeast Asian ant genus Dolichocerus has gone a step further in milking aphids. Some ants are sent out looking for plants suitable for aphids. If such a plant is found, the ants transport the aphids to the new plant and milk them there!
Fighting aphids and ants
If you notice a lot of ants on a plant, this is usually a sign of an aphid infestation. However, the ants are only interested in the honeydew of the aphids, not in the plant itself, and therefore do not appear directly as plant pests. Of course, the animals are still annoying. The ants will disappear on their own once you get rid of the aphids. It is therefore advisable to combat the aphids first if there are a noticeable number of ants on a plant.
Aphids are among the most common pests on plants in our gardens and homes. Single individuals are not a problem for plants, but they are commonthere are no predators in our gardens, which is why mass reproduction occurs. Heavy aphid infestation can lead to severely deformed leaves and flowers on plants and reduce yields on crops. In addition, the aphids can quickly spread to neighboring plants if they also suit their taste. We therefore advise regularly checking plants for aphid infestation. The green, black or reddish colored insects can usually be seen on the tips of the shoots.
In the case of a light infestation, you can try a home remedy against aphids to combat them. In our article on home remedies for aphids, we show you a few tricks on how to make soapy water or nettle broth yourself, for example. If the desired effect does not occur or if there is a stronger infestation, we recommend a biological pesticide. Means based on neem oil are particularly suitable. The oil of the neem tree is the basis of our Plantura organic pest-free neem and has a purely herbal effect. It has an appetite-suppressing effect on the aphids and also disrupts the hormonal balance of the insects, which ensures that all generations are effectively combated. Our Plantura organic pest-free neem enables you to fight aphids and other sucking, biting or leaf-mining insects in the house and garden. The remedy is not dangerous to bees and very easy to use. Please note that you use our organic pest-free neem exactly as specified in the application recommendation. Please read the package insert before use.
If controlling aphids is not practical because the infestation affects a tree, there is another option: glue rings that are wrapped around the tree trunk. These tapes are coated with glue on one side. The ants stick to it when they try to walk over it. It is important to ensure that glue rings only serve their purpose if the ants cannot get onto the infested tree via neighboring plants. In addition, the glue ring must be attached very tightly so that the ants cannot walk underneath it. The glue rings prevent the ants from getting to the aphids. The pests are no longer protected from predators. So by stopping ants from getting to the aphids, you enable other animals to eat the aphids.
Tip: Not only affected and neighboring onesPlants, but also tree posts and other supports must be wrapped with a ring of glue - otherwise the ants will easily find their way onto the plant again and again.
In most cases, ants are not harmful in the garden. On the terrace, on paths or even in the house, however, they quickly become very unpleasant. In these cases, we recommend an ant repellent such as our InsectoSec® ant repellent. When used correctly, the active ingredient does not pose a threat to bees or your pets. You can use it in your garden on paved paths wherever ants bother you. Home remedies against ants such as cinnamon should be used on plants in beds and on the lawn.
See our feature article for more helpful tips on how to control aphids naturally.