For those who are not already aware, ants are tiny 6 legged insects. They can range in size and come in many different variations. The smallest of the bunch are sugar ants, and carpenter ants can grow up to half an inch in size. You will usually see ants in places where there is food lying around in the home. Sugar is what ants usually like the most. They take this substance to their homes where the queen ant resides.
The average person tends to think of ants in this way, but don’t neglect considering an ants ability to find their way to your precious marijuana plants. If they do, it can be a bit harmful to your plants.
Ways to know ants are present
Solving ant problems
Symptoms of ants
Ways to know ants are present
Ants are typically first attracted to marijuana plants because of the honeydew emitted from whiteflies and aphids. If present, they provide environmental advantages to the whiteflies and aphids. Whiteflies and aphids release honeydew that ants like and, as a result, will actually offer protection for these damaging insects from their natural enemies.
So if you see ants around then, you can be sure that most likely your issue is bigger than just the ants. The ants are not necessarily an immediate threat to marijuana plants. There is, however, a strong possibility that aphids or white flies have taken over the area.
This other issue with having ants around is that they cause issues for your garden. Ants use large amounts of soil to create their homes and this may affect your plants ability to consume nutrients and water while also weakening the condition of the soil. This can mean problems for your plants roots. More about ants in my free grow bible.
Solving ant problems
Since ant mounds create issues for your marijuana plants, you’ll want to do something about them immediately. You should first force the whiteflies and aphids away since they are a major part of your problem. Ants come around just because they want the honeydew so once the other predators are gone, the ants will leave too.
You can reduce the number ants present through a variety of methods. These methods will also rid your garden of all other insect problems as well. Try sprinkling corn meal into the entry points of the ant mounds. Ants will attempt to eat the corn meal and end up dying since their bodies are not capable of consuming it. Their death benefits us all because, due to the aeration the ants put in the soil combined with the dead ants, the soil has even more nutrients.
Symptoms of ants
- Plants appear to lack water
- Whiteflies near your plants
- Aphids in the area You notice ants crawling on the plants
- Big soil packed mound near the plants
Locating the presence of ants is not always easy since they are tiny. However, even if the ants are all over the place, you can probably find their home. All you need to do is track where they are going to or traveling from, and from there you can figure out where their homes are. Use this trick to get rid of your ant problem and free your marijuana plants once again.
Thanks for reading. Please leave comments or questions below and don’t forget to download my free grow bible.