Ants infesting the stem

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Infernoretro

New Member
Hey guys, first timer here

I've been experimenting with straining/weighing down my plant, well with a tale as old as time... it did crack/split down the stem and the plant seems as live and healthy as its always been but ants have been for the last few days I've noticed crawling in and out the crack, anything I can or should be doing apart from taping up the wound?
 

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rijkmus1

Well-Known Member
The crack may heal. But it will be tested when the plant gets heavy in flower. There are ways to handle the ants. I have ants in my garden and used diatomaceous earth. They are still there. The ants here do not harm plants except that they transport aphids who do harm to vegetation. I am more concerned with pests that do more serious damage like catipillers and boring insects.
 
Johiem

Johiem

Well-Known Member
I was thinking D- earth as well. Just a quick poof at the wound and a light layer around the stem base. I'd also try to pull the wound together a bit more, if possible.
 
MidnightSun72

MidnightSun72

Well-Known Member
Infernoretro said:
Hey guys, first timer here

I've been experimenting with straining/weighing down my plant, well with a tale as old as time... it did crack/split down the stem and the plant seems as live and healthy as its always been but ants have been for the last few days I've noticed crawling in and out the crack, anything I can or should be doing apart from taping up the wound?
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Are the ants just on or around the crack? Because outdoors usually an ant infestation also means aphids.
 
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Infernoretro

New Member
I've currently used bandaid and cloth tape to patch it up, tightened the yellow string near the top to try and keep it together. the ants a few weeks ago were near the base and now they've been entering and leaving through that wound within the last few days, I do have d-earth in the form of soil wetter and I do also have ground cinnamon but I would like to know if cinnamon will affect the plant if I powdered a bit in the wound?
 
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rijkmus1

Well-Known Member
D-earth takes time to work. Put it down but you may have to go to some more drastic method. Organic or synthetic spray. There is a product called tangle foot that some people in here use. It provides a sticky barrier at the base of the plant. I think your main problem is the crack. I think products are available to patch tree wounds. Just do a search. I think it needs sealed from the elements to prevent other problems.
 
bam0813

bam0813

Well-Known Member
Boric acid for the ants. Try to find where there coming from if you can as well. Support the crack itll be fine if its not wilting already. I spray big splits with fungicide
 
bam0813

bam0813

Well-Known Member
852C6FB1-ED52-4447-BC81-C5D9A8CF47CA.jpeg
heres a pretty big one late in the game. Did nothing but sure up support so it didn’t worsen and treat w fungicide. Plant didn’t skip a beat
 
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
bam0813 said:
Boric acid for the ants. Try to find where there coming from if you can as well. Support the crack itll be fine if its not wilting already. I spray big splits with fungicide
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This Borac Acid okay to top dress with? Will it effect the grow (soils pH) is what I'm really asking.
 
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LadyKJ

Member
find a little container and put a mixture of the boric acid and some kind of syrup/honey to make a liquid bait. It is what is in the liquid bait in the ant traps. they find it and eat it and it kills them. You have to protect it from rain and being diluted so a lidded container with some holes in it?
 
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
Severed Tongue said:
Ants are there farming aphids man, otherw
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Severed Tongue said:
Ants are there farming aphids man, otherwise they wouldn't even bother going on the plant.

You won't be able to get rid ants until you get rid of aphids.
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I think your right. The ants are tiny little things, they look like baby ants compared to what I usually see around here. I was "gifted" the plant recently and I should have known better than to bring it inside. I spread some cinnamon and diatomaceous earth on the top soil yesterday, and today sprayed the base and lower leaves with Lost Coast Plant Therapy. I'm suppose to spray that for 3- 5 days.
 
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WelderRed

Member
Lady bugs. I’m dealing with the same thing right now in my whole garden. You’ll see what looks like bleach marks where they have sucked their food out. The ants are there because the afids create a sugar and they feed on it. Lady bugs will take care of your problem.
 
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WelderRed

Member
WelderRed said:
Lady bugs. I’m dealing with the same thing right now in my whole garden. You’ll see what looks like bleach marks where they have sucked their food out. The ants are there because the afids create a sugar and they feed on it. Lady bugs will take care of your problem.
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I have found a pic of before I got rid of some fullage yesterday notice the white streak
 

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Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
My wife is urging me to just toss the plant out before my tent gets infested bad ... Probably should, I just poured 15 gallons of good soil in there too ... sigh . :( better safe than Sorry I guess.
 
Severed Tongue

Severed Tongue

Well-Known Member
I've battled aphids last years indoor fall run. I couldn't beat em. Managed 'ok' harvest, but definitely stunted the grow and it was spraying everything every week the entire time and yea.... ended up tossing everything else, all my peppers and clones, and sterilizing the tents and room before starting again.

All because I had a Pepper plant outside all summer, and brought it inside... also it was covered with ants all the time outside. I did spray it down prior to bringing it in but yea.... aphids are really hard to beat once they infest, Little fuckers are born pregnant.
 
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
Severed Tongue said:
I've battled aphids last years indoor fall run. I couldn't beat em. Managed 'ok' harvest, but definitely stunted the grow and it was spraying everything every week the entire time and yea.... ended up tossing everything else, all my peppers and clones, and sterilizing the tents and room before starting again.

All because I had a Pepper plant outside all summer, and brought it inside... also it was covered with ants all the time outside. I did spray it down prior to bringing it in but yea.... aphids are really hard to beat once they infest, Little fuckers are born pregnant.
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She's been taken down. Wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't. And took the bottom liner out to rinse it down real good with the hose, have it hanging to dry. Vacuumed the bottom out real good and then sprayed some Orthos all over for good measure. Will leave it empty for a week or two just to be sure. Well, thanks for the help guys. Learned a valuable lesson here.
 
Severed Tongue

Severed Tongue

Well-Known Member
Week4@inCharge said:
She's been taken down. Wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't. And took the bottom liner out to rinse it down real good with the hose, have it hanging to dry. Vacuumed the bottom out real good and then sprayed some Orthos all over for good measure. Will leave it empty for a week or two just to be sure. Well, thanks for the help guys. Learned a valuable lesson here.
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If you found aphids, You still need to spray your other plants, if they were in same tent for sure, they are migratory colonizing little bitches. I would spray even if separate tent just to be safe.

You gotta do it at lights out, and get under all fan leaves.

Also just a tip I learned on here, at harvest day, get three 5 gallon buckets, and triple dunk rinse your stems when you chop em before hanging.

Will get rid of all dust, debre, and .... bugs, both alive and dead.
 
Melquides

Melquides

Active Member
I ran into dock aphids after bringing an outdoor plant indoors. Never again will i bring anything inside. once i noticed them it was too late, could not totally eradicate. harvested early. I would almost rather see spider mites than dock aphids.
 
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