Help how do I kill ants?

Jaysta

Member
Well my plant is 4 weeks into flower and today I noticed little black ants crawling around in my soil. I have no idea where they came from. I started noticing the top leaves looking a big weird a couple days ago but didn't think anything of it but now I'm almost sure it's these ants. How the hell do I kill them without destroying my plant? Please help
 

tom__420

Well-Known Member
I have never heard of ants doing any harm to a marijuana plant. They are just aerating your soil really. I would look into something else as the cause of your weird leaves
 

MrFishy

Well-Known Member
Are you sure they're ants and not fungus gnats before wings have formed?
Are you growing in planters?
Ants generally harvest pests, like aphids.
More of a nuisance than a dangerous pest. Probably wouldn't be there if no food was around.
 

Jaysta

Member
I'm growing indoors in a 2 liter water bottle as a pot. I started adding molasses to my water about a week ago. I'm positive they are ants. They move fast like ants and are small. Like baby ants. Hope they don't harm my plant and I don't have any bug problems. I never seen any bugs in my fox farm ocean forest when I planted so I'm pretty sure they aren't feeding on anything.
 

CrackerJax

New Member
They may be ants but they will not harm your plant. Yes, molasses can attract them, but also other things. Ants basically help guard ur weed, like ladybugs and preying mantis'.

If however, you wish them to leave, put some molasses nearby....they will go for it. You can even name them.....
 

Jaysta

Member
Thanks a lot crackerjax. Think I know why my top leaves are looking weird. I suspect it's a ph problem. Ph is below 6.0. Going to add some ph up and see if it goes up.
 

RyanTheRhino

Well-Known Member
are you sure ants dont hurt plants or is that just what you read.. i have ants in my garden and they put holes in all the leafs
 

CrackerJax

New Member
No, ur right Ryan. There are exceptions to every rule and ONE species will take small bits of leaves.... the leafcutter ant. They take the leaf bits, but not to eat, but as a compost to grow a tasty (to ants) fungus. Quite a feat by the way....farming.

Now some leafcutters in Central America can defoliate a citrus tree in 24 hrs!

The ones here in the states are way less damaging and unless your plant is the only plant.... no worries.

Now a remedy for that would be to put bait plants on their trail to your grow.

Buy them off.

But that's not what he has.
 

The Warlord

Well-Known Member
Diatomacious earth. Non toxic but it kills insects. Put a thin layer on the soil and your ants are toast..
 

RyanTheRhino

Well-Known Member
haha where i live the ants are a combo of bigg ass maybe 3-4 mm long ants(soilders) and a bunch of 1-2mm long ants(wokers)
 

CrackerJax

New Member
Oh yah, I've got tons of different ones here. I don't know all of there names, but let's see.... I can safely say I'm aware of at least 6 different kinds. Fire, oak,black,bull,velvet (really a wasp),red,and one unknown... long and crawls over me real quick...never bites unless caught in my collar.
 

Crownmesire

Active Member
are you sure ants dont hurt plants or is that just what you read.. i have ants in my garden and they put holes in all the leafs
Id leave them alone, i found some in my pots carrying wat i thought was aphid larvae turned out they were eating leaf miners... killed the ants and the leaf miners poputated and wrecked havoc.
 

headbandrocker

Well-Known Member
Ants may farm aphids but other than that do no harm ganja that ive seen.
leave em alone and youll be fine,if your really worried just get yourself an anteater,whahlah good luck
 

CrackerJax

New Member
So I got to reading about the leaf cutter ant and they are simply AMAZING insects. They grow their own food. Ant farmers. To ward off parasitic wasps which inject eggs into the worker ant head, a tiny "helper" ant climbs onto the worker and fends off the wasps, so the worker doesn't have to drop it's leaf and do it's own protection. They have personal guards. The little guys actually do the farming too, and can hitchhike onto any other leafcutter to help. I'm impressed......
 
Top