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Gardening Area => Growing questions and answers => Topic started by: Greentoe on March 20, 2015, 08:22:00 PM

Title: Anthill on my cactus
Post by: Greentoe on March 20, 2015, 08:22:00 PM

Should I be worried this?

I'm hoping the ants might help keep other bugs away, but I'm also a little worried that if they keep expanding their anthill they might bury my cactus.

Title: Re: Anthill on my cactus
Post by: New Wisdom on March 21, 2015, 08:05:00 PM

This can be a problem. Instead of keeping bugs away ants will literally farm mealybugs for their sugary excretion.

Title: Re: Anthill on my cactus
Post by: Greentoe on March 21, 2015, 08:24:03 PM

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be eradicating the ants soon.

Title: Re: Anthill on my cactus
Post by: New Wisdom on March 21, 2015, 08:35:17 PM

Although in some cases they help out by keeping other bugs away.  Like with cacti that have extrafloral nectaries that create their own sugar excretion.  The ants will hang out and eat that and protect the plant, but TBM's do not have extraforal nectaries.

New Wisdom