Ants & Aphids: Relationship and Habitat

Aphids and ants often appear together. But do ants eat the aphids? And what about milking the aphids? Here you will find everything on the subject and tips on how to combat ants and aphids.

aphids can be found in almost 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 will show you where this interest in aphids comes from and how to get rid of the ants and aphids.

Ants and aphids: why do they often appear together?

To answer why ants and aphids often appear together, look at the Nutrition needed by aphids: The small insects sting the sugary phloem sap of plants on. 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 aphids' hindquarters. 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 nibble 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 defend the aphids against predators to secure the honeydew. But even if lice are not part of the ants' diet, they do have some natural predators. These predators can help you in the garden to prevent mass proliferation of aphids. One of the most famous and 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. More interesting facts about “Ladybugs against aphidsYou can find out more about how you can promote ladybirds in a targeted manner in our special article.

tip: Ants don't eat aphids, but 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.

Ant genus living in Southeast Asia Dolichocerus has gone one step further in milking the 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!

Control 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 fight 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. Individual individuals are not a problem for plants, but there are often no predators in our gardens, which is why mass propagation 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 mild infestation, you can try a home remedy against aphids to combat them. In our article about Home remedies for aphids we will show you a few tricks on how you can 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 ours Plantura Organic Pest Free Neem and is purely herbal. 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 are our Organic Pest Free Neem use exactly as specified in the application recommendation. Please read the package leaflet before use.

If combating 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 if you keep ants from getting to the aphids, you make it possible for other animals to eat the aphids.

Tip: Not only affected and neighboring plants, but also tree stakes and other supports must be included be wrapped in a ring of glue - otherwise the ants will always find their way onto the plant easily again.

In the vast majority of 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 remedy such as ours Ant remedy InsectoSec®. 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. On plants in beds and in the lawn area Home remedies for ants used like cinnamon.

More helpful tips as you Fight aphids naturally can be found in our special article.