Last few years have been growing the bulk of plants outside due , in part , to soaring electricity prices.
Good exercise moveing pots in and out of sheds as well.
Thought i would have more insect problems than indoors , but quite the opposite , and it is down to the common ants which live under the slabs.
Tiny black ants around 3 mm , larger species are farming aphids eleswhere in the garden and the red ones are too agressive to mess with.
Nearing the end of season in Cornwall and hard to find any damage on the plants , have watched them thoroughly explore and strip every foreign body from catterpillars down to aphids and their eggs and those bloody awful tiny white flies that ruin peppers.
Not seeing any damage caused by the ants on canna and they dont seem to get stuck on trichomes.
Two years ago had a nasty dose of spidermites indoors in full flower and sucesfully controlled them by moving the pots onto the slabs a few times , not useing chems in late flower and anything sprayed invites budrot.
Spent a good few quid on assorted predators over the years that have never worked properly , these ants do it for free for most of the year.
Anyone else or have i been lucky in species and environment ?
Good exercise moveing pots in and out of sheds as well.
Thought i would have more insect problems than indoors , but quite the opposite , and it is down to the common ants which live under the slabs.
Tiny black ants around 3 mm , larger species are farming aphids eleswhere in the garden and the red ones are too agressive to mess with.
Nearing the end of season in Cornwall and hard to find any damage on the plants , have watched them thoroughly explore and strip every foreign body from catterpillars down to aphids and their eggs and those bloody awful tiny white flies that ruin peppers.
Not seeing any damage caused by the ants on canna and they dont seem to get stuck on trichomes.
Two years ago had a nasty dose of spidermites indoors in full flower and sucesfully controlled them by moving the pots onto the slabs a few times , not useing chems in late flower and anything sprayed invites budrot.
Spent a good few quid on assorted predators over the years that have never worked properly , these ants do it for free for most of the year.
Anyone else or have i been lucky in species and environment ?