ants ants everywhere. thay are climbing all over my rosemary. can ants spit?
2006-08-06 11:28:41 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Noone is spitting on your rosemary. well, no person, that is. what you see are spittlebug masses.
MEADOW SPITTLEBUG.
Philaenus spumarius
greenish bugs found within spittle masses suck sap.
No noticeable plant injury has been documented.
common from april to july.
hose it off with strong blast of water. it won't be back until next year.
2006-08-06 17:55:50 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 16⤊ 0⤋
Aphids produce a "honeydew" substance that ants eat. The ants will tend the aphids as if they were mini-livestock. If you get rid of the aphids, the ants and the "spit" will vanish. There are several non-toxic ways of getting rid of aphids. These will get rid of the aphids without causing harm to beneficial insects such as ladybugs and bees, the birds, your pets, your children and yourself. One effective option is a soap spray. You can make it at home, using a very dilute soap and water mixture; put it in a spray bottle and give the rosemary a good drenching, covering the entire plant until the soap spray is running off. You can also buy insecticidal soap sprays in a plant nursery or many major yard and garden centers. Another option is a horticultural oil spray. This is a nontoxic, nonpetroleum oil spray that kills the pests by suffocating them rather than poisoning them. That's good because not only will you not have toxic chemicals in your garden, but the bees and ladybugs that visit your rosemary later won't be killed by the oil residue on the plant. I think the soap option is the easiest, and it is quite effective. Good luck!
2006-08-06 12:18:11 · answer #2 · answered by sonomanona 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, there is a bug called a spittlebug. I have seen them on plants from time to time but not in the garden. The ants are not causing this spittle. They may the predators that are after the critter in the middle of this spittle.
See the following link.
Regards
2006-08-06 12:19:36 · answer #3 · answered by primer209 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is also an insect called a "Spittle Bug". Could be that. Weird, huh? There is usually only one bug per spot of "spittle". So you could blast it with a hose or you could spray something like Malathion or insecticidal soap.
Many insects secrete a sugary substance that ants cultivate. So, when you see ants that is a secondary problem and indicates other insects.
Good luck :-)
2006-08-06 12:19:53 · answer #4 · answered by prillville 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have aphids and you need to buy aphid spray. You can buy it at walmart or any nursery. Take a piece of your rosemary in and show it to the garden consultant in the nursery.
2006-08-06 11:38:11 · answer #5 · answered by Carol H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have aphids and the ants are eating the aphids or farming them.
2006-08-06 11:33:34 · answer #6 · answered by karen wonderful 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to spray with either liquid seven or malathion.This will take of all of that.
2006-08-06 13:43:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋